The simple
pleasure of just driving was boosted, and I was made even more grateful for all
the technology that we take for granted in today’s new motor vehicles.
The tester was
the most basic car I’ve driven in probably the past 25 years. You had to turn the key in the exterior door
handle to lock it. Exterior mirrors had
to be adjusted with old-school knobs mounted inside front doors. Windows had to be rolled up or down by hand.
Yeah, welcome
back to the 1970s.
And yet, I
couldn’t help but feel that I’ve been spoiled all these years, with all the
electronic gadgetry at my fingertips in the cockpit. Remember just getting into a car and driving
off … on a simple errand or a much-anticipated road trip. Simple pleasures.
The Rio returned these memories.
At the same
time, it made me think hard about the blizzard of comfort/convenience/safety
features that are stuffed into motor vehicles these days.
Power/heated/cooled
seats. Blind spot-warning systems. Mega cruise-control systems. Automatic braking systems. It’s amazing when you ponder it. Just think for a second how much more we get
in new cars now than we did just a generation ago.
So, thanks to
the tested Rio for all that.
Oh, by the
way, my no-frills Rio handled well. The 1.6-liter, 130-horsepower, in-line 4
engine moved the vehicle around impressively.
The Rio was nimble and easy to
steer. The back storage area was
surprisingly roomy.
Gas mileage
was exceptional at 28 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.
And that
bottom line sticker price of $16,315 was pretty easy on the eyes as well.
If you want
basic transportation for a college-bound youngster or a suburban daily driver
to handle all those errands, the Rio shapes up
as a strong contender.
The
appreciation enhancements are a bonus.
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