2014 KIA Rondo for Canada

[coolmazda5]

A turbo version would have been nice

Consumer reports rated the 2009 Mazda 5 below average for reliability with black marks for suspension, brakes, squeaks and rattles, and fuel system. Even my wife's 2012 5 with 1000 miles has noticeably more suspension noise than my CX5 with 14,500 miles. Sometimes it sounds like something is loose under it. Our 09 Kia Rondo though was a rattle bucket by comparison and the new 5 rides much better over the rough stuff.

Don't follow CR in detail, but if you check the following video, in order to make it to a top rated car the following year you need to have above average reliability, so not sure if we are talking about the same year. Here, the Mazda5 made it a 2010 top pick according to CR.

I cannot compare much, I've owned a 2006 and a 2008, and the 2008 was very refined compared to the 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=yR_V1Muv7tc&

 

[granTORRESmo]

2010 mazda5 is more reliable than 2009 mazda5 according to cr. maybe mazda twiked the 2010?

 

[Robotazky]

That interior is a direct copy of the VW Golf. Wow.

 

[Robotazky]

Consumer reports rated the 2009 Mazda 5 below average for reliability with black marks for suspension, brakes, squeaks and rattles, and fuel system. Even my wife's 2012 5 with 1000 miles has noticeably more suspension noise than my CX5 with 14,500 miles. Sometimes it sounds like something is loose under it. Our 09 Kia Rondo though was a rattle bucket by comparison and the new 5 rides much better over the rough stuff.

I would like to add a comment to this part of the conversation. I drove my '09 5 only 95 miles before changing the tires to something acceptable. The Toyos were garbage. With the tire upgrade, 75% of the rattle or sounds were gone. When we added the Koni FSDs, 100% gone now. My 5 and my Mustang are the two best for rattles of many new cars I've owned. Hondas were the worst surprisingly.

After you address the tires and shocks, the only two significant issues left are brakes and fuel system, and I've never had any issues with either after 50,000 miles. I don't recall ever hearing about brake problems on this forum, other than normal complaints about vibrating due to cheap pads.

 

[coolmazda5]

2014 kia rondo: It's a small step from kia to mercedes-benz

Kia added several new features to it all-new 2014 Rondo, placing this compact family wagon near the top of a short list of competitors, including the Mazda5, the Ford C-Max and the Mercedes-Benz B- Class

The 2014 Rondo is, like the Chevrolet Orlando, a compact family wagon exclusive to the Canadian market. It's sold elsewhere on the planet, just not in the United States.

In any case, this is a major overhaul for the Kia. Its styling benefits clearly from German designer cum company president Peter Schreyer, its interior gets new and better-looking materials, and the list of available features includes accessories and gadgets rarely seen in more affordable vehicles, such as heated and cooled seats and a huge panoramic sunroof.

A great deal

The Rondo's most popular version, the 7-seat Rondo LX, is priced at a little more than $25,000. It's a feature-packed version, following korean tradition, at a price that will make it a very attractive proposition. At first glance, at least.

The front seats are roomy and comfortable. As mentioned, they are cooled, ideal for a mid-July test drive The wide and tall body creates quite a bit of room for the other five passengers in the back as well. Passengers six and seven will feel a bit clustered on the third-row bench, but it still beats sitting in the back of a Mazda5. Only challenge is access from the side doors.

In front, higher end versions get a good-looking multimedia system, complete with large touch-screen display and Bluetooth connectivity. Visibility is good all-around. Three kids can easliy sit in the second row, their feet barely able to touch the bucket seats in front of them.

With the third-row seats down, the trunk offers a huge amount of storage space. In fact, storage is maximized throughout the cabin. Kia even adds storage areas under the floor, between the first and second-row seats.

In short, if the 2014 Rondo is certainly not a luxury vehicle, but it does offer a lot of ingenious goodies. In a world where automobile luxury is often defined by the quantity of (mostly electronic) features, this Kia can easily be compared to a Mercedes-Benz

Not such a great deal

This comparison is valid until you press the accelerator and take the Rondo for a drive. Under the hood, Kia has replaced both former engines, a four and a six cylinder, with one, smaller and less powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant. It's paired with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

Despite smooth shifting, this combination is surprisingly noisy. It is not particularly strong either, struggling during take-offs and accelerations at high speeds.

Persistent wind noises are also clearly audible despite the incessant mechanical complaint. The Rondo's vertical design and poor-quality tires make it very unsteady under lateral highway winds. Those tires provide very poor traction as well. There is very little pleasure to be had from driving this vehicle, considering its clumsy road manners.

The pronounced body roll is another problem, as is the front and rear swaying movement occurring when applying the brakes.

Last and not least, fuel economy. Kia announces a combined average of 8 liters per 100 kilometers, but real-life testing returns a much higher figure. A test drive combining a lot of highway and suburban roads returned an average between 12 and 13 l/100 km. With gas prices going up, this is simply too much for this type of car.

So what seems like a very good deal at first apparently becomes less and less so in the long run. It's unfortunate, because without the Rondo's subpar road handling and high fuel consumption, we could have said Kia i's capable of the best. Now, it must be said Kia is also capable of the worst.


Fact sheet

2014 Kia Rondo

Price: $21,695 to $32,195

Price as tested: $32,195 (EX Luxury)

Engine: 2.0 liter I4

Transmission: six-speed automatic

Power/torque: 164 hp/156 lb-ft

Fuel economy: 8 l/100 km (as tested: 12,9 l/100 km)

Warranty: 5 years/100,000 km

Competitors: Chevrolet Orlando, Ford C-Max, Mazda5, Mercedes-Benz B-Class


Overall Rating: 7/10



[autonet.ca]

 

[coolmazda5]

^^ I believe the feedback is consistent with other contemporary KIAs: great goodies, great design, but the engine, the driver engagement, the fun-to-drive part and the advertised fuel economy are not there yet.