[ELI 10]

My son owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta Hatch SE and I own a 2013 KIA Rio5 EX. I get to drive my sons Fiesta quite often so I believe I can make an honest comparison of the 2 cars:

ENGINE: The Rio has a more responsive engine than the Fiesta, and idles smoother than the Fiesta. The 1.6 Gamma GDI is a technical marvel with 18 more ponies on tap. The Rio wins by a city block...

FUEL ECONOMY: The Fiesta trumps the Rio in gas mileage. The Fiesta averages 35.2 MPG per tankful and the Rio averages 33.5 MPG per tankful. We both drive the same exact 17 mile route into work so these are meaningful comparisons.

TRANSMISSION (Auto): No contest here. The 6 speed dual clutch transmission in the Fiesta is a joke. It is clunky and unresponsive. The ECM for the Fiesta Automatic is clueless. The Rio's transmission is smooth as silk (when not operating in ECO mode!)

RADIO CONTROLS: The UVO system in the Rio is far superior to the MyFord system in the Fiesta. The Fiesta controls are very confusing; the Rio controls are inuitive. The Rio wins hands down.

HANDLING: The Fiesta has much better road feel than the Rio EX. Combine the Fiesta's suspension and power steering unit with the Rio's drivetrain and you would have one sweet ride.

BUILD QUALITY: Both cars have outstanding build quality - it's a tie

VALUE: Both cars look great and are priced right. The "parking assist" LED's on the Fiesta are really cool looking. It's unbelievable that they are on a car at this price point! The backup camera on the EX (UVO option) is sweet along with its outstanding LCD display. IMHO the hatch design for the Rio is much more stylish than on the Fiesta.

When it all comes out in the wash we both love our cars and would not trade one for the other. It is amazing how this class of cars have made such huge leaps forward in the past couple of years (for USA consumers). This segment is no longer boring and unremarkable. I applaud both Ford and KIA for their efforts on fun and affordable transportation

UPDATE! - As my 2013 Rio5 continues to break-in my combined gas mileage gets better by the week. I am now averaging 35.1 MPG per tankful. I'm pretty sure it will level out here until I switch to Mobil 1 synthetic oil and a K&N filter cartridge at 5K miles. I couldn't be happier! Also after more drives in my son's Fiesta I really appreciate the superior drive train in my Rio5 - they aren't in the same league. The Fiesta doesn't even provide selective shifting and that transmission really needs one!

 

[Racineur]

My son owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta Hatch SE and I own a 2013 KIA Rio5 EX. I get to drive my sons Fiesta quite often so I believe I can make an honest comparison of the 2 cars:

ENGINE: The Rio has a more responsive engine than the Fiesta, and idles smoother than the Fiesta. The 1.6 Gamma GDI is a technical marvel. The Rio wins by a slight margin

FUEL ECONOMY: The Fiesta trumps the Rio in gas mileage. The Fiesta averages 35.2 MPG per tankful and the Rio averages 33.5 MPG per tankful. We both drive the same exact 17 mile route into work as we both work at the same company so these numbers are solid

TRANSMISSION (Auto): No contest here. The 6 speed dual clutch transmission in the Fiesta is a joke. It is clunky and unresponsive. The ECM for the Fiesta Automatic is clueless. The Rio's transmission is smooth as silk(when not in ECO mode!)

RADIO CONTROLS: The UVO system in the Rio is far superior to the MyFord system in the Fiesta. The Fiesta controls are very confusing; the Rio controls are inuitive. The Rio wins hands down.

HANDLING: The Fiesta has much better road feel than the Rio EX. Combine the Fiesta's suspension and power steering unit with the Rio's drivetrain and you would have one sweet ride.

BUILD QUALITY: Both cars have outstanding build quality - it's a tie

VALUE: Both cars look great and are priced right. The "parking assist" LED's on the Fiesta are really cool looking. It's unbelievable that they are on a car at this price point! The backup camera on the EX (UVO option) is sweet along with its outstanding LCD display.

