2007 Kia Rondo: Keep Them Groceries Standing

I'm pretty sure the Aura has a pair of very useful side cargo nets in its trunk. They came in very handy on a trip to Costco, which of course does not provide bags and has stopped providing boxes as well (at least at mine).

That might be one of the only touches that Kia put into the Rondo that makes you smile. The MPG certainly doesn't! :)

Hail Grocery-stand-upittyness.
 
I think the English degree-holder in me just died a little. : /

My Mazda5 have the same feature, quite handy considering how much you could fling that car through corners. Something that can't be said with the Rondo's more sedate handling.

andydico: Sorry for the upcoming digression...
 
You know, one thing I always wondered about the Mazda 5 was "why?" I mean, the third row seats kind of aren't that supportive or comfortable (not to insult your purchase) and with the mainstay 2.3 liter 4 cyl in it, the mileage is so-so and the acceleration is kinda anemic. As far as I can tell, it's the first true crossover anyway. Not quite a minivan, not quite a wagon or a hatch.
 
Not to make this one-sided, but how do you feel about it?

Switch to cloth bags and you can tie the handles together in a loose knot. The groceries may still roll around but everything stays put.

Phinneas519:
 
Coming from an 800cc 3 cylinder Daewoo Matiz, the 2.3 liter Mazda 5 does not feel anemic to me. I always liked the look of the Mazda5. And it's a Driver's car, something I like to Drive not Ride. It's also the right size for me and my family, by the way, the 3rd row is always folded and the resulting space is much appreciated and should the need arise, I could take 5 people with me in a pinch although long drives not recommended with 6 people on board. :(

I also own a Mazda5, so I'll chime in. 90% of the time I have 4 or less people in it, so I get lots of cargo room and handy slider doors for my young kids in the 2nd row. About 5% of the time I have 1-2 children in the last row for short trips carpooling (comfort/space doesn't matter). And maybe 5% of the time I have adults back there, and it's only for short trips around town and my family is also on the smaller side, so it's quite bearable even if it's not the lap of luxury.
  
I have the manual transmission, and at least with this combo, the performance is adequate, particularly non-freeway where most of our driving is. In most of our daily driving, we rarely go faster than 40mph (no road in our school-work-home trips is marked higher than 30mph). In this mostly city driving, I get 21-24mpg.
  
We love it - there's nothing else that would be as good a fit for us, where we mostly don't carry more than 4, but can carry 6 the once or twice a month that we need this. It's smaller (better handling, easier parking, overall better maneuverability - it's got a wicked tight turning circle) with better real world gas mileage than a minivan and, real world, basically as fast. A sedan wouldn't have the option of 6 passengers, nor the cargo space (44ft3 with the 3rd row down). The stick shift is a big bonus, since both my wife and myself prefer them. Oh, and it was ~$20k. For our particular circumstances, an unbeatable combination of features.