The seats are on the soft side and don't offer the lateral support we'd expect on a sports sedan. Those of us with larger frames, however, will not fault the seats for that.

Rear seat legroom is better than the numbers suggest because passengers can place their feet under the front seats thanks to the generous open space below them.

Big storage pockets in all four doors along with a reasonable size glovebox provide places to stash stuff. The rear seatback folds down in a 60/40 split for added versatility in all but the base model. According to Kia, the total interior volume of the Rio is greater than that of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla even though they are officially in the next size up segment. In practical terms, they are all pretty close. The Rio5 has a cargo carrying a capacity of almost 50 cubic feet with the seats folded down which is substantially more than in other hatchbacks of this size.

Minor touches such as the metal pedals, leather wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob on the Rio5 SX will appeal to sporty drivers. Most drivers will probably not consciously notice these things but they will certainly help instill a better feeling about the car for them.