Nathaniel is shipping off to college next year, but we have him for one more year, and we need to make a great and SAFE driver out of him.
Let’s just pause right here for a moment as I gather my thoughts, and feelings.
In the midst of the flurry of mail that we’re getting for him (OMG! Did MY parents have to deal with this increase of envelopes during my Junior and Senior year of high school?!) we’re also thinking about transportation. While I didn’t get my first car until AFTER I had Nathaniel, if we can afford to, I’d like to get him reliable transportation while he’s away, but he’ll need to learn the basics quickly. I mean, I was driving by the time I was his age, but kids don’t seem to be as independent these days as the Mr. and I were. Mr. Houseful is rolling his eyes so hard right now, it’s not even funny.
At the end of August, I flew to Baltimore to attend the National Press Introduction of the NEW Kia Rio. We stayed at the swoon worthy Sagamore Pendry Hotel, and enjoyed views of the Chesapeake Bay. It was an information filled two days, and the longer I was there, the more I realized that this would make a great transitional car for teens going to college. I’m still on the fence about teens having their own cars during high school because I feel like their brains aren’t fully plugged in yet, but I digress. The Kia Rio has installed some great safety features to help calm that worry, at least during the time he’s behind the wheel.
I got to take the car on a long road trip from Baltimore to Chicago with Shelley, and let me tell you, it handles superbly! From taking curves, twists and turns effortlessly, while saving SO MUCH MONEY ON GAS! Now, I don’t think Nathaniel will be all the way on the East Coast for school, but if he is more than two states away for school, I know that we won’t be as worried about gas as we could be. On our road trip, we averaged about 40 mpg, and didn’t even spend close to $100 for all of our fill-ups!
Pairing that with all of the features listed below makes it a no-brainer when considering it for a teen driver, or a confident beginning driver. In four door or five door hatchback models, you’re going to get the sleek lines Kia is known for, with space that you may not have known that they had!
Teen Essential Safety Features through UVO
- Curfew Limit – this feature lets you set limits to times when the car can be driven. Obviously, parents have the override information.
- Geo Fence – Can you say area limits?! We could totally set limits to where this car can go
- Speed Alert – setting a speed limit, and being alerted via mobile each and every time the driver goes above it. Yes, even your significant other.
Budget Friendly Features
- 32.8 cubic feet max in the hatchback
- Base prices for the @Kia Rio $13,990 (M) $14,990 (A) for sedan and $14290(M) $15,299 (A)
- Fuel Efficiency with 28 city/37 highway/32 combined (automatic, both 5-door and sedan)
Aesthetics
- Rio offers available upscale convenience technologies such as a seven-inch touchscreen interface and UVO3 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Sedan and hatchback offer available Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Targeting the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick designation and a 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- That tiger-nose grille though. It’s what makes the front of the Kia’s in general look so darn sexy.
With so much stuff going on in the world, it’s nice to know that when our teen is officially driving without having to ask us for permission, there are still cars that we can purchase for him, and feel peace of mind. I want to know that even if he’s growing up, I’m still able to have safety features in place until he is no longer on my insurance plan. If that ain’t real talk, I don’t know what is.
I feel confident when we DO have to make the choice to go in with him to purchase a vehicle, that we won’t have to worry about researching ALL of the brands of cars, given that I got to experience this one first hand.
Curfew limit? I love that! My son will be driving on January and I had no idea a car like this existed. I have to admit I am a little excited about the Geo Fence too!
Curfew limit!!!! Whoa! That’s amazing! This car is pretty darn nice! Looks great too! Lucky him!
My daughter is going to be 21 this Thursday, and she’s the tiniest thing ever. She would be a perfect candidate for the Kia Rio!
This sis a cute car. I can see my daughter wanting something like this when she is older. I love the Kia cars out now so I can imagine what they will be like in the future.
WOW at the safety features, curfew limit, geofence and speed alerts. I didn’t think that was possible but I love these features especially if you have a teenager. I think this will be a great car for him to have in college.
So I’m certainly not a teenager, but I’m loving the aesthetics for myself! This is a cue little car.
Oh, I had no idea about all of the safety features. It’s amazing the technology we have at our fingertips as parents now. I’m also loving the price point. Glad you got a chance to check the car out for yourself and learn about the capabilities. Man, when I was a teen I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel. These kids don’t know about that freedom.
THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! We are looking for a car for my son who is at community college. I love the features. Even though he is 18 and thinks he’s grown! We are definitely going to look into this.
This is a very cool looking car! My teenager isn’t driving yet, even though he is already at school. I hope we can convince him to at least get a license… he’s a city kid who thinks public transportation is enough!