2008 Kia Rondo Consumer Reviews

Good Vehicle

Written by: Bob on 12/06/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo EX 4dr Wagon (2.7L 6cyl 5A)

Review

We have the car exactly 1 year, almost 17000 miles. Not 1 problem. Great for taking the kids to college. Plenty of rear space and great rear cargo for holding grocery bags. The V6 is perfectly matched to the car.Great visibility. Good car, and even better was the price. Look at Honda, Saturn, Mitsubishi and Mazda. Buy the KIA.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

Better stereo.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Interesting

Written by: TIMP on 11/29/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo LX 4dr Wagon (2.7L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Just bought this crossover/suv/van/whatever you call it. If you see one or drive one you will understand. Not that is a bad thing, it is not as attractive as other vehicles in this size, but the price was right. Also the 3rd row is what my family needed. Overall it drives nice and there is plenty of room in both front and second row. The 3rd row is for children, but how many adults ride in a 3rd row? There is virtually no room if the 3rd row is up. As most vehicles in this size there is not room with a 3rd row. The fold down of the 2nd and 3rd row is nice and has plenty of room if needed for storage with this feature. See below for check engine light issue.

Favorite Features

Auxiliary jack in the center counsel and a power outlet in the 3rd row for the kids to plug into for the portable DVD player.

Suggested Improvements

To many sensors that make the check engine light come on. You have to click the gas cap 3 times or else the check engine light will come on (happened to me once already) and an engine sensor has made the check engine light come on (getting it check on Monday). Everything else is very nice.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Rondo LX Excellent Value

Written by: Ed on 11/28/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo LX 4dr Wagon (2.7L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I recently purchased a used 2008 LX Rondo V6 with 9,700 miles. I sought a vehicle that was a good value, had a practical aspect for light duty hauling, and that would be reliable with decent gas mileage. I have been happy with the Rondo and it has mostly met the above criteria. Bonus features that I found are that the V6 has good pickup and handles around corners well. Also I am 6'5'' and about 210 lbs. This car provides excellent headroom and decent leg room. I like that the driver sits up fairly high with good visibility too. Overall, there are better vehicles in this category I'd say, but they will cost you significantly more. This is a reliable vehicle at a good price I believe.

Favorite Features

V6 has good pickup. Manual shift option is easy and provides extra pickup when needed. Good room for tall guy 6'5''. Hatchback has better room than competitors in back without having seat folded (with 5 seater). Bumper to bumper warranty to 60K (100K for drivetrain) is nice.

Suggested Improvements

Seats a bit weak on lower back support. Gas mileage of 20 mpg (70% hwy/30% city). Controls draw away driver's attention. Tan upholstery stains easily - get gray.

2 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Best little car we drove

Written by: Rod on 11/22/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo LX 4dr Wagon (2.7L 6cyl 5A)

Review

We test drove many cars in this range, the Matrix, the Vibe and a few others. This one beat them all out and continues to impress us. 28 mpg on trips. Low entry cost and with a V6 as well. Seating for 7 so we can take extras and plenty of little storage spots. But also it is quite peppy and handles like a dream. A very welcome car after the Dodge Grand Caravan.

Favorite Features

The engine, cup holders and seats.

Suggested Improvements

Auto dimming mirror standard and maybe a better trip computer that calculates your mileage. Really not much to add.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Excellent family car but not for everyone

Written by: dondon on 11/15/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo LX 4dr Wagon w/AC (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

If you are looking for a fuel efficient great cargo family car, Rondo will serve you the best. Nonetheless, driving is no fun. Four cylinder seems little weak but doable. Bottom line what the hack great car for family and small to mid size delivery but for fun, go get some other car. I have no mechanical problem so far almost 2 year now

Favorite Features

Folding back row seat large cargo (work as pickup truck with top). Fuel efficient for it's size. safety feature. great value and reliability (warranty).

