2009 Kia Rondo

Experts say the Rondo wagon is safe and reliable, and it's backed by a longer warranty than most other wagons: five years/60,000 miles, with 10 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain. Edmunds.com just finished driving a Rondo in its test fleet for a year; editors rave about its practicality and note that it has been completely trouble-free.

But critics do worry about the Kia Rondo wagon's resale value. Kias have traditionally not retained their value well, and Kelley Blue Book estimates the base Rondo wagon (*est. $17,495) will lose 57 percent of its value within three years. We found better reliability scores for another top-ranked budget wagon, the smaller, five-passenger 2009 Pontiac Vibe (*est. $16,735 to $21,510).

The base Kia Rondo comes with a 175-horsepower, 2.4-liter inline-4 engine and a four-speed automatic transmission. It is the most fuel-efficient midsize wagon you can buy, achieving 20 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg in mixed driving, according to EPA estimates. A more powerful 192-horsepower, 2.7-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic are optional on the Rondo LX (*est. $18,495) and the Rondo EX (*est. $21,295), which adds leather seats, fog lights, etc. Reviewers are more likely to test -- and recommend -- the V-6 version of the Rondo wagon, which gets slightly lower gas mileage (18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, 21 mpg mixed) than the base engine. The Kia Rondo is not available with all-wheel drive.

While the Kia Rondo wagon doesn't offer a lot of gizmos, critics say it includes all of the major features you'll find in more expensive wagons, including electronic stability control (missing on the Mazda5) and curtain airbags as standard equipment. All Rondos feature a 60/40 split second-row bench that seats three, but the third row (a 50/50 split two-seater) is a $650 option on the base and LX trims. It's standard on the EX, which also includes luxury touches such as heated, leather-trimmed seats (optional on the LX).

We found the best coverage of the Kia Rondo station wagon at ConsumerReports.org, where editors compare it with 19 competitors, including the similar Mazda5 wagon. Edmunds.com's review is not as heavily data-based, but experts there have tested the Rondo for a year, and their overview is thorough and valuable. We found original safety data at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website, and objective fuel economy and pollution ratings from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. ConsumerGuide.com compares the Rondo with the "average" midsize car, while The Truth About Cars pits it head-to-head against the Mazda5. Kelley Blue Book estimates the Rondo's likely resale value, a common sticking point in reviews.