Check Back for Some Video

Keep checking back in the next couple days for some great video of the one and only Kia Rondo!!

Example of Cargo Space

As a hockey and baseball player it is key to have enough space for my equipment.  Being involved in these sports makes for having a lot of stuff, and calls for a lot of storage in the Rondo.  Firstly, in hockey I have a very large bag and many sticks.  In a normal car a bag this size fills the trunk, but with the Rondo's hatchback it makes it easy to put two or even three large bags with room still available.  Just recently I car pooled with two other players from the Forest Lake High School, and you should know that they are NOT small people.  From there, we put all of our bags in the back end of the Rondo.  With the versatility of the interior, putting our bags in the back end was a breeze. 

We fit all of the bags because of the floding back seats.  The bench is split into a 70 30.  This means the part of the seat can fold down while the other part remains so a passenger can ride.  (The 70% of the seat has seat belts for two passengers and the the 30% has room or one.)  We only needed 30% of the bench to be folded, and we could have squeezed another bag and person in.    I know for a fact that if I had a regular car we would have had to take two vehicles because the three bags would not have fit in the trunk.

Rondo On

I have had a couple suggestions that I actually talk about the Rondo, so here is some audio of the features that I like: 



The V8 decal was bought at Wal Mart and applied myself.  The Kia Rondo does not offer a V8.

Winter and Summer with Jacob

Many people don't believe the Rondo has the qualities I am telling you of.  Here is an interview with Jacob, a real Rondo owner, on winter and summer driving.

Pricing and Resale

If you buy a new BMW it is going to be expensive.  Lets say you buy a "cheap" one for $40,000 and love it.  But the next week you when you want to sell it because you saw a Kia Rondo on the road, your $40,000 car is now worth $25,000.  Depreciation is a huge contributor when you are looking to buy a car.  The Rondo is another great vehicle is this category.  Lets say you buy a Rondo at its starting price of $17,5000 and you have to move for business over seas a year later.  Your Rondo will be worth nearly as much as you paid for it a year ago.  A Rondo with 18,000 in good condition can go for $14,000, easy.  Even with up wards of 90,000 miles on a Rondo, you could still expect to sell it out right for $10,500.  I am not aware of another vehicle that can sell for this kind of exchange rate.  If you have this dilema with your car, what are you waiting for? Buy a KIA RONDO!  Think of your last car and how much you paid for it and how much you sold it for.  Don't you wish you had the resale of a Rondo?

If you are looking at buying a Kia Rondo look here for a local seller:  http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites

RE: Grand Rapids Trip

The Rondo received rave reviews after the expedition to Grand Rapids, MN.  The two adult men, "good sized", left at six o'clock in the morning on Saturday morning and said, "there was instantly warm air after warming the car for only four minutes."  This is the exact quality that many people want but don't have in their vehicles.  From there on, they proceeded to tell me many more great features and luxuries on the wagon.  One of the main aspects that they emphasized on were the seats.  They said the comfort was outstanding.  One of the guys that was riding owns a Lexus with leather seats and said his butt normally get a numb feeling after driving to Minneapolis for work, but in the Rondo it went right over his head.  When he arrived in Grand Rapids he thought why isn't my butt sore?  Because you rode in a Rondo.  Another feature that they loved was the ride.  From their experience, they said it was very quiet and made it that much easier to listen to each other and the radio.  The other key factor they said that was good to have was the gas milage.  They filled up once in Grand Rapids.  On the way up they got 26 miles per gallon.  In mid-November, that is a very good number for the Rondo. 

Overall they easily recommended this car for a good sized trip. 

The Grand Rapids Trek

Today the Forest Lake High School hockey team is going to Grand Rapids for a couple scrimmages.  A family member will be driving my Rondo up there, 164 mile trek.  The Rondo has taken a few other journeys like this one and has had rave reviews.  Two male adults will be riding the three hours and I'm sure their backs and butt will feel great after.  In other vehicles this most likely wouldn't be the case, you would have to get out half way to stretch and get 'uncramped'.  Other luxuries the Rondo has to offer on their ride up will be a a great sound system and auxiliary inputs for iPods or MP3s, room for comfort, and a great heater for the chilly November nights. 

One of the riders driving to Grand Rapids has been in and driven a Rondo before, but the other passenger has never been in one!  I'm sure this will be a ride that they will never forget.  Between the feel and comfort I don't know how they won't be absolutely stunned.  I am also going ask each of them how their experience was in the Rondo when they return and will post their response when I get back.

V4 vs. V6

Most test drivers say the 2008 Kia Rondo drives well, they are quick to say that people who prefer sporty performance should look some where else.  Most reviewers prefer the less powerful base engine to the optional V6.  With the smaller engine, power meets the standards of most drivers. The stronger but less fuel efficient V6 hardly seems worth the extra cost ($1,000) to many owners. However, no matter what engine they prefer, most are disappointed that the Rondo only comes with front wheel drive.  Though most Rondo competitors offer all wheel drive capability.

