2009 Kia Rondo Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the Kia Rondo:

...a vehicle with a good amount of functionality and flexibility for its size and price. The four-door Rondo can carry up to seven passengers. It's nimble and filled with clever storage space.

-- Edmunds.com

...there's a lot to like about the Rondo, including its relatively low price. The front seats are supportive and comfortable, with enough manual driver-seat adjustments to accommodate almost anyone.

-- JSOnline.com

In the cockpit, the Rondo - based on the Optima sedan - is a coolly efficient and contemporary-appliance design, with a prominent central console and a sort of free-floating gearshift transom. The instruments, back lighting, switchgear and materials all feel well above the Rondo's pay grade.

-- Los Angeles Times

What reviewers liked least about the Kia Rondo:

The V6 is particularly responsive, though in passing situations, neither engine stepped up to our liking.

-- Edmunds.com

The Rondo needs work. The instruments have white markings on a gray background, making them difficult to read, especially for people with less than perfect vision. Digital readouts for the clock and odometer are virtually impossible to see in daylight. Turning on the lights doesn't help.

-- JSOnline.com

Best one-liner about the Kia Rondo:

In many everyday situations, such as parking and negotiating traffic, the Rondo can fool you into thinking you're actually in a small car, which is the point.

-- Edmunds.com

Secure, well-constructed, nimble and versatile as a blue blazer, the Rondo does all that and leaves money left over for piano lessons.

-- Los Angeles Times