I currently pack all three of my kids into the back seat of a Mazda Protege5. When one of them wants to bring home a friend from school, both my wife and I have to pick them up. When my parents visit, we have to take two cars everywhere. I need a vehicle with more seats, but am not willing to give up the agile handling you can only get in a small car. And I strongly prefer a manual transmission.

No vehicle currently available in the United States satisfies my full set of needs. The Mazda5 (reviewed here) comes closest, but is only available in the U.S. with 2-2-2 seating. So for trips I'd have to choose which I wanted in the car: my family or my luggage.

This month Kia has quietly introduced a vehicle similar to the Mazda5, elsewhere called the Carens but here called the Rondo. (No, I don't know why.) The Rondo is available with 2-3-2 seating. However, in the U.S. they have opted not to offer the manual transmission available elsewhere. So the first time out I drove a five-passenger four-cylinder LX for the simple reason that that's all the dealer had.

Months later I drove a three-row V6 EX. This review has been updated based on the second test drive.

Styling

I'm not crazy about what sliding doors do to the appearance of the Mazda5. The Kia Rondo instead of sliders has very long rear doors. Not Mercedes R-Class long, but getting there. People should not park next to you if they care about the appearance of their cars.

But I digress. What I was trying to say is that, despite having conventional rear doors, the Rondo looks considerably less sporty than the Mazda5. Reasons include a very round shape (source of the name?), big headlights, a higher front fenderline, taller windows, and lack of side skirts. Based on photos, the EX, which has one-inch larger wheels and foglights, looks a bit sportier and considerably more attractive. But even then I see much more "family friendly" than "hot hatch."

Inside, the story is much the same. I was critical of the Mazda5 for having a less attractive, cheaper-feeling interior than the Mazda3. But, partly owing to the black color and the cliche faux aluminum trim, it has a sporty vibe. In constrast, the beige cloth interior of the Rondo I drove suggested "scaled down minivan." Pleasant enough, with a slightly more upscale feel than the Mazda, but thoroughly utilitarian and not at all sporty. Black might help here, and Kia usually differs from Hyundai by offering black interiors. But not this time. With the Rondo, it's either beige or medium gray.

The leather interior feels considerably more upscale and even a bit sportier than the cloth. Black leather as seen in other Kias, but not available here, would be even better.

Accommodations

The Kia Rondo's driving position feels much like I remember the Mazda5's feeling. So, essentially, you feel like you're piloting a small minivan. Seat height is about halfway between a sedan's and a compact SUV's. The windshield is heavily raked (though not quite as heavily as in the Mazda) and the instrument panel is very deep.

The front seats struck me as neither especially good nor especially bad. Just your typical compact car seat. The driver's seat has a single manual adjustment for height, so the tilt of the cushion is not manually adjustable. Hyundai and Kia were among the last to offer dual height adjustments in their cheap cars; I'm sad to see them abandon this feature.

Despite being a couple inches less lengthy than the Mazda, the Kia Rondo has three inches more legroom in the second row, for a generous total of 38.2. The second-row cusion is well off the floor, so it lends adult thighs proper support. The seat can be slightly reclined.

The second Rondo I drove had a third row. It's marginal (but doable) for adults my height (5-9), but easily passable for kids. Which is all most people who need a third row need one for anyway. Access to the third row is tight--the second row just slides forward a bit--but kids won't mind.

Cargo volume with the third row up is 6.5 cubic feet--so very tight. From the configuration of the floor in the five-seater, it appears there'd be just enough space for a row of grocery bags. Fold the third row and there's ample cargo room. Fold the second row flat--which requires the removal of three headrests--and there's even more. I'd like to also see the front passenger seat fold, but as in the Mazda5 it does not.

On the Road

The 162-horsepower 2.4-liter four when paired with the four-speed manually-shiftable automatic moves the Kia Rondo adequately with two people aboard. Acceleration feels stronger than in the Mazda5 with automatic, especially at lower engine speeds where the Mazda felt sluggish. When pushed, the noise made by the engine is not objectionable--I didn't feel like I was killing the poor thing the way I do in some cars with four-cylinder engines.

Magazine reviews have asserted that the 182-horsepower 2.7-liter V6 is not worth the extra $1,000 it costs. I disagree. Performance is just modestly better, as much due to the extra ratio in the transmission as the extra horsepower. But the V6 has a considerably more upscale sound and feel. Few fours sound as good as a merely average V6.

Handling is similarly acceptable. The Rondo feels much like a generic Asian compact sedan, just with a slightly higher driving position. The handling is composed and predictable, with a moderate amount of lean and understeer in turns. The vehicle feels compact but not quite agile. A Mazda5 has quicker steering and sharper handling, and feels more agile.

Conversely, the Rondo has a smoother ride, with none of the jitters I experienced in the Mazda. Noise levels are reasonable, again much like those in a compact sedan. Road noise on some surfaces might be a bit much for some people, but this is the case with most cars.

Kia Rondo Safety

I don't usually discuss safety. But when a vehicle with a price under twenty large includes antilock brakes, stability control, front side airbags, three-row side curtain airbags, front seat active head restraints, and a tire pressure monitor, I figure it's worth a mention.

Kia Rondo Price Comparisons and Pricing

I have input pricing for the Rondo into TrueDelta's database on my home computer, but haven't uploaded the latest revision to the server yet. The Rondo is actually about $1,000 more expensive than the Mazda5 when the two are similarly equipped, and adjusting for feature differences widens the gap to about $1,500.

To compare the prices of other models:

http://www.truedelta.com/prices.php

Last Words

For enthusiasts who need a third row but only two seats in the second row, the Mazda5 remains the answer. The Kia Rondo is a very functional vehicle with a very reasonable price, but not once during my test drive did "fun" leap to mind, despite the stronger engine. In terms of both looks and the driving experience, the Rondo could hardly be more bland. Add the non-availability of a stick shift, and there's still no vehicle that provides everything I need. However, for families seeking an affordable, economical, functional, and safe seven-seater, the Rondo is definitely worth a look.

Any trim level is good, but I'd personally recommend the EX V6 with third row if you can swing it.

A Note on Kia Rondo Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Rondo rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Kia Rondo reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the Rondo--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Chevrolet HHR review
Chrysler PT Cruiser review
Dodge Caliber review
Mazda5 review
Mitsubishi Outlander review
Toyota RAV4 review