Kia-Forums.com is owned and operated by AutoForums.com, Inc. Kia-Forums.com is an ehthusiast website dedicated to the discussion of Kia Vehicles, Kia Family Cars and Kia SUVs. Kia-Forums.com is completely unofficial and is not endorsed in any way by KIA Motor Corp, its affiliates, or its subsidiaries. KIAź is a registered trademark of KIA Motors Corp. in Canada, the United States, and in other countries around the world. No challenge to the status of KIAź's registered trademarks is intended.
Here's an eccentric and somewhat amusing review of the Rondo from St. John's, Newfoundland, which is actually less a review of the Rondo and more about the writer's yearning for the vans of the 1970s.
LOL Rondo as a shag shack.... I'm too young to remember the era of "sin bin", but with shows like Swingtown, Honey, you want to come for a ride????
That IS an interesting review! I grew up - or tried to grow up anyway- it never really "took" - during that '60s "van era", but never owned one. I've owned some since, and every time I get another, I remind all those around me that if you'd told me forty years ago I'd be buying a "family van" I'd have told you how nuts you were!
This Rondo thingie in the drive is surely a different critter. I've yet to decide what to call it as a "class" of vehicle and I guess "Urban Untility Vehicle" is accurate, but "UUV" just doesn't roll off the tongue! Maybe "Family Utility Vehicle" would work, but "FUV" has some odd ring to it as well!
What the hey - I like it plenty - the whole family does. It does all we ask and gives us a lot for the bucks. Easy to take for granted now, it does it all so well.
__________________
WARNING: I will no longer be responsible for anything left in my memory longer than twenty minutes!
This Rondo thingie in the drive is surely a different critter. I've yet to decide what to call it as a "class" of vehicle and I guess "Urban Untility Vehicle" is accurate, but "UUV" just doesn't roll off the tongue! Maybe "Family Utility Vehicle" would work, but "FUV" has some odd ring to it as well!
I like what they call it in Europe, MPV - multi-purpose vehicle, seems to fit it to a tee
__________________ Mileage: 21,200 km (13,200 miles), Ownership: 13 months
I've yet to decide what to call it as a "class" of vehicle and I guess "Urban Untility Vehicle" is accurate, but "UUV" just doesn't roll off the tongue! Maybe "Family Utility Vehicle" would work, but "FUV" has some odd ring to it as well!
No, it is a Station Wagon (Estate Wagon in the UK). In the old days (sin bin era) we kids fought over who gets to sit in the "back back".
No, it is a Station Wagon (Estate Wagon in the UK). In the old days (sin bin era) we kids fought over who gets to sit in the "back back".
I'm impressed by the latin quote (sin bin era). I tend to regard my 5 seater as a 'Station Wagon' or 'Estate Car' - it could even be a 'Shooting Brake'. I've always thought the 'station' derived from Australia where large sheep farms are referred to as stations. 'Estate' is fairly obvious and 'Shooting Brake' was a form of horse or pony drawn carriage originally associated with shooting (hunting) on the estate. But I expect the Carens/Rondo is strictly none of those things as a Station Wagon or Estate is generally based on a Saloon or Sedan and has an extended roof line to provide a full height storage area at the back rather than a 'boot' or 'trunk' (again terms from carriage days).
I'm suspicious of all this 'cross-over' nonsense which is pure marketting. While it may work in North America it does not work in Europe where there are at least a dozen vehicles similar to the Rondo/Carens and these have never been known as 'cross-overs' but are generally known, as Trevor said, as MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles). MPV can be modified to be 'mini' or 'full sized'. However, while I think the 7 seater is a true MPV (loads of seat permutations), this is not really true of the 5 seater.....so when asked I suggest you say that it is officially classed as an 'EV' (Enigma Vehicle).
Bottom line: a good car but it could have been much better. Surprisingly, the review states that the manual is thirstier than the automatic. It suggests that rear parking sensors should be standard (I concur). It also states that the base model's Kumho Solus tires have poor wet-weather grip.
Here's a positive review from Business Week. The review compares the Rondo to the Mazda5, plus also compares the Rondo's cost to its competitors.
The review also mentions J.D. Power's latest vehicle dependability study. Kia is listed at 35 out of 37. Ouch. If you check out the studies from previous years, you'll notice that the number of problems per 100 vehicles has been dropping since 2003. Problem is, everyone else has also been improving, thus Kia hasn't climbed out of the basement when compared to the others.
The main complaint in this latest review seems to be the slippery steering wheel. My wife and I also found this somwhat irritating at first but it improved a lot after about 6 months when it has become hardly noticeable. Perhaps this is from both getting used to it and oils/sweat from one's palms "conditioning" the leather.
What to call the "Rondo Class"?
Linear Mode
