High-value family hauler: The Rio Cinco is perfect for young buyers on tight budget

The Kia story begins in 1944 with the founding of a factory focused on bicycle wheel manufacturing. Within a year, the Seoul, South Korea, factory was laying the groundwork for what would become a major bicycle manufacturing operation. In the 1960s the company moved into the manufacture of motor scooters, then three-wheeled delivery vehicles. By the early 1970s Kia was building trucks, and as the decade came to a close, Kia was producing the Peugeot 604 and Fiat 132 for the Asian market.

The 1990s saw Kia enter the North American market with the Avella, which we knew as the "Ford Aspire," and by 1994 -- Kia's 50th anniversary -- the automaker began selling the Sephia under its own brand name. Today the brand offers no less than seven models: The Amanti, Optima, Rio, Sedona, Spectra and Sportage. These vehicles adhere to the Kia tradition offering an impressive list of standard equipment and one of the best warranties in the industry.

This week's test vehicle, a Rio Cinco, is a cute station wagon available with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. Cinco means "five" in Spanish, presumably referring to the four regular passenger doors, plus the rear hatchback door. The handy little hauler is perfect for young buyers on a tight budget, folks with pets or those who need to carry gear for work or play.

Standard equipment includes dual airbags, disc brakes, aluminum alloy wheels, and a rear-window defroster. Air conditioning, an upscale audio system, and ABS are among the options. "You get what you pay for" is an ancient truism, but with the Cinco, that's not a put-down. Though inexpensive, you can't call it cheap. It's a handsome wagon, I think, and with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, it belongs on every budget buyer's shopping list. It would be an especially interesting alternative for someone shopping for a used vehicle -- for about the same money you'd get the new-car smell and the chance to break in your own new car.

All Rio Cincos are powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC, four-valves-per-cylinder engine that puts out 104 horsepower and drives the front wheels. Although it's quiet at idle, the engine becomes quite raucous when revved. But the noise is only intrusive during hard acceleration. Once up to cruising speed the four-speed automatic transmission shifts into overdrive, the engine RPMs drop and engine noise is not unreasonable for a vehicle in this price range.

The same is true for wind-noise -- it's there at 70 mph, but it's not objectionable for a vehicle in this price range. The power rack-and-pinion steering is accurate, the car has acceptable handling, and just a bit of body roll in tight corners. The turning circle is 30.84 ft. On rough pavement the car felt tight and rattle-free, although you could hear the suspension components working at times. This is a not unusual for today's high-value vehicles that are offered at rock-bottom prices. Regardless, the Cinco rides on a sophisticated independent front suspension, with MacPherson struts, coil springs, and a stabilizer bar to minimize roll. The rear semi-independent suspension has a torsion axle riding on coil springs. Brakes are power-assisted, with an optional 4-sensor, 4-channel anti-lock setup powering the front 10.0-inch vented discs and the rear 7.87-inch cast-iron drums. Wheels are 14-inch alloys.

The four-speed automatic wagon weighs a sprightly 2,502 pounds, which probably has a lot to do with the Cinco's estimated EPA rating of 25-city and 32-highway-mpg. But even at that light weight the Cinco feels roomy and airy. Front seating is the most generous, with enough leg and headroom for even my 6-foot-2-inch co-test driver to get comfortable behind the tilt steering wheel and the eight-way adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support. I rode in the back seat for over an hour, and my 5-foot-10-inch frame was comfortable, but not pampered. My knees cleared the front seatbacks, but my size-12 shoes were another matter. I had to twist awkwardly to get my feet in or out through the tight rear door opening. But I suspect the Cinco's rear cabin will be used for hauling children, pets and stuff most of the time. The rear seat can be folded down for stationwagon utility.

My $12,390 Cinco's base price was augmented with an $800 air-conditioning system a $335 power window option, and $120 floor mat kit. Destination charges brought the final MSRP to $14,185 -- less than some folks spend for a used car.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at sjr1@robertsonsphotography.com.