|
Anyone out there with experiance of the rio petrol or diesel. Have you found it reliable & what is the economy like?
|
|
I got my Rio 1.5CRDI GS new last April and think it is excellent. If you are not a badge snob (I'm not!) then I think the Rio is a good car which is great fun to drive, has a height adjustable seat and good all round visibility, the steering is a bit light but you can always feel what is going on at the wheels, the handling is confident although prone to some understeer (which is part of the charm), the manual gearbox is excellent and pretty slick, the brakes are good - lots of 'feel' (discs all round) , the seats comfortable although the fabric material is prone to threading. The Rio also has rear seats which flip up and fold flat making it a suprising load carrier - getting pushbikes in is not a problem. The Rio also has that most rare of items - a full size spare wheel. Before buying I could only test drive a petrol. Compared to my then 1.4 petrol Citroen Xsara the petrol seemed smoother, punchier and very refined. This let me get a feel for the car and I knew the diesel must surely be even better so I ordered one there & then. I was not disapointed - the diesel is a hoot to drive as this engine puts out 110bhp at 4000rpm and 173ft/Ibs torque @ 2000 rpm, it is easy to overtake 2-3 cars at a time on normal roads. At 60mph the engine is doing 2,000rpm, at 70 2,400rpm, and at 100mph 3,500rpm (on a test track of course). The car is very quiet at legal speeds. Economy after nearly 9000 miles - mpg averages out at 55mpg (+/- 5mpg) depending how you drive really. My friend carps on about how his D4D Toyota Yaris does 64mpg - but that car has 35bhp less, has no space in it and certainly does not pick up its skirts like the Rio. The Rio is a bit of a sleeper really, looks slow and insignificant - it really is anything but and will put a smile on your face..................... go for it!
Edited by Chrome on 23/02/2008 at 16:15
|
Thanks for that very interesting appraisal Chrome, nice to hear about the gearing too.
I've noticed the carpets tend to be a bit easy to wear too, and thats about my only gripe, but if its only a case of some over mats, thats not exactly the end of the world, i see many ex fleet and rental cars of all makes that don't have overmats and the carpets really suffer.
Only one question really, what rpm does the engine pull from please?
Oh and what is the ride quality?
Hope you continue to get good service from the car, would you keep us posted as to the costs and dealer attitiude when it needs service and/or work?
|
Geoff, Do you own a Rio?
You are right on the carpets, I put another set of mats in mine as the gripping material on the 1st set was fluffing up the carpet on the drivers side. Maybe I'm too fussy..........!!
The engine pulls from off idle 750rpm. Really starts shifting at 1,500rpm.
Ride quality - handles rough roads and bumps well, maybe a little harshness present, nothing untoward and quite safe and it does not induce sickness in passengers. I have come from good handling comfy Citroens so maybe I'm not the best person to judge this!
Not had its first service yet - that will be next month. Been into dealers once for the tracking to be adjusted to correct a slightly offset steering wheel. Dealer was extremely responsive and did the job quickly. I have changed the H4 headlight bulbs for aftermarket alternatives - the originals were a bit yellow, much better with the new ones. Actually that is another plus point - you can change the bulbs yourself, on my last car (Cit Xsara Mk2) the front end of the car had to come off to change a bulb!
Will also change the horn soon as the original is a naff - 'peep'.
|
Nearly bought one after an extensive road test- but I pull a small caravan and felt it didn't have quite enough weight and towing allowance. A great pity, because I would have bought it for every other reason. Quietest diesel I have driven, excellent performance and spec. I have been used to many diesels over the years, and this was very good.
|
|
|
