Kia Rio vs. Toyota Yaris

 

In the class of economy cars, the Kia Rio and the Toyota Yaris have distinguished themselves as the biggest contenders. Both small cars have engines hovering around 1.5 liters and 4-speed automatic transmissions (and 5-speed manual transmissions), they have a lot more commonalities than differences. Even the horsepower is nearly identical between the two vehicles. (The Rio comes in at 110 to the Yaris's 106, but it varies slightly from year to year.) There are, however, a couple of categories that set these two contenders apart.

 

Size

The Yaris has just over an extra two inches of legroom in the backseat, but besides that this category is pretty close. Both of the cars have exceptionally well-designed cabins and comparable seating positions; however, the Yaris's seats are more firm and provide more support, so the Yaris wins out as the more comfortable car for long trips.

Performance

Both cars have great maneuverability, especially in the city where space can be tight. Their small size means that they also provide great visibility and ease of parking. Slipping into a tight parallel space in downtown Fair Lawn, NJ is no problem for cars as small as the Kia Rio and the Toyota Yaris.

 

The Rio has a little more zip than the Yaris. With your foot to the gas pedal, the engine in the Rio feels a little bit quieter and smoother, but once both cars hit 4000 revolutions per minute, they switch places - the Yaris quiets down, and the Rio revs up. As a result, the Rio wins out slightly for city driving, but the Yaris takes the win for the freeway. All in all, both cars performed much than anticipated for small economy vehicles.

Fuel Economy

The Yaris is the hands-down winner in this category, getting a full five miles per gallon more than the Rio in the EPA city loop. The automatic transmission gets a captivating 34 miles per gallon in the city and 39 on the highway, which is high for a car in any class. If you commute into or out of Fair Lawn, NJ for work, you'll see the savings start to add up pretty quickly. Fuel economy is always a priority, which means that the Yaris's fuel efficiency could easily be the deciding factor between the two cars.

Price

When looking at dealerships in Fair Lawn, NJ, the prices are pretty comparable between these two vehicles, with the base models costing almost exactly the same. However, adding extras to the Toyota Yaris is a bit cheaper than upgrading the Kia Rio; the fully loaded Rio comes in about $1,000 higher than the fully loaded Yaris.

Another thing to keep in mind is the resale value. If past Toyotas can be any indication, the Yaris might have a much higher resale value.

And the Winner Is...

The Toyota Yaris! While the Kia Rio has a slightly quieter engine for city driving, the Yaris pulls ahead in just about every other category. The design, both interior and exterior, is a little more finished, and the higher fuel efficiency and resale value make the Yaris the car that gets you the most bang for your buck. If you want to take both the Rio and the Yaris for a test drive in Fair Lawn, NJ to see for yourself, stop by Jack Daniels Kia.