Faults:

Timing belt broke causing valve damage; the head had to be replaced $525 (caused by negligence on my part for not sticking to the schedule).

Water pump and idler pulley replaced with each timing belt service - $325.

Clutch and CV boots replaced at 210,000 miles - $380.

General Comments:

The car was purchased in 2009 as a cheap, throwaway car to tide me over until I could afford something more substantial. Quite frankly, I never expected to own the Kia Spectra long-term, and certainly did not expect a cheap car to hold up as well as it has.

At this time it doesn't use oil and gets great gas mileage. It has the original struts, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, and has been in four car accidents. Because it's presently an ugly junker and worth nothing I will continue to drive it until the engine dies.

I attribute the car's durability to the fact that it has been driven gently (despite the accidents), mostly on the highway; plus fluids and filters were changed to schedule. As long as I have owned the Kia it has only been serviced at independent.

Faults:

A piece of plastic from the seat assembly under the driver seat broke off. Didn't effect the moving of the seat in anyway, but I took it to the dealership and they replaced it.

General Comments:

Good reliable car thus far.

Good on gas, although not as good as my Civic, but it has a nicer interior.

Tires are so so, would recommend replacing them when you get the chance.

If you're a taller person like myself, you might find your legs cramping up on a long road trip. I have the driver seat as far back as it goes, but I could use a little more leg room.

Faults:

The only issues this car has had was a piece of weatherstripping came loose and the door pull cracked. The dealer fixed these without a question under warranty.

General Comments:

Overall it's a nice little car. It's not up to the level of Honda or Toyota, but if you factor in price I'd say they were about equal.

If you want a cheap reliable car to drive, you should check it out, you might like it.

The factory tires are awful, so look into replacing them soon.

Faults:

Light colored seats show the littlest bit of dirt. The fabric seems to attract it.

General Comments:

This car is very reliable and a smooth ride. The back seat is bigger than it looks. Three little ones easily sit in the back. A spectra is also great on gas although it doesn't have much power to it. So if you're looking to pass someone make sure you have plenty of distance. Otherwise except for that and the seats being slightly uncomfortable on a long ride, it's a great little car. Oh, and fyi my husband is 6'3" and can drive it comfortably!

Faults:

The only complaint that I have about the car is that when I am driving on the interstate at speeds above 65 or 70 there is a vibration in the steering wheel.

General Comments:

This car I purchased Labor Day weekend 2007. I went to the dealership and was looking at the KIA Rio. For a thousand or so more dollars I was really interested in the Spectra. I took the vehicle for a test drive and was highly impressed with the way the vehicle handled and how much power the little four cylinder really had. In my previous civics the mountain I climb for work everyday I always needed to downshift... in this Spectra I can just keep it in fifth gear and it just keeps on going like a tank.

At first glance of the car I figured it would feel cramped or small on the inside. I was awfully surprised on how roomy the interior actually is. This four door sedan is very roomy (for a smaller vehicle) and has some nice features. The driver seat does have a six way adjust which is very nice. It does come with a tilt steering wheel, but I would have liked a telescopic wheel instead. CD player is standard with the auxiliary port ready to hook up a Zune or Ipod to play. The six speaker stereo sounds good, but to me could always be better.

Trunk space is a decent size, the bad part is the vehicle does not have gas shocks to raise the trunk. It has those big hinges that crush items if they are packed too tightly in the car. To me personally, this is not a problem.

Underneath the hood it is very easy to see all items and work on later after the 100,000 mile warranty expires. I went ahead and opted for the 10 year 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty for very little extra. I believe this will be well worth it.

All in all I think this is a great vehicle for what it is. I compared the Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Aveo, Toyota Corolla, Dodge Caliber, and the Hyundai Accent. Even though the KIA name brand is not as well known as these others, I could not see a reason to pay more for the name. You can talk about resale value, but I am looking at this as a long term investment.