2023 Kia Rio Review

The Kia Rio is a solid choice for a subcompact sedan. It's affordable and easy to drive, and it has a more premium feel than you may expect to find in this budget-friendly class. Now, to get the obvious out of the way: The Rio is small. Very small. But it uses its pint size to its advantage more often than not, offering excellent fuel economy ratings and a small footprint that makes the Rio an appealing city car. Even the cargo space is acceptable, and if you opt for the 5-Door hatchback version, there is more room in the trunk than in many larger midsize sedans. You may also want to check out the Hyundai Accent and Nissan Versa sedans for cross-shopping purposes, although those models do not offer a hatchback version.

This version of the Rio debuted for the 2018 model year and has had only nominal changes since then save for a slight restyling for 2021. Because of increased interest in crossovers and SUVs and waning demand for sedans, many automakers are slowly eliminating extra-small cars like the Rio. Kia hasn't pulled that plug yet, and we expect the Rio will live to see another model year. Still, it's unlikely the automaker will make major investments in a low-volume, affordable economy car. And for that reason, we don't expect much change for the 2023 model year.

Without any major changes on the way, we expect the 2023 Kia Rio to offer solid value if you're shopping for a budget-friendly sedan. In particular, the Rio 5-Door hatchback is a unique and extra-functional option that deserves a look. Cars this size are becoming more rare on the market, but the Rio has enough redeeming qualities to warrant a look.