Kia Rio vs Toyota Yaris

What's the difference?

The Rio S Manual is a fun-to-drive little car with a big practicality and multimedia offering in a segment rapidly heading towards extinction.

While some elements of the drive experience are reminiscent of budget cars from 10-20 years ago, Kia makes up for it by wrapping the Rio in a contemporary looking and feeling package, ready for the buyer who needs no frills and demands no nonsense. Until the manual transmission goes the way of the dodo, there is almost no better option.

The Toyota Yaris is as much car as many people should really need, and it's a refreshing antidote to the largely unnecessary shift towards SUVs as the ‘default vehicle’.

In the case of the ZR grade, the pricing could understandably be a reason you might consider an SUV instead. There are plenty of options for a similar price.

The problem with an SUV though is it will likely be less efficient and, due to physics, less agile and fun to drive.

Given the price and the fact that a couple of features are missing, the ZR probably isn't the variant to go for, but the Yaris is an overall solid foundation for a very convincing hatchback.

While notable equipment is missing, the Rio reclaims lost ground with the way it looks, and to a degree, the way it feels.

Ever since this new generation hatch launched, I’ve thought it brings a slick modern design to the city-car space, and even in its most rudimentary form as-tested (our car even came in the most basic ‘Clear White’ paint) it’s a great looking little hatch.

Sure, it doesn’t have the romance factor of the Fiat 500, nor the more delicate curvature of the much more expensive new-generation Toyota Yaris, but it certainly has a more refined visage than, say, the MG3 whilst feeling a bit more grown-up than the Suzuki Swift.

Solid, squared-off lines give this car a sporty pose, and its frowny-face and blocky rear round out a stout city-car persona, and I especially like the way even this most basic trim is adorned with contrast pieces, a spoiler above the boot lid, and body-coloured door handles and mirrors.

Sure, the 15-inch steelies dress it down a bit, but on the Rio these leave the impression of financial prudence rather than cost-cutting.

Inside is basic but tidy. The overall look maintains a hint of sportiness, with an appealing symmetrical finish to the dash.

There’s no question the Rio is a budget model when it comes to the touch though, with everything either a soft polyurethane or a nasty hard plastic, so while it all might look neat it’s far from the most comfortable place to be for long periods of time.

The basic dot-matrix multifunction display, chunky plastic air-conditioning controls, and polyurethane items from the wheel to the handbrake and shifter are reminders of a bygone era, but the overall aesthetic of the driver’s space is pleasing.

The Yaris’ best selling point could very well be its looks. While there are a lot of differences between the ZR and the bespoke GR Yaris hot hatch, they do look similar, especially from the rear.

Any small car like this is going to have an element of ‘cutesy’ about it, but the Yaris does well to look like a more sporting car than its rivals.

The grille is the only big design change Toyota made as part of its most recent update in early 2024. It's a new design that’s finished in partial dark chrome for the ZR.

At the rear, the ZR gets a spoiler above the rear window, helping it look a little more like its Gazoo Racing cousin, as does the block of black trim flanked by the tail-lights and the ‘Yaris’ and ‘ZR’ badges.

Even its front lower bumper would look reasonably at home on a more powerful car if the plastic trim at the sides had actual air vents rather than being closed off.

Inside, things are less exciting. The ZR’s interior seems plasticky and its grey cloth seats do nothing to make the space feel premium.

The ‘two-level’ look on the dash and the arrangement of the multimedia screen and climate controls below it feel outdated, but the cabin is (perhaps more importantly) clear and functional.

I'd argue the key reason to buy the Rio at this end of the market is that it has the most space and largest cabin relative to its rivals, bar maybe the Suzuki Baleno.

All-round practicality is great, with front passengers scoring a low, sporty seating position with a high roof, and so much width in the cabin it almost feels like the Rio belongs in the next segment up.

Storage options up front include a large bottle holder and bin in each of the doors, dual cupholders next to the handbrake up front, and a large storage tray underneath the climate unit. Unlike the Yaris or Mazda2, the Rio features a small armrest console box, which gives a small lift to the ambiance of the cabin.

Back seat passengers are treated to great space for this segment, which feels nice and open courtesy of the large rear windows. At 182cm tall, I have airspace for my knees behind my own driving position, as well as relatively healthy headroom and ample width, which is again more like a car in the next segment up.

Rear passengers don’t get adjustable air vents, but there is a single USB port, a single pocket on the back of the passenger seat, and small bottle holders in each of the doors.

Perhaps the Rio’s biggest drawcard is its boot capacity, which at 325 litres is one of the largest in the city car class. Unlike the Yaris, Mazda2, or Suzuki Swift, the Rio will actually accept the CarsGuide three-piece luggage set with the rear seats up, although the rear view was obscured by the medium case.

Thanks to the boxy roofline, the Rio offers a cavernous 980L with the rear seats folded down, and despite its abundance of room, maintains a space saver spare wheel under the floor.

