We bought our Rio new thanks to the trade in scheme, and have been very pleased with it so far! We opted for the diesel model, something I would highly recommend due to the increased power, reduced road tax and the extra m.p.g.

I drive quite a lot, over 1000 miles a month, and the car is comfy on the motorway, happily cruising and with enough guts to pull away even in 5th gear. To add to this, the car will give 60 m.p.g., something that is very handy with the ever increasing fuel prices! Around town the car is nippy, not too big and will economically cruise around in 3rd or 4th gear. The car is actually quite narrow for its size which makes it easy to park and get through tight gaps which is also a plus.

The back seats can slide forwards slightly to increase the boot, or slide back again if you have tall passengers, and a 6ft 6in friend of mine had no issues sitting back there. The boot itself is a decent size, although we have had issues with folding the back seats down flat.

Kia do a levelled system with their cars rather than putting in optional extras, and we went for the basic '1' model. This means no central locking, no electric windows and no air con; we don't miss them but if you do then the upgrade to get all three is only about £1300. Like I said, we don't miss them, and you still get things like a CD player, USB and AUX ports, and an electronic stability programme. Everything is well positioned, with all buttons within logical and easy reach.

Summary:

Although obviously not going to be a top end car, this is a great family car for the money conscious person. Although the interior is not the greatest quality, it has everything you need and the car provides a fun, safe and relatively fast drive. I would highly recommend this car to anyone