2018 Kia Rio

header-image
Rating6.2

Ranked #2 in 

Subcompact Sedan
Write Review
$13,900 - $18,700
Starting Price 
Nathan Dyer's image
Nathan Dyer 

Senior Editor,

Updated on November 2, 2023

ProsConsWhat's New

Impressive handling for this segment

Base trims have a spartan feature set

Fully redesigned for 2018

Excellent build quality and quiet cabin

Rivals offer more space for cargo

Excellent ride quality and comfortable seats

Lower trims don't get a telescopic steering wheel

Specs & Features

$13,900

price

130 hp @ 6300 rpm

horsepower

119 lb.-ft. @ 4850 rpm

torque

6-Speed Manual

transmission

1.6L 4cyl FWD 6M

engine

-

basic warranty

Overview

The 2018 Kia Rio Sedan is a subcompact sedan offered in 3 trims, starting off at a base MSRP of $13,900. For that price, it mainly competes with the Hyundai Accent Sedan, the Ford Fiesta Sedan, and the Nissan Versa Sedan. Between 3 trims, the Rio Sedan offers 2 powertrains. It is a 1.6L inline-4 engine making 130 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque. However, there is a choice between a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Rio Sedan reaches 60 MPH from zero in 9.8 seconds with the automatic transmission, which gets pumped up to 9.2 seconds with the manual. The Rio Sedan manages a combined fuel economy of 32 MPG. While we're on the topic of choices, the 8 striking colors the Rio Sedan comes in really pull you towards itself.

Buying Advice

The 2018 Kia Rio Sedan is a fun-to-drive and affordable subcompact sedan. It is available in three trims lines and we recommend getting the top-of-the-line EX trims as it comes with a well-loaded feature-set.

Trims

    LX
    $13,900 onwards
    • Engine: 1.6L 4cyl FWD 6M
    • Horsepower: 130 hp @ 6300 rpm hp
    • Torque: 119 lb.-ft. @ 4850 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 9.2 sec
    • Top Speed: TBD mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 32 mpg
    S
    $16,100 onwards
    • Engine: 1.6L 4cyl FWD 6A
    • Horsepower: 130 hp @ 6300 rpm hp
    • Torque: 119 lb.-ft. @ 4850 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 9.8 sec
    • Top Speed: TBD mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 32 mpg
    EX
    $18,400 onwards
    • 17 inch argent styled steel Wheels
    • 8.4-Inch touchscreen infotainment system
    • Am/Fm/Satellite radio
    • Automatic windshield wipers
    • Bilstein shock absorbers
    • Black fender flares
    • Heated and ventilated leather front seats
    • Led foglights and keyless entry
    • Monotone paint schemes
    • Projector headlights
    • Side-Step bars
    • Upgraded cloth seats
    • Wood trim

Compare to similar cars

Price

$13,900- $18,700

Engine

Gasoline

Rating

6.24

Horsepower

130 hp @ 6300 rpm

Torque

119 lb.-ft. @ 4850 rpm

Capacity

5

Read Review

$16,990- $25,790

Gasoline

6.74

130 hp @ 6000 rpm

128 lb.-ft. @ 3600 rpm

5

Read Review

$17,950- $41,120

Gasoline

7.6

160 hp @ 6500 rpm

146 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm

5

Read Review

$14,995- $18,895

Gasoline

6.56

130 hp @ 6300 rpm

119 lb.-ft. @ 4850 rpm

5

Read Review

$16,975- $25,865

Gasoline

6.8

153 hp @ 5600 rpm

177 lb.-ft. @ 2000 rpm

5

Read Review

$16,950- $22,900

Gasoline

7.23

147 hp @ 6200 rpm

132 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm

5

Read Review

$16,800- $26,100

Gasoline

7.04

147 hp @ 6200 rpm

132 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm

5

Read Review

$14,205- $21,285

Gasoline

7.37

120 hp @ 6350 rpm

112 lb.-ft. @ 5000 rpm

5

Read Review

$12,110- $15,940

Gasoline

6.04

109 hp @ 6000 rpm

107 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm

5

Read Review

2018 Kia Rio vs competitor's 0-60

    Car Name
    0-60 MPH
    Quarter Mile
    Top Speed
    SourceCompare
    2018 Kia Rio

    Ranked #5

    9.2 sec17.2 sec-
    7.7 sec15.9 sec-
    8.2 sec16.3 sec110 mph
    8.8 sec--
    8.8 sec--
    9 sec16.8 sec120 mph

    2018 Kia Rio vs competitor's MPG

      Car Name
      MPG City
      MPG Highway
      MPG Combined
      Fuel Tank Capacity
      Range (C/H)
      SourceCompare
      2018 Kia Rio

      Ranked #1

      29 mpg37 mpg32 mpg11.9 gal.345.1/440.3 mi.
      27 mpg40 mpg32 mpg13.7 gal.369.9/548 mi.
      28 mpg37 mpg31 mpg11.9 gal.333.2/440.3 mi.
      27 mpg35 mpg30 mpg12.4 gal.334.8/434 mi.
      27 mpg35 mpg30 mpg13.2 gal.356.4/462 mi.
      27 mpg36 mpg30 mpg10.8 gal.291.6/388.8 mi.