For all its grey trim, the Yaris actually proves a very usable space for its size. The two front ‘sports’ seats are quite comfortable with decent bolstering.

The steering wheel is nicely shaped, and big clear buttons (like most of the cabin) mean controls for all the car’s functions are obvious.

The digital driver display is customisable in terms of its style, but the information you might need is easy to find and not distracting while you’re trying to concentrate on the road. The head-up display also helps there.

The physical climate control panel isn’t exactly ‘pretty’ but it’s infinitely better than needing to navigate through the screen above. 

That screen itself is also easy to use. Toyota’s multimedia systems can feel outdated but the upside is there aren't loads of submenus to get lost in.

Storage is well covered: two cupholders are out of the way of elbows, plus a little storage space behind that between the front seats. There’s a small space behind the gear shifter for a phone, a couple of small 'shelf' spaces above and in front of the passenger, and there are decently spacious door card places for water bottles and the like. 

In the second row, behind my own (178cm) seating position, ‘spacious’ is less applicable. It’s not surprising that the second row in a light hatch would be a little tight for an adult, but it’s not restrictive and some kindness from the front passengers could see the back seats become a comfy place for a sub-60-minute trip. 

There’s no centre armrest, but each door has a water bottle holder and the aforementioned storage spot between the front seats is accessible from the second row.

Behind the rear seats, there’s a 270-litre boot which is decent for its class. The non-hybrid Mazda2, for example, has 250L.

The boot floor can be lifted to sit flush with the seats when folded down, and underneath there is a space-saver spare tyre, which is a huge plus.

In the grand scheme of new-car pricing, $34,530 before on-road costs doesn’t sound like a lot of money. That’s how much the Yaris ZR is new.

But compared to other top-spec trims in rival models, it’s one of the most expensive in its class.

It battles the Mazda2 ($28,190 for the top-spec GT), Suzuki Swift ($29,490 for the Hybrid GLX), MG3 ($32,819 for the Essence Hybrid+) and VW Polo ($34,790 for the Style). Only the Polo is more expensive as its top-level variant.

Regardless of the size of the car, the Yaris ZR is missing a couple of extra things that could make it feel properly top-of-the-range. 

It’s not missing the essentials though. After an update in early 2024 it comes with a decent 8.0-inch multimedia display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus an adequate six-speaker sound system.

On top of those Yaris standards, the ZR gets a 7.0-inch digital driver display, keyless entry, a head-up display, 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic air-conditioning with an air purifier and ‘premium cloth fabric’ for the sports-style seats.

It could do with a wireless phone charger and perhaps even leather seats - the latter available in the more affordable Mazda2 GT. Cloth seats and a cable to charge your phone don’t feel very ‘top-spec’. There are, however, two USB-C charging ports for doing so.

Premium paint colours (anything that’s not Glacier White) are $575, while the two-tone look with the black roof (available with Coral Rose, Bronx Bronze and Massive Grey) is $775. Our test car is Massive Grey with the two-tone black roof.

The Rio is beginning to fall behind here with an antiquated 1.4-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine. Peak outputs aren’t far off where they should be for this segment, with 74kW of power and 133Nm of torque, although they arrive at the most distant end of the rpm range (6000rpm and 4000rpm respectively) so you need to rev it.

It can be clumsy to extract this power, too, with the engine paired in this circumstance to a six-speed manual which leaves a lot to be desired in terms of action and clutch feel.

While the abundance of ratios can be beneficial for fuel consumption, it’s clear this car was designed to be paired with the more modern three-cylinder turbocharged engine only available on the top GT-Line trim.

The Toyota Yaris is a hybrid-only offering, with all variants powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that makes 67kW/120Nm and a 59kW/141Nm front motor-generator.

Toyota quotes a combined output of 85kW and doesn’t specify a total torque figure.

The electric motor draws power from a 4.3Ahr lithium-ion battery and is able to drive under electric-only power at low speeds.

The Rio S manual has an official combined cycle fuel consumption rating of 5.6L/100km, which is about right for a light car with a small engine.

On test, covering largely urban kilometres, I saw a higher but not unreasonable 7.4L/100km. Still, this number isn’t too far off what some larger cars with 2.0-litre engines are capable of.

Rios with this engine accept entry-level 91RON unleaded fuel, and have 45-litre fuel tanks. They are only compliant with Euro 5 emissions regulations.

Toyota claims a 3.3L/100km fuel economy figure under the combined WLTP cycle, and says it produces 76g of CO2 per kilometre.

With its 36-litre fuel tank, theoretically the Yaris should be able to travel almost 1100km on a single tank, though even Toyota admits the 3.3L/100km fuel economy figure was obtained in a lab (as is usually the case) and doesn’t reflect real-world driving.

For reference, on test the Yaris ZR didn’t display a fuel economy figure of more than 5.0L/100km during reasonable standard driving conditions.