Under the hood, the 2008 Kia Rondo LX base model features a 2.4-liter inline four cylinder engine that has 162 horsepower. Also available is a 2.7 liter 182 hp V6. Kelly Blue Book says "The engine choices are a "favorite feature," noting that they are both viable options: while the available V6 offers more power and torque plus an extra gear in the automatic transmission with which it's paired, the four-cylinder engine has sufficient muscle to cope with lighter-duty chores and offers even better fuel economy."
In fact, many reviewers feel the V6 isn't worth the extra money.

Check the specs here:  buyersguide.roadandtrack.com/kia/rondo/2008/kia-rondo/specs#features

RONDO

Safety of the Rondo

The Rondo has many nice safety features built into it.  Airbags are key in an accident, and with the Rondo's five star crash test rating, this makes it an even more likable vehicle.  The airbags include: dual front, front seat-mounted and full-length side curtain. It also has side impact protection bags as well.
The Rondo also has several other features built in that can go unnoticed.  These are the rear child safety door locks, fixed child seat anchors, and three-point seat belts. All models come with antilock brakes and electrical stability control.  A tire pressure monitoring system also comes in handy.  Just two weeks ago a light flashed at me on the dashboard of my Rondo, and I didn't know what it was.  When I looked it up, I figured out the meaning was for one of the tires air pressure.  And sure enough, the tire was leaking air, and I had to get a replacement tire because there was a nail in it.  These settle features are what makes the Rondo one worth taking a look at.
The rest of the features are listed here:  http://www.ehow.com/list_6908959_kia-rondo-features.html

  ~KiaMotors.com

2014 RONDO!?

The Kia Ronda hasn’t been on sale in the U.S. since it was dropped at the end of the 2010 model year but a brand new model, one designed under the watchful eye of Kia design boss Peter Schreyer, is in the works and could potentially see the Rondo name return to these shores. Prototypes for this new Rondo have been spotted testing in Europe on several occasions, and the latest one looks virtually production-ready.  That’s because Kia is scheduled to reveal the new Rondo at this month’s 2012 Paris Auto Show, though the vehicle will debut as its European twin, the Kia Carens, teasers for which have already been released. Sister company Hyundai is also expected to get its own version of the Rondo, though with its own distinct styling.  The platform underpinning the Rondo, as well as its planned Hyundai cousin, is expected to be the same front-wheel drive setup underpinning the Hyundai Elantra Engine offerings for the European version should include a 1.7-liter turbodiesel unit rated at 115 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque and a 2.0-liter turbo four with 136 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque on tap.
Read the rest of the article!: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1074702_2014-kia-rondo-spy-shots

Review

Here is a review of a 2008 V6  LX Rondo:
I can't say enough positive about this car. I bought it as a demonstrator with 10,800miles and paid $220 more than a 10 year old Honda CRV with 110,000 miles on the same lot. Head and leg room as well as visability is better than my Dodge Caravan. Rear seats lay all the way flat which is great for hauling and camping. Doors open all the way which allows to load a box the full size of the door in the back (unlike my dad's Buick. With the V6 engine, there is more than enough spunk to get up to spead on the freeway. On a country road, I had it up to 110 mph and was still accelorating. It can be "fun to drive" when I want to.

Some of their favorite features were:

Head and leg room is great. I am 6' 250lb and have more than enough room. Dad is 6'2" and had more than enough leg and head room in the rear seat. The heater can cook you out even in zub zero. I never could get warm in the Caravan. Great versatility. I haul a lot of boxes, people, dogs and camping gear. It is great.

Read some more about it:  http://www.edmunds.com/kia/rondo/2008/consumer-reviews/i%27d-buy-another-one-in.html?style=100978314&sub=&reviewId=934954105 

~ The Car Connection

 ~ Edmunds

Rondo Engine

This morning it was twenty one degrees, and the Rondo was parked outside in my driveway all morning.  It wasn't frosted today but being the coldest its been this year, the Rondo's engine was very cold.  Without starting the car prior to leaving, I had hot heat pumping after driving just three minutes.  One of my friends, Scott, has a dodge truck.  Every night he has to park his vehicle outside, as I do.  I asked him how long it takes him to get hot air through his vents, and he said on a day where it's thirty degrees or so it'll take him six minutes.  As the weather gets colder, the time it takes for him to not freeze gets longer and longer.  Today he said it took his truck EIGHT minutes to warm up so he could get warm air through the vents.

