Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, October 24, 2007, Page 14, Image 14

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    October 24. 2007
Page B6
O
e v ie w
□ s e rv e r
2007 Kia Rio5 SX
The Bold Sporty
Hatchback
K athleen C arr
Being practical doesn't mean you have
to take the joy out of life. That's the
thinking behind the Rio5. With a host of
standard features, and class-leading
roominess, Rio5 likes a good time as much
as you do.
Once the cheapest car in America, the
Kia Rio is a subcompact sedan and hatch­
back designed for budget drivers. Its
small size makes good use of its4-cylinder
engine and the sporty hatch come stan­
dard with enough features to make you
forget this is an economy car. With the
new Rio, Kia’s engineers and designers
produced a small car that’s pleasant to
drive as well as loaded with features, espe­
cially those of the safetynature.
For 2007, the Kia Rio family grows with
the addition of the Rio5 SX five-door (a
four-door hatchback). In terms of style,
the Rio5, with its European-flavored looks,
has it hands down over the more main­
stream sedan and offers the additional
cargo-carrying versatility of its roomy
hatchback body.
The five-door Rio5 add a bit of styling
by
S p ecifications: 1.6-Liter 16-Valve. 4-Cylinder, 110-hp @ 1 0 7 Ib-ft torque
engine: 4 -S p e e d A utom atic transm ission: 29-City 38-Highway MPG; $ 1 6 ,2 6 0
MSRP
A 1.6-Iiter inline-4 with 1 lOhorsepower
Hair to the compact car segment. The front
end features a black mesh grille, black air and 107 pound-feet of torque powers ev­
dam insert, and more pronounced hood ery 2007 Kia Rio. All trims come standard
lines. The side flanks add sporty wheel with a five-speed manual transmission,
flares, and the rear end has been reshaped while a four-speed automatic is optional
for a cleaner appearance. The hatchback on all but the base sedan. Although the
features fog lamps, a rear spoiler. 15-inch Rio is more powerful than most of its
alloy wheels and power steering. For 2(X)7, competitors, its acceleration with the au­
16-inch alloy wheels are optional. Regard­ tomatic is slightly sub par. A Rio5 SX we
less of which Rio you choose, the car tested took 11.5 seconds to run to 60 mph.
comes with Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile However, the automatic does provide
swift, well-timed shifts.
powertrain warranty.
News and reviews on new motor vehicles
The 1,6-liter provides decent low-end
pull, although the engine gets noisy at
higher rptn. The Rio’s ride is smooth and
stable, and even at 75 mph, the cabin is
hushed. The suspension isn’t as com ­
posed as we’d like, though, as large im­
pacts tend to shudder through the cabin.
Pushed through comers, the Rio responds
with predictable body roll and unexpect­
edly crisp steering. The Rio5 has an inde­
pendent front suspension and a semi­
independent rear suspension.
The 2007 Kia Rio comes standard with
front-seat side airbags, full-length side
curtain airbags and three-point belts in all
seating positions. The LX and SX trims
also come with adjustable rear headrests.
Antilock disc brakes are optional on those
higher trim levels as well. In NHTS A fron­
tal-impact crash testing, the Rio scored
four stars (out o f five) for driver protection
and five stars for passenger protection. In
the side-impact test, the Rio earned four
stars for front-occupant protection and
three stars for the rear.
The interior of the 2(X)7 Kia Rio repre­
sents a big improvement over the older,
pre-2(X)6 models. This latest Rio has a
nicely contoured dashboard with a gener­
ous binnacle over the instrument panel,
which includes a tachometer even on the
base model. The radio is well positioned in
the center stack with large buttons and
knobs for changing stations or volume.
Three big knobs for the climate control are
mounted on a bulge in the center that
brings them closer to the driver's hands. A
chrome Kia logo, added to the steering
wheel center for 07, brightens what as a bit
o f a dull spot in last year's model.
Up to five people can fit inside the Rio5.
Standard equipment includes an eight­
way manually adjustable driver's seat,
variable intermittent wipers and a rear-
window defroster. Additional features
include air conditioning, a CD stereo with
four speakers, a tilt steering column, and
a60/40-split, folding rear seat. For 2007, all
Rio5s gain upgraded seat fabric, dash­
board chrome accents and red stitching
on the steering wheel, shift knob and door
panels. An optional Power Package in­
cludes remote keyless entry and power
windows, locks and mirrors.
Unlike subcompacts of the past, the
2007 Kia Rio is a car you can be happy
living with. We found the Rio5 SX the
most enjoyable with its combination of
hatchback versatility and sporty/luxury
touches, great fuel efficiency - and it
includes the generous five-year/60,000
mile warranty coupled with a 10-year/
100,000 mile powertrain warranty; all
wrapped up in a bold sporty package for
under $20,000. The 2007 Kia Rio5 SX is an
exceptional value in this segment.
