2007 Kia Rondo: Unpretentious

I think it looks better in person.

Oh I've seen it in person before, still looks ugly.

I kinda like it. It's not "pretty," and never claims to be.

"You can carry four people, maybe two adults and 3 kids"
Well, maybe in the 2 row version. My 3 row version carries 6 comfortably, though I have not tried to carry 7.
If you are testing the 2 row version, please state it. I thought you were testing the 3 row version.
There goes Louiswei again, once again stating his opinion that the Rondo is ugly. We get it, Louiswei, we get it. MY opinion is that it is rather classy looking, especially in Urban Grey with the chrome accents. Hush now.

its a car that works like a car. i like it. people here would rather have a near 2 ton FWD sedan with "race inspired nurburgring tuned" suspension for some odd reason. if i wanted a sports sedan, i would get one and it wouldn't be FWD.

BGW:
I stand corrected. We have the 3-row version. As the picture shows, the third row is folded, and has been the few times I've driven it. You can definitely carry six people comfortably. I've only had it with the third row down. My humblest apologies. (Although I'm pretty sure I couldn't carry my musical gear without it being folded.)

How many more posts like this can we get for the Rondo? Unpretentious, utilitarian, modest, we get it!

I can see there's some usefulness in this car but I can't see why someone would buy one over the cheaper (and cooler) Mazda5 or the slightly more expensive and much roomier Caravan.

Firstwagon -- I agree with your point, but I have to give you this point to consider.
 
The Rondo is a boxier Mazda5 with a V6 and swing doors. The Rondo is a better interior decored swing door Caravan that's easier to park.
 
If you're looking for more performance go with a Mazda5....exceptional space and utility, go with the Caravan. If you want a little of both, go with a Rondo.

The problem is I look at the swing doors as a big negative. I like sliding doors.
 
Putting sqirming kids into baby seats while trying not to ding the car next to you is a pain in the butt.
 
The V6 in the Rondo is nothing special and while the interior materials may be better then the Caravan, they're not special enough to buy a car for.
 
Now maybe if it had sliding doors :)

"I can't see why someone would buy one over the cheaper (and cooler) Mazda5 or the slightly more expensive and much roomier Caravan."
Firstwagon, I cross-shopped the M5 and Caravan when I bought my 2007 Rondo EX V6.
I passed on the "cooler" M5 since it is not rated to tow anything (stated in the manual - "This vehicle is not recommended for towing." I disagree that the V6 is "nothing special" - it is much smoother than the M5's 4 cylinder, and has plenty of power when called upon (thanks in large part to the 5 sp auto, I'm sure).
I passed on the "much roomier" Caravan, since it was just too much vehicle for my family's needs, and I wanted to be environmentally responsible - for 99 per cent of my driving, the Rondo is perfect. For the other 1 per cent, when I need something bigger, I'll rent a Caravan! Why waste fuel hauling around all that extra room when I rarely need it? Plus, the Rondo is practically stuffed with safety items that the Caravan was not.
Is the M5 nice? Sure, just not practical enough for my needs. (And I have 2 kids whom I have to put into car seats).
Is the Caravan nice? Sure, just more vehicle than I need.
Nuff said.

I love the Mazda5 and tend to think of it as a model that many have simply overlooked. But its performance is its weak spot. The Kia Rondo gets to 60 MPH in 8.6 sec. and the Mazda5 in 10.1. Now if Mazda would add a turbo model, I would love to buy one!

Any modern V6 that develops less than 200hp (or should I say 230hp...) is "nothing special".
 
Period.

Again with the one-sided opinions!
A modern V6 that gets 32 mpg (Canadian) on the highway with 4 people and luggage aboard - that, in my books, is special. And that's my experience.
The Rondo acquits itself quite nicely with 182 hp. It does not need 200 or more hp for it's intended mission - it is not trying to pretend to be a sportscar like, for example, Honda's Odyssey. It works just fine with 182hp, and gets very respectable fuel economy in the process.
230 hp would be fun, but at the cost of economy. If I want a 230hp vehicle, I won't buy a people carrier, but will opt for a sports car.
The argument I hear all the time from those who want more power is this - it is useful in a passing situation where you need the power to get past, say, an eighteen wheeler and there is an oncoming car. True, but how about waiting til that car is past and THEN passing! That makes more sense, doesn't it?
Anyway, I don't know what your argument is that a modern V6 with less than 200 or 230 hp is nothing special, but as a pleased owner of a 2007 Rondo EX V6, I can state that it's V6 is indeed special - very smooth, quiet, eager to rev, and fuel efficient. That's what I asked for, and that's what I got.
 
That's my one-sided opinion.
 
Do you own or drive a Rondo V6? If you don't, then really you can't comment, now can you!
 
Hush now.

Oh so one has to actually own the car in order to have the "right" to make a comment?
 
No, I don't own a Rondo V6 but trust me, a sub-200hp V6 by today's standard is pretty pathetic. If you have time you can do a research to see how many sub-200hp V6s are out there. I can tell you the answer is: Not too many.
 
Here's FE for the V6 Rondo from EPA:
 
18/25/20
 
and here's for the Toyota Highlander:
 
18/24/20
 
Very comparable FE figures and I'll bet that the Highlander is heavier than the Rondo. Now here's punchline:
 
The Highlander has 88 more HP!!
 
Oh and umm... 230hp for a sports car is nothing to write home about...

I'll make one last comment to Louiswei by stating that my other car is a 1998 Escort wagon, with the 110 hp 2.0 4 cylinder. To ME, which is all that matters really, the Rondo's V6 is special.
You are quite free to think what you want.

"You are quite free to think what you want."
 
Well, exactly, then may I ask: Why do I need to hush?

bemanix88:
They could tell us about the Rondo's sleek, bold styling, its unsurpassed performance at the track, and its unprecedented power and agility, but I don't think anyone would believe them. ;)

I think I'd rather have the more fun to drive Mazda5 over the Rondo. They have about the same interior room, but I like the quality and dash layout of the Mazda 5 better, plus I like the sliding doors and 2nd row captain chairs vs bench. Since we only have 2 kids, I can keep the carseats in the 2nd row and on the occasions where we need to carry a couple more, there is access to the 3rd row without removing one of the 2nd row seats, as in the Rondo. And the mpg is better with the Mazda5.