When it all comes out in the wash we both love our cars and would not trade one for the other. It is amazing how this class of cars have made such huge leaps forward in the past couple of years (for USA consumers). This segment is no longer boring and unremarkable. I applaud both Ford and KIA for their efforts on fun and affordable transportation

Hello. My step brother owns a Fiesta SE, I drive a RIO EX UVO. I almost went for a TOL Fiesta before deciding for the Rio. I agree with all the statements above but for the build quality. As far as I'm concerned, the build quality of the Fiesta is a bit higher. When I drive my SB's Fiesta, I see it and I feel it. Parts that make the dash are stronger, plastic is sturdier and the overall feeling is one of solidity. Back in my Rio I hear some squeaks when you press some parts of the dash or parts I use like the padded armrest for the elbow. But I would not own a Fiesta anyway. I love my Rio. As for the fuel economy, it's hard to get the Fiesta's but it's a good trade off for all the fun and pride I have of owning and driving the Rio. It's a looker and a marvel of technology.

 

[ELI 10]

Build Quality

Maybe I just lucked out on the build quality of my Rio5? Absolutely no rattles or squeaks of any kind. The leather on the steering wheel in the Fiesta does have a better "feel" to it, but the shifter in the Rio trumps the one in the Fiesta.

Also I changed my comments on the engines as I don't have a clue what I was talking about when I first wrote it

 

[Racineur]

Maybe I just lucked out on the build quality of my Rio5? Absolutely no rattles or squeaks of any kind. The leather on the steering wheel in the Fiesta does have a better "feel" to it, but the shifter in the Rio trumps the one in the Fiesta.

Also I changed my comments on the engines as I don't have a clue what I was talking about when I first wrote it

Hi again. I'm a picky consumer and I assume it. Possible that what sounds like a squeak to me is not for others. As for the leather on the steering wheel, I too questioned the fact if it was real leather or not. I asked my dealer about this and here's his answer (don't laugh): "Well, I'm not sure is real leather. Even in a Buick Verano it won't be real leather. You have to have a Mercedes or BMW to find real leather and I'm not even sure it its. So I think it's rather leatherette in a Rio. Kia may advertise it as being leather but I doubt it". Couldn't believe my ears. The guy is the sales manager...Fortunately, he's very kind to me, polite and very prompt to help the best he can. We have a good relationship. But wise marketing. I don't think so.

As for the Fiesta engine, as I drove two, I can say it's less responsive than the Rio's and more raucous too. But my step brother couldn't like more his Fiesta. His near 40 MPG whatever the weather and starts and brakings and hills and tires he gets make him a very happy guy. Good for him.

 

[conwelpic]

interesting observations, my daughter likes the Fiesta because of the green colour

YTD sales to the end of September

US: Rio - 32,815, Fiesta - 43,484
Canada: Rio - 11,109, Fiesta - 9,875

Rio built in South Korea, Fiesta built in Mexico.

 

[Racineur]

Rio, Fiesta. Are we forgetting Accent?

interesting observations, my daughter likes the Fiesta because of the green colour

YTD sales to the end of September

US: Rio - 32,815, Fiesta - 43,484
Canada: Rio - 11,109, Fiesta - 9,875

Rio built in South Korea, Fiesta built in Mexico.

Hi conwelpic. Happy to learn Rio sales are that up and top Fiesta sales. I had forgotten about the Mexico-South Korea factor. Definitively wanted an Asian built car. Could have been Japanese or Korean though. At the time, I wanted to own an "import" not an American built car which I've had for all my life. A green Fiesta is a looker for sure. Can't turn my eyes off one when I see that Fiesta on the road. One thing surprises me: when it comes to the car one most wanted besides the Rio, Fiesta is mentioned very often. Actually, more than Accent. Why is that?

 

[jpdingle]

HANDLING: The Fiesta has much better road feel than the Rio EX. Combine the Fiesta's suspension and power steering unit with the Rio's drivetrain and you would have one sweet ride.

The Fiesta's suspension and handling benefits from its European tuning heritage.

 

[ELI 10]

interesting observations, my daughter likes the Fiesta because of the green colour

YTD sales to the end of September

US: Rio - 32,815, Fiesta - 43,484
Canada: Rio - 11,109, Fiesta - 9,875

Rio built in South Korea, Fiesta built in Mexico.

Thanks for the sales figures. We have 2 large KIA dealerships near me and I still don't see many Rio's. We do have a ton of Souls on the road here, and I have always considered them a "Best Buy". I had a 2010 Soul and I loved it; I just wanted a change of pace with a little better gas mileage...

