Kia Rio 2015 Problems

Thanks for the feedback. I know Nexen is poor but was not aware of the Kumho wear issue with Kia.

Yes, you are. Kia has rectified the paint problem, so you have no issue there; they have done what they should have done. As for the price, well, prices go up and down and just because they are down below the price you paid for your cars doesn't mean you should get a refund. You paid the price you were offered at the time, end of story.

It's easy to understand your frustration with Volkswagen but it's still a great company with top products. On the Kia front, the local suspension tuning by Graeme Gambold is a game changer but new-generation engines are at least three years away.

Of those you have been looking at I would rule out the Cruze on the basis of its transmission troubles. The Focus and the Hyundai are good cars and would do what you want nicely. Others to consider would be the Mazda3 and the Kia Rio.

It could be something as simple as a stone caught in a caliper. If you can't get any satisfaction from your dealer report the problem to Kia's customer assistance service (131542) and request their help. Hopefully you can back up your claims that it was there from day one with some form of documentation.

If it were my daughter I would be looking for safety and reliability as top priorities in a first car. With your budget I would be looking at a 2013/14 Mazda2, a 2014/15 Kia Rio, and a 2014 Toyota Yaris.