This ties directly into fuel economy for the vehicles.  Knowing that the Rondo's engine warms up faster, this means it is running at lower RPMs.  If it is running at lower RPMs, the pistons aren't pumping as fast and therefore not consuming as much gas.  The Rondo is rated at 20 miles per gallon in town and 26 miles per gallon on the freeway.  With my Rondo, I do almost all in town driving.  Every time when I fill up I take the millage to see what I get.  Just yesterday when I filled up, I got 23 MPG.  This is very good considering I don't do much freeway driving at all and it has been a little colder.  In the summer time, when it's hot, I will get up to 27 MPG in town.  If I were to drive on the freeway more in the summer, I don't think it would be crazy to hit 30 MPG.

Buy a Rondo, they're great.

The Rondo Robbery

The Rondo has taken many adventures in its days.  A few weeks ago it was in a house robbery, my house though.  With the stealthiness of the engine combined with its torque made it the perfect get away vehicle.  Knowing this, we parked right outside the house without my family even knowing.  The hatchback made it easy for the planning and getting ready.  After we took the College Fund, the Rondo made it for an easy escape.  The owner, Tal, chased us for a little while.  But the hatchback of the Rondo again came in handy.  While driving, we opened it up and "shot" at Tal.  This made it the absolutely perfect car for a get away. 

(This is not an actual robbery)

My Rondo

From here on out this blog is going to be updated according to my 2008 Kia Rondo.  I will post what I do to it, whether it's putting gas in, driving to school, experiences while driving, or just information about it.  You will get updates on exactly how the car is running and handling...which is most always great.

Firest off, today was a dreary, rainy day.  This caused a foggy morning and wetter roads for the Rondo to drive on.  The morning drive was not bad, but the drive from the high school to the hockey rink was a trick.  The rain on the road made it difficult to pull out from a busy stop sign, causing me to spin the tires.  This may have taken excess tred off.  The spinning was caused by the weight of the car and the power the v4 engine has.  Rondos are not the heaviest car on the road, which is good for gas mileage but is a down fall for rainy days.  This isn't the most important unless you live in a rainforest, I can hadle the slickness of the road with the Rondo.

Here is Edmunds review of the Rondo's road handling: http://townhall.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f17f848/35

Another Rondo Interview

I asked Tal and JJ a couple questions about the Rondo, listen to what they have to say.

2010 Kia Rondo review

Here's another quick review by Motor Mouth Canada:

Center Dashboard

The dashboard of the Rondo is very similar to most vehicles on the road.  It has most of the standard featurers such as(from top to bottom): easily visibal clock from any seat in the wagon and to the right of the clock is to tell if the passanger is wearing their seat belt or not.  With in the passenger seat is a scale.  This is a handy tool because when a passenger weighs over a certain amount the air bag will be turned on.  This is a great safety feature to have if your child is on the boarder of getting hurt with an air bag.  More fantastic qualities are an easily excessable hazard light for when you need to pull over on the side of the road, a CD player, AM and FM radio, with seeking ability, and twelve total presets for your favorite stations.  The standard radio in the Rondo has a very nice sound and with the equilizer it adds to its superiority over most standard vehicles radio's.  Lower down are three knobs to control the air conditioning and max air conditioning, heat (which is fanominal), and different settings for for each one.  Below these knobs are the defrost for the rear and whether to take in new air from outside when the fan is on or to recycle the air on the inside.  Last is the shifter, and in the Rondos they all have a way to shirt yourself but without a clutch called "slapstick".

Look here to find some cool dashboard kits:  http://www.carid.com/2009-kia-rondo-wood-grain-dash-kits/

Underneath The Hood

Cargo carrying is the Rondo's party trick. The second row does the flip and fold trick, the third row sinks into the abyss below and hey presto! You've got a perfectly level floor– to the point where a stranger happening upon a Rondo post-seat submersion would be forgiven for thinking the vehicle is a cleverly disguised delivery van. Between the huge rear hatch and the sky scraping roof, the Rondo is a big-box.

Given the Rondo's 3500 lbs. curb weight, its [optional] 2.7-liter V6 generates an adequate 182 horsepower. At least Kia did the right thing and hooked it up to a five-speed automatic gearbox. Acceleration is brisk when the car is unloaded. With a full crew, highway merging takes the patience of a Vulcan. There's no chance of a pistonhead mind meld with the base Rondo's 162hp 2.4-liter in-line four. Besides, the extra power only costs you a grand up front and one and two mpg at the pump (20/27 vs. 21/29 mpg).

I have the 16 valve four cylinder engine (first picture) and it gets around.  At the first take off with the Rondo, it is very zippy and get to a quick start.  Although it's not the most powerful car, it does the job.  If you don't take your car to University Ave., you won't have to worry much about the torque it has.  It is a great car for getting around town, but not racing Dodge Challengers.

 Read some more here:  http://www.car.com/content/shared/articles/templates/index.cfm/article_page_order_int/3/article_id_int/2346