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)?
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.
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...