- minivan 146,565
- 744 below average
- 4,499 good
- Plainfield, NJ
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- autoshopper.com
- 744 below average minivan 146,565 gasoline white automatic
2007 kia rondo review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new small utility vehicle seats seven. introductionthe kia rondo is an all-new vehicle. Kia calls it a five-door crossover utility vehicle. the rondo is capable of carrying seven adults. Yet it's small, just 179 inches long. That's 2. 5 inches shorter than the six-passenger mazda5. It's a good vehicle for long trips and zooming around town. The seats, cloth or leather, are comfortable. The driver sits relatively high and the rondo feels like neither a car nor a sport utility, which is what a crossover is about. It's rated 20/27 mpg, delivers more thrust more smoothly and adds just $1,000 to the retail price, making it a bargain. kia is the best imitator in the business. Kia designers and engineers look closely at other vehicles, and produce a virtual composite of the best ideas. But there's no lack of originality here, because the rondo is unique. Also available, at least on paper, is a stripper model called the lx 93202 16,395) that comes without air conditioning, remote entry and cruise control. the rondo ex 19,195) adds a higher-grade cloth interior with leather trim, 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome grille, door handles and molding, foglamps, heated mirrors, windshield de-icer, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, lights for the vanity mirrors, and a cd/mp3 six-speaker sound system. Roof rails come standard, but the crossbars to make them functional are optional 200). Like the mazda 5, it takes one small step toward making the minivan obsolete; it will do what a minivan will do, sacrificing a bit of room for more miles per gallon. the rondo looks like a cross between a minivan and a five-door hatchback, and not like a small suv. The chin fascia holds projector-beam foglamps on the ex and a dark horizontal air opening below the grille. the rondo ex has chrome slats in the grille, chrome door handles and a chrome strip on the side, but the cheaper lx, with a black grille and no chrome on the side, looks cleaner. the pillars are black, creating an unbroken glass effect with tinted windows. The rear glass is a simple large rectangle, a bit wider on the bottom and smoothly sloped. It doesn't open separately. looking at the rio from a rear angle, it has an almost bmw-ish resemblance, although the big curved taillamps curve inward like a volvo wagon or suv. because the rondo was designed to be roomy on the inside, the wheelbase is long when compared to the total length, making very short overhangs. The five-spoke alloy wheels are simple, silver, and individual, with each of the five spokes having a stylish twist. although the rondo is new to north america, this is its third generation, having been sold in asia and europe for years. interiorkia says there are 32 different seating configurations in a rondo with the optional third-row seat, counting all the ways the three rows divide, recline and fold. since the roomy seating is what makes the rondo special, let's start with a tale of the tape: leg room in the front, middle and third rows is 41. 3, 38. 2 and 31. 3 inches, compared to 40. 7, 35. 2 and 30. 7 in the mazda5, and 41. 8, 38. 3 and 30. 0 in the rav4. But inches expressed as numbers on a page aren't necessarily conclusive. It's cozy and personal back there; on each side of the third row, there's a good-sized storage bin with a flip-up top like a console, and one cupholder. The second-row seats recline, as well. for cargo carrying, both the second and third rows fold flat quickly; the second-row seat cushion folds forward and the seatback flops down, with the headrest flipping back. Each side of each row folds separately, so a long space can be created on one side of the car, suitable for, say, a short kayak. With all the rear seats down, there's a lot of cargo space. With the third row in use, there's only room behind the seat for a couple of brief cases. The cloth looks better in gray than beige: less fuddy-duddy. The perforated gray leather seats added a real touch of class, along with $1000 to the price. The rondo is a great vehicle for a road trip. in the front seats, the passenger has tons of leg and elbow room, and the comfortable seat reclines if he or she wants to take a nap. The driver's seat is high and affords good visibility; from behind the wheel, the rondo feels like neither an suv nor a car, which is what a crossover is about. The climate ducts are round and balanced, and the knobs are easy to understand and operate. The leather-wrapped steering wheel on the ex feels great, and there are steering wheel controls, as well. there's a storage compartment right on top of the dashboard, more convenient for the driver than the good-sized glovebox because it's easily reachable. The automatic shift lever is located up on the center stack, giving more room for the console between the seats, which is deep and square. Praised for its smooth power, it has double overhead cams with an aluminum block and heads. the v6 only costs $1000 more, however, and gets just one or two less miles per gallon, and comes with a fifth gear in the sportmatic transmission. Cloth Interior✔ Bucket Seats✔ Power Windows✔ Cruise Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ Leather Seats✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Alloy Wheels
4,499 Plainfield, NJPlainfield, NJ at autoshopper.com