Suggested Improvements

Lack of power, kinda odd looking between station wagon, suv, minivan not familiar brand (Kia)

3 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Fun

Written by: roger on 10/10/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo LX 4dr Wagon w/AC (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

what a great little car. lots of cabin room for 4 golfers, cargo room for all golf bags +. Quiet & Smooth, plenty of (4 cyl) power. At 70 yrs. old, I can still have a fun drive with the manual auto shift. Power everything, air bags everywhere, with ESC, and ABS, all for 18K. Good job Kia.

Favorite Features

Room & performance.

Suggested Improvements

Telescopic steering wheel

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Poor Gas Mileage Weak Performance

Written by: leladees on 08/07/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo LX 4dr Wagon w/AC (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

We bought this car June 21st, 08 July 2nd we left from FL. to CA. for a month long trip.We averaged 19 MPG on the highway and had to turn the AC off for more than half the trip as it was so week to pull the hills. WE traveled I-10 going to CA. and I-40 coming back as we went to the Grand canyon and all. Before we even left for our vacation the seats started coming apart and by the end of our trip we had several issues. We feel Kia had a great idea but this model needs some work. It would be a great car "IF" they could improve the gas mileage, performance & quality of workmanship.

Favorite Features

third row seat, small yet roomy inside

Suggested Improvements

Improve Gas mileage and the performance, also the road noise is a bit loud

15 out 19 people found this review helpful

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Gas Mileage Disappointing

Written by: FredG on 07/23/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo LX 4dr Wagon w/AC (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Love the look and handling of the car- pleased with the price. My only problem is with the gas mileage. After 4 fill ups I am averaging about 16 miles to the gallon. I traded in an 11 year old Subaru with 130,000 miles and was getting an average of 15 mpg doing the same type of driving. Granted most of my trips are less than 4 miles each way, and the air conditioning is running. Hopefully, when fall comes, and the air is no longer needed, the gas mileage will improve. Still, I expected to average 20 mpg. Very disappointing so far.

Favorite Features

Handling and interior space. Excellent design of heat and air control knobs. Tons of storage space.

Suggested Improvements

Backlighting of dashboard readouts need significant improvement.

9 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Kia Rondo 2008

Written by: Windy Kia on 07/14/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo EX 4dr Wagon (2.7L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Our 2008 7 Passenger Kia Rondo has been making a wind noise coming out of the driver side window since we bought it. It sounds like there is air leaking in the car. Kia claims they cannot fix it and it is intended to be this way. They also claim that all 2008 Kia Rondos make this air leak noise. Aside from this issue we have been happy with the vehicle.

Favorite Features

We enjoy that we can fit our whole family in it with out having a minivan

Suggested Improvements

The air leak is of huge concern, particularly because they cannot say what is causing it and it is in all 2008 models. Also, they are unable to fix it or even locate the problem with any certainty.

12 out 15 people found this review helpful

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A great MPV (multi-purpose vehicle)

Written by: conwelpic on 06/15/2008

Vehicle

2008 Kia Rondo EX 4dr Wagon (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

“The Power to Surprise” the KIA slogan and its sure worked for me. The utility of this vehicle is incredible and can’t fault the fit and finish. It’s a very efficient design with an amazing amount of space inside for such a compact exterior package. With the chair like seating, outstanding visibility through the large side windows, it’s a joy to drive. The performance of the 4-cylinder never fails to impress me (it outperforms the 2.8L V6 on my previous vehicle) and provides great economy and very smooth shifts. I also noticed that even though it’s a tall vehicle it is not as susceptible to wind as much as my previous vehicle that was 10” shorter.

Favorite Features

So many, it’s hard to pick, but with going through a harsh winter the heated seats, heated side mirrors and windshield de-icer (how many cars have that?). Fit and finish, great standard stereo with auxiliary jack, storage, safety features, economy, visibility, performance, comfort.

Suggested Improvements

Nothing major - Put back the items they had on the 2007 model that they removed for 2008. Rear overhead cargo light operates with tailgate; drop the roof rails; rear intermittent wipers, USB port.

21 out 21 people found this review helpful

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