2015 Kia Rio vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

The Kia Rio is on a par with all the subcompact entries with respect to gas mileage, features, and styling.

But in areas like space and versatility, the Honda Fit in particular has it beat.

The Rio is as roomy as the related Hyundai Accent, and both have high-quality cabins, but neither can beat the Fit in seat comfort or real cargo space.

The hatchback version of the Nissan Versa—the Versa Note—has decent interior room, but handling and styling, especially in its cabin, are a little drab.

The Fiesta gets kudos for its tight steering and sharp lines, but the back seat is cramped, and its sluggish PowerShift automatic transmission, which should add fun versus conventional automatics, subtracts it instead.

The Chevrolet Sonic remains a middle-of-the-market favorite, offering capable handling, perky turbocharged performance, and styling that works well in hatchback form.

And then there's the Mazda 2, which lives at the opposite end of the feature spectrum from the Rio, but as the smallest and lightest in the segment, it's also the most fun to drive; hopefully the expected replacement will address the rather barren interior.