Kia Rio LX five-door
- Price: $13,660
- Gas mileage: 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway
- Five-year cost to maintain: $31,714
- Cost per mile: 42 cents
Redesigned for 2012, the Kia Rio is more stylish than its bargain-basement price might indicate. The LX is at the bottom of the Rio pecking order where every model gets the same 138-horsepower, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine. As priced here, it uses a six-speed manual transmission to get power to the front wheels.
Despite being the entry-level version, the LX comes with air conditioning, trip computer, 60/40 split-folding back seat and a four-speaker audio system with satellite radio capability, CD player and iPod interface.