KIA Rio 1.4 or Honda City VTEC 1.5?

[tackielarla]

Hello tsikoteers!

Im a noob so please bear with me.

Me and my fiancee are currently shopping for a subcompact. I've been lurking around this forum for quite some time now and I have learned a lot. We're considering getting a KIA Rio because of the good reviews I got from here (although not as extensive as I wanted it to be...). The other option is a Honda City vtec, yung 1.5.

Maybe I'm just scared of the horror stories Ive read around (i.e. Psylocke), but is QC still a problem for the City? Is it worth all the extras over the Rio (572k vs 700k)?

Thanks!

[mazdamazda]

The price difference between the City & the Rio will tip the scales heavily in favor of the latter. The City is not really a bad car but since you are buying subcompacts due to budget limitations then the Rio makes more sense (since the almost 200K price difference is NOT small when shopping for an entry-level vehicle).

The premium price of the City will buy you a better engine, safety features (airbags, abs, ebd, rear disc brake) & better interior material. Is the 200K difference worth it? For me it is not but if you can afford it why not? But since you are now shopping at the 700K level, this can lead to other more viable options like the Lancer – but that’s another thread.

We have driven the Kia Rio with 5 of us on-board and the 1.4L engine is really quite capable of hauling arse. The manual shifter is a big improvement over the previous Rio while overall space is slightly better than the City. The only sore point in the Rio is the rims & tight front legroom (as with most subcompacts).

As for sytling, the Rio will win this one over especially if you change the OE steel rims & hubcaps. It looks like a European sedan (specifically Renaults).

On a side note… are you trying to compare the 5-door Rio or the 4-door Rio? The hatchback Rio does look a lot better than any subcompact around but the problem is that it has a 4-speed A/T instead of the 5-speed A/T. I have not driven that one yet though am guessing that its performance might be hindered by the said transmission.

[basti08]

i'd take the City 1.5 VTEC

actually its not really a 200k difference sir M2.

its about 128K to be exact.

let's say that dual airbags cost about 25K as with the case of the Vios 1.3E (615K) and Aveo Sedan 1.4 (640K) with Dual Airbags...

another safety feature missing in the Rio is the ABS/EBD with BA system

the 1.5L with Variable Valve Timing system boasting 109hp is another advantage.

Optitron gauges, foglights, 15" alloy wheels and tires, ULT seats are some of the other features present in the City.

i think the 128K difference is justified naman. and if you think about the resale, i think it's even worth it.

[KoKoNAT]

You should add the Yaris on your list. It's gonna be out in a couple of months.

[mazdamazda]

basti, yung 128K difference if you are comparing the Rio 5-door (hatchback). the almost 200k difference is for the Rio 4-door (sedan).

kung "proper" 5-door comparison, dapat against the Jazz ang comparison.

[basti08]

ah ok. tnx sir. pero dba 530K ang Rio 5MT sedan?

[tackielarla]

Thank you mga sirs M2 and Basti08!

I'm looking at the Rio sedan, not the hatchback. I'm not really a big fan of automatics.

535k? Is that the price in Manila? Coz I'm here in Cebu right now and the price given to me is 595k. Would it be cheaper if I bought the car there and shipped it here? Any idea on the freight costs plus insurance?

The City VTEC here costs 705-715k. With the proper nudging sa SA, I dunno maybe 700k...

Again, thanks for your inputs...

[OTEP]

I'd prolly take the Rio just so I won't see myself at every intersection.

If the lack of ABS and SRS is not an issue for you, the Rio is a nice car. It has a very European feel to it (probably because it was also designed for European consumption).

The Jazz is ok. But they are banking more on core values like 'resale' and 'reliability' instead of actual vehicle content/bang-for-the-buck.

Kia after-sales (at least here in QC) is leagues better than Honda's hack job department.

[1D4LV]

the rust colored Rio (same color as the Civic SIR) is a beaut..... euro car na euro car ang dating.

[OTEP]

Korte pa lang European na. Tapos may details like the black bumpers/mouldings, Euro antenna, Euro brake lamp pattern (only two of the four taillamps engage when braking).

Trunk has areas to contain EWD, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.

The cabin looks very Euro also.

[basti08]

styling aside, the City is actually prettier. lalo na ang price pala dyan ng Rio sedan is 595K.

that makes the difference just a hundred or so.

[tylerdude]

may hatchback na ba ang rio? i thought malabo pa ilabas eto? how much?

[niky]

Baka for the hatch yung 595k... clarify it. Or maybe he means that's the total including insurance and registration?

The price difference is kinda big, but it depends on what you want.

AFAIK, except for the weird looks and low seat cushions (mas mataas ng kaunti sa Rio), the City is the better car, but whether it's worth all that extra money is a judgement only you, tackielarla, as the buyer, can make.

I like the Rio, personally, as it reminds me so much of the old City and the Vios (but better). Medyo "old school" yung appeal niya versus the science-fiction-bubble-car Honda City.... and there's a more mechanical feel to all the controls and elements. It's a simple, honest car. Sure, resale is an unknown, but being so much cheaper, you still won't lose much in resale versus the more expensive car.

[oldblue]

535k lang yun rust-colored Rio, been seeing at least two of these sa Ortigas area. girls ang drivers, no tints pa.

what's inclusive? ganda sya sa paningin ko. in fact better looking than the vios or city.

medyo dumadami na din sa ortigas yun dark gray colored 4 door aveo. i believe 50k discount daw to mga to ngaun.

[tackielarla]

Thanks sir Niky. It was for the sedan po. There are no hatch variants of the rio here in Cebu, at least to my knowledge.

I test drove a vios yesterday. The front legroom was too high for me. I'm 6'0" with long legs (ehehehe). After the ride I felt my muscles limping a bit on me; not good for long drives. So I guess there goes the vios...

I guess my main concern is the QC. Heard of horror stories about the City but I'm not sure if it (Quality issues) is still present. As for kia, newcomer pa lang ang rio. Picanto owners gave excellent marks on kia's QC (is it because Korean made sha and not from Laguna?).

Again, salamat sa mga nag-post.