 

[ELI 10]

Hi conwelpic. Happy to learn Rio sales are that up and top Fiesta sales. I had forgotten about the Mexico-South Korea factor. Definitively wanted an Asian built car. Could have been Japanese or Korean though. At the time, I wanted to own an "import" not an American built car which I've had for all my life. A green Fiesta is a looker for sure. Can't turn my eyes off one when I see that Fiesta on the road. One thing surprises me: when it comes to the car one most wanted besides the Rio, Fiesta is mentioned very often. Actually, more than Accent. Why is that?

The Accent has a terrible reputation. In the USA the Accent was right up there with the Yugo's. It will take Hyundai a while to get this bad taste out of our mouths (but they are definitely making progress). Also IMHO the new Rio just looks better than the Accent - MUCH BETTER Lines!

 

[diabloninja]

I drove them both when making my decision, and my subjective opinion was that the Fiesta felt like an entry level compact car, while the Rio felt like a mid-level hatch. I know the Rio is a compact, but it feels larger on the inside (hatch) and the styling makes it look more aggressive and less eco-boxy.

 

[conwelpic]

Thanks for the sales figures. We have 2 large KIA dealerships near me and I still don't see many Rio's. We do have a ton of Souls on the road here, and I have always considered them a "Best Buy". I had a 2010 Soul and I loved it; I just wanted a change of pace with a little better gas mileage...

your welcome, but its not surprising when there are far more Ford dealers than Kia dealers, but that's also the case here in Canada too, but doesn't appear to work.

to give you a better idea, here are the sales figures for all of 2011 on the Rio
US: 20,111
Canada: 6,849
this could explain why you may have problem getting current models, that's a vast increase. They are probably having problems meeting the demand as production is probably based on previous years sales plus a percentage allowance but when it takes off, how do you keep up?

In comparison the Fiesta has still yet to meet its last years target.
sales for all of 2011
US: 68,574
Canada: 13,064

 

[conwelpic]

I drove them both when making my decision, and my subjective opinion was that the Fiesta felt like an entry level compact car, while the Rio felt like a mid-level hatch. I know the Rio is a compact, but it feels larger on the inside (hatch) and the styling makes it look more aggressive and less eco-boxy.

actually the Rio is classified as a sub-compact car, the Forte is a compact car.

 

[willywidget]

My fiancée has a 2011 Fiesta SES and we have taken many turns driving each other’s car. I would have bought a 2012 Fiesta myself had Kia not had this wonderful redesign. I have to agree with most of the points mentioned here. The drive train in the Kia is incredible; however, the feel and handling of the Fiesta is very nice. The fuel economy in the Fiesta is also much better. I would also say the leather on the wheel and seats in the Fiesta feels nicer (softer), something I commented on earlier today.

To save time, I cut and paste my mini comparison from an earlier post.

"So when I was researching subcompacts, the 2011 Rio was the current offering. From the reviews and research I narrowed it down to the Fiesta and the Fit. Top trim levels on both. For me the Fiesta won me over on style and amenities. I really liked the Ford Sync integration. I was hoping for an eventual My Ford Touch integration. Most importantly the Fiesta was less expensive. It became my top pick. When my Fiancée and I went looking at sub compacts the choice was easy.

Jump a head a year and the launch of the redesigned Rio 5. WOW! I have described it as a Fiesta and GTI had a love child. At first I was hesitant with the idea of a Korean car. Then the reviews came pouring in. The top in class features and amenities brought it up to the top of my list. I mean where do I start, LED DRLs, LED brake lights, Discs all around, UVO, heated steering wheel, power folding mirrors, and 6 speed transmissions. BTW, in auto my DLRs are the LEDs until it gets too dark.

I still love the Fiesta and think it is a wonderful car. I enjoy the styling of both. They both feel and handle very well. You really do notice the extra 19 HP though on hills. However for the same price, top trim levels (SES vs SX), one clearly pulls ahead on value."

 

[conwelpic]

The Accent has a terrible reputation. In the USA the Accent was right up there with the Yugo's. It will take Hyundai a while to get this bad taste out of our mouths (but they are definitely making progress). Also IMHO the new Rio just looks better than the Accent - MUCH BETTER Lines!

the Accent is the top seller in the sub-compact market here in Canada and it has been for a very long time, no other model comes remotely close. But for 2012 so far the Rio has been closing the gap and is in second place, but still has a long way to go.

For the US:
2010: 51,975
2011: 55,601
2012: (first 9 months) 51,438