2009 Kia Rio's inexpensive, but it certainly doesn't feel cheap

— -- The 2009 Kia Rio test car, a small sedan, made a terrific first impression because of its eye-popping red paint. Pretty shallow, huh?

But in this case, the paint was symbolic. It had a rich, premium sheen, and that theme held up, more or less, throughout the car.

Rio, it can be reported with delight, is an example of how to make an inexpensive car that doesn't look or feel cheap. It was a pleasant surprise among rides that are right for the Great Recession, especially after a disappointing bare-bones version of Nissan Versa (Test Drive, Feb. 27) and the uninspiring Toyota Yaris five-door (Test Drive, March 13).

If the "cheap" thing doesn't bother you, then consider that the sub-$11,000 entry Versa is remarkably roomy for its overall size, and the Yaris is well-equipped and offers a generous array of useful options — which quickly take it out of the low-price transportation category (defined here as a sub-$15,000 sticker price).

We're focusing on some low-price models from time to time to see which are worthy candidates for people battered into financial reasonableness (or desperation) by the economy — at least those people who need cars and prefer the virginal persona and factory warranty of a new car to the value proposition but underlying mystery of a used car.

The current version of Rio was introduced as a 2006 model. The '09 tested is almost identical to the '08 model, except '09s get a new audio system that includes built-in satellite radio hardware, a different gauge design and different climate controls.

Rio is available as a four door sedan and a "five-door" (four-door hatchback), which is identical except for the body configuration.

The Rio sedan is worth a look because the bare-bones base model starts at an alluring $12,145 and comes with hard-to-ignore warranties: 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain, five years/60,000 miles on most everything else, which matches most luxury cars. Three years/36,000 miles is typical for non-luxury brands. The Rio5 hatchback, not tested, has no bare-bones version.