Kia Rio vs Mazda 3: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Kia Rio burns about $1,700 of fuel annually against $1,850 for the Mazda 3. That $150 yearly gap compounds to roughly $750 over five years and $1,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Kia Rio leads in both cycles — 33 mpg city and 41 mpg highway against 30 and 40 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Kia Rio is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (1.6, SIDI), the Mazda 3 with 4 (SIDI, SIDI; With Cylinder Deactivation, SIDI; Without Cylinder Deactivation). Across 17 recorded Kia Rio configurations and 97 for the Mazda 3, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Kia Rio is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Mazda 3 with 4-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Compact Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Kia Rio emits 249 g/mile of CO2 versus 266 g/mile for the Mazda 3. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.