      2018 Kia Rio vs competitor's dimensions

        Car Name
        Length
        Width
        Height
        Ground Clearance
        Wheelbase
        SourceCompare
        2018 Kia Rio

        Ranked #9

        172.6 in.67.9 in.57.1 in.5.5 in.101.6 in.
        183.7 in.70.5 in.57.4 in.6 in.106.3 in.
        182.1 in.69.3 in.58.9 in.6.4 in.106.3 in.
        179.9 in.70.9 in.56.5 in.5.3 in.106.3 in.
        179.5 in.70.1 in.56.3 in.5.3 in.106.3 in.
        178.5 in.71.8 in.57.7 in.5 in.104.3 in.

        2018 Kia Rio vs competitor's trunk space

          Car Name
          Trunk Capacity
          Passenger Volume
          Max Trunk Volume
          SourceCompare
          2018 Kia Rio

          Ranked #4

          13.7 cu.ft.90.5 cu.ft.32.8 cu.ft.
          12.8 cu.ft.85.1 cu.ft.285.9 cu.ft.
          13.2 cu.ft.90.7 cu.ft.58.5 cu.ft.
          13.7 cu.ft.90.2 cu.ft.45.4 cu.ft.
          14.8 cu.ft.83 cu.ft.31.3 cu.ft.
          14.9 cu.ft.90.2 cu.ft.14.9 cu.ft.

          2018 Kia Rio vs competitor's cargo space

            Car Name
            Cargo Volume
            Cargo Volume w/ Seat Area
            Max Cargo Volume
            Bed Length
            SourceCompare
            2018 Kia Rio

            Ranked #1

            32.8 cu.ft.13.7 cu.ft.32.8 cu.ft.-
            285.9 cu.ft.12.8 cu.ft.285.9 cu.ft.-
            -14.4 cu.ft.-74 ft.
            83.1 cu.ft.13.2 cu.ft.58.5 cu.ft.-
            -15.1 cu.ft.--
            31.3 cu.ft.14.8 cu.ft.31.3 cu.ft.-

            2018 Kia Rio vs competitor's towing capacity

              Car Name
              Payload Capacity
              Weight
              SourceCompare
              2018 Kia Rio

              Ranked #1

              -2648 lbs.
              933 lbs.2866 lbs.
              -3091 lbs.
              -2571 lbs.
              827 lbs.2935 lbs.
              937 lbs.2502 lbs.

              Top Kia Cars

              2018 Kia K900

              Horsepower : 311 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 20 mpg

              0-60 : 6.4 sec

              #1

              2018 Kia Cadenza

              Horsepower : 290 hp @ 6400 rpm

              MPG Combined : 23 mpg

              0-60 : 6.6 sec

              #2

              2018 Kia Sedona

              Horsepower : 276 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 20 mpg

              0-60 : 7.7 sec

              #3

              2018 Kia Stinger

              Horsepower : 255 hp @ 6200 rpm

              MPG Combined : 25 mpg

              0-60 : 6 sec

              #4

              2018 Kia Optima Hybrid Sedan

              Horsepower : 192 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 42 mpg

              0-60 : 7.6 sec

              #5

              2018 Kia Optima

              Horsepower : 185 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 29 mpg

              0-60 : 8 sec

              #6

              2018 Kia Sorento

              Horsepower : 185 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 24 mpg

              0-60 : 9.4 sec

              #7

              2018 Kia Sportage

              Horsepower : 181 hp @ 6000 rpm

              MPG Combined : 26 mpg

              0-60 : 8.3 sec

              #8

              2018 Kia Forte

              Horsepower : 147 hp @ 6200 rpm

              MPG Combined : 28 mpg

              0-60 : 9 sec

              #9

              2018 Kia Niro Hybrid

              Horsepower : 139 hp @ 5700 rpm

              MPG Combined : 50 mpg

              0-60 : 8.6 sec

              #10