A six-speed manual with a tiny non-turbo engine is an absolute oddity in today’s new car market, but as a result of its rudimentary approach, there’s something refreshingly honest about the Rio S.

The engine requires a wringing to extract the desired result, and a lot of action on the gears, as six speeds proves to be quite a few to work your way through before you achieve cruising speed.

As so much interaction is required with the transmission, I wish it was tighter when it comes to the clutch which feels a bit doughy at the best of times.

The Rio is very organic, though, with next to no electrical assistance for any of its interaction points offering the driver a high level of control.

The steering is direct, but as a result of a cheaper rack (with less teeth compared to this car’s Stonic relation), it feels simple and brittle when it comes to feedback.

The same criticism can be levelled at the suspension, which errs on the side of firm. This attribute combines with the low seating position to make even this most basic Rio an absolute hoot in the corners.

But it can be a little crashy over every-day potholes and corrugations, despite the abundant amount of rubber cladding the 15-inch steel wheels.

Visibility is superb out of this little car’s big windows, making you feel in control of your surroundings (necessary in the multi-lane confines and tight parking conditions of a city), and ergonomics in the cabin are absolutely on-point with the large touchscreen elements easy to reach and the instruments taking a basic no-nonsense form.

While noise levels are okay at urban speeds, they pick up above 80km/h, making the Rio more unpleasant to drive over long distances than, say, the more upmarket-feeling Yaris.

The Rio does find its place in this price bracket as a fun-to-drive, but predictably rudimentary experience, for the niche audience of drivers seeking an entry-level car who are still able to shift gears themselves.

A series of factors that make the Yaris an excellent car for the inner-city also happen to make it engaging from behind the wheel.

Its small footprint and relatively low kerb weight are key to this, but it's also built on Toyota’s excellent TNGA platform which, in one form or another, underpins most of the brand's line-up.

It means the Yaris has characteristics that align with other Toyotas - it feels related to a Camry or a RAV4, even if it doesn't behave in the same way physically. 

The Yaris is understated in how it behaves on the road during regular driving, quietly switching between hybrid and electric mode, rarely letting the engine get coarse unless you put your foot down for more power.

And while the Yaris isn't quick by any means, there's just enough urgency to get you out of trouble should you need it. It's not a drivetrain that encourages spirited driving, but if you should choose to do so you'll find some surprising capability in the way the Yaris is set up.

Steering that feels light and accurate day-to-day is handy when it comes to steering the Yaris quickly on twisting roads, and the platform underneath does well to keep the light hatch and its short wheelbase in check.

It doesn't feel like it's ready to 'bounce’ off bumps and uneven road surfaces like some similarly sized hatches did even a generation or two ago, and while one wouldn't imagine the Yaris hybrid is choice number one for a weekend driver, there's still fun to be had.

But in urban environments the Yaris is in its element, and its efficient engine and small footprint make it ideal for inner-city traffic and parking.

The Yaris ZR is pretty well stocked when it comes to safety features, more so than the lower variants in the range. Great for the ZR, a bit of a let-down for the others.

It comes with all the necessary kit including auto emergency braking (AEB) with a pre-collision safety system that “recognizes motorcycles and oncoming vehicles in addition to cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles ahead”.

It also has daytime intersection collision avoidance, daytime emergency steering assist, active radar cruise control and lane trace assist, auto high beam, road sign recognition, blind spot monitor, parking support, safe exit assist and a rear parking camera with parking sensors at the front and rear.

The Yaris also has eight airbags, which is a decent count for a light hatch. There are also ISOFIX points on the rear outboard seats.

In 2020 ANCAP tested the Yaris for a five-star result, though that result expires in December 2026 and the testing criteria has since changed to become stricter.

If you’re a driver who prefers minimal technological intervention (read: beeps and bings or the steering nudging you around) the Yaris’ safety kit does a very good job of remaining in the background unless it’s really needed.

The Rio again gets the edge on its budget competition with a lengthy seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. In this space it only butts heads with the MG3, which offers a matching promise.

Roadside assist is included for up to eight years if you continue to service with Kia, and there's also a capped price service program for the duration of the warranty, covering up to 105,000km.

The Rio needs to be serviced once every 12 months or 15,000km, and prices range from $269 and $608 per visit, for an annual average of $409.40.

Not the cheapest servicing schedule we’ve seen, particularly when compared with the likes of Toyota.

Toyota offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty which covers the Yaris, as well as capped-price servicing for the first five years/75,000km - whichever comes first.

Intervals are 12 months/15,000km for servicing and each costs $250.

If servicing is undertaken at Toyota dealerships, Toyota extends the engine and driveline warranty from five to seven years. It also increases the hybrid battery warranty to ten years “as long as you undertake your annual inspection as part of routine maintenance according to the vehicle logbook”.

There’s also seven years of conditional emergency assistance related to car hire or towing expenses while Toyota is maintaining the car.