S ports
Rockies, Red Sox in World Series
Boston to open
series at home
(AP) — D on’t expect Matt
Holliday and the Colorado Rockies
to be intimidated by the Green
Monster.
Back in June, long before their
historic surge to an unlikely Na­
tional League pennant, the baby­
faced Rockies roared into Fenway
Park and took two of three from the
Red Sox — outscoring them 20-5.
Colorado handed Josh Beckett
his first loss, got a grand slam from
Garrett Atkins and a nice outing
from Jeff Francis. So the Rockies
already know they can play with
the big boys from the American
League.
Now, they get another chance to
show their stuff — on baseball’s
biggest stage — when the World
Series opens Wednesday night in
Boston. (It'll be on TV in Portland
at 5 p.m. on Fox, KPTV Channel 12.)
Fenway franks and Rocky Moun­
tains. Ski slopes and baked beans.
Not a bad act in October.
B oston R ed S o x 's M anny
R am irez (left) a n d Julian
Tavarez congratulate
D ustin Pedroia (15) after
his two-run h o m e r in
G am e 7 o f the American
League C ham pionship
against the Cleveland
Indians. (AP Photo)
Colorado R ockies ’ Kazuo M atsui and M att Holliday celebrate
scoring aga inst the Arizona D iam ondbacks before winning the
National League C ham pionship. (AP photo)
There might even be some snow­ The forecast was for mild weather
balls mixed in with the fastballs and the rest of the week in Denver, with
curves that Curt Schilling, Manny the Series shifting to Colorado for
Game 3 on Saturday.
Corpas & Co. are throwing.
“It could be 80 degrees in a week,
“ I p lay ed street hockey in
Canada," Francis said. “Do you so I'm not concerned about that,”
think some snow is going to bother Rockies star Todd Helton said.
But hey, Boston can be awfully
me?”
chilly
this time of year, too.
The Rockies wanted to work out
For the wild-card Rockies, it's
Sunday at Coors Field, but a snow­
storm forced their hitters inside. their first World Series. For Manny
State Farm*
Are you currently in an
adjustable rate mortgage?
Is your rate increasing?
Are you behind in your
mortgage payments?
I t’s never too soon to think
about refinancing.
Ramirez, David Ortiz and the hard­
ened Red Sox, they’re looking for
their second championship in four
seasons after ending an 86-year
title drought in 2004.
Coors Field and its now-famous
humidor get a first look at the series
next weekend. Pushed back by a
made-for-TV schedule. Game 7 is
set for Nov. 1 in Boston.
$35 for an hour consultation.
Don't be in the dark about legal
questions, ask Attorney Sona Joiner
at 503-241-1113
'"x
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
New Prices Effective May 1,2007
Martin Cleaning Service
Home Office. Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Michael E Harper
Effective, low cost Legal Counseling
on any legal question you may have.
Agent
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
Residential & Commercial Services
We moved to our new location at:
9713 S.W. Capitol
Portland, OR
503-221-3050
Fax 503-227-8757
Minimum Service CHG.
Carpet Cleaning
2 Cleaning Areas or more $3().(X) Each Area
Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
(Includes: I small Hallway)
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You may have more options
then you think.
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$40.(X)
(Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area • Hallway Extra)
Save hundreds o f $$$$$ per
Charlotte Martin
month and Call
Stairs (12-16 stairs)
$25.00
(With Other Services)
360-823-1441
1-888-849-0588
Heavily Soiled Area:
T erry
222 N.E. Park Plaza Dr., Suite 115
HOMELOAN S O U R C E
cmartin@homeloansource.com
Vancouver, WA 98684
• Funerals
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1 Memorial Services
5 0 3 -X W M
Your Care
Our First Priority
T erry
Dr. Marceline Fatila
Chiropractic Physician
We are located at
1716 N.E. 42nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97213
I Between Broadway
and Sandy Blvd.)
• Automobile accident injuries
• Chronic headache and jo in t pain
• Workers Compensation injuries
Call for an appointment! (503)228-6140
$45.(X)
2337 N. W illiam s Ave.
Portland. O R 97227
Available 24 hours a day
503-249-1788
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Additional $ 10.(X)
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning
Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment
Spot & Stain Removal Service
Scotchguard Protection
UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
$79.00
Sofa
$59.00
Loveseat
$109 - $139
Sectional
$35 - $49
Chair or Recliner
$5.00
Throw Pillows
(With Other Services)
See Flyers for Additional Prices
Call For Appointment
(503) 281-3949