There are also the younger staffers who have all but written off the Rio's existence from the weekly sign-out sheet, citing debilitations such as lack of power (see point C above), a less-than-thrilling manual shifter (the Rio doesn't have a strong mechanical sense of the "gates" suctioning the shifter into position, but it's precise enough), and because it's basic transportation (yes, it is).

We've shelled out $126 for scheduled maintenance so far and the dealership hasn't hit us with a single exciting surprise. Nothing's fallen off the car or showed signs of premature wear or exploded for our update pleasure, not even the dubious "fuel system and throttle body cleaning" pitched by a service advisor. The factory Hankook Optimo H426s are running at about 6/32" of remaining tread depth, but I'm sure less aggressive drivers will have tires in better condition at a similar mileage. Our H426s' shoulders have flattened quite a bit, possibly from all the opportunistic cornering.

I do wish the air conditioning were a little more powerful, as it takes a while to cool the interior on extra-warm days. Then again, I only notice because I like my air super-chilled, and the A/C hardly ever gets turned off.

Our Car
Service life	11mo/26,621 mi
Average fuel economy	34.4 mpg
CO2 emissions	0.56 lb/mi
Energy consumption	98 kW-hr/100mi
Unresolved problems	None
Maintenance cost	$125.74 (3-oil change, inspection; 2-tire rotation; 1-cabin-air filter)
Normal-wear cost	$0