A good family car as long as it's small loads
Hatchback latch was a touch off, kept the dash indicator light on, and it lead to one incident of battery drain that required a jump. This has since been corrected.
Great stability in turns with this model, good comfort and good visibility while driving.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th May, 2005
I would recommend this car for people that are interested in the hatchback design
None so far.
The Spectra5 is considered a sports wagon, five door hatchback.
The car is quiet to drive.
It is very nimble in the turns.
The interior is well put together and thought out nicely.
It has a 138 hp engine that is spunky even with an automatic transmission.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 28th April, 2005
Great low priced car
The engine Rpm don't drop in between shifts, but the dealer says it's normal for KIA.
The side roll up windows seem to slide down over time.
Carpet is starting to tear already.
The roomy and stylish interior was a pleasant surprise.
The car does have some engine pep, but I don't get near the advertised mileage.
My car has a standard shift and it is not hard to miss shift. Shifting is not smooth and sometimes fifth gear and reverse are hard to hit. The gear ratios just don't feel right and in my opinion needs some engineering attention. The engine Rpm do not drop in between shifts and it is irritating. I took it in to have it looked at and the dealer said it is normal.
The car drives impressively smooth, but the ride is slightly spoiled by engine noise.
The handling is not great at all, but that is expected in a compact car anyway. You can actually feel the car flex in a corner and it is an uncomfortable feeling. You can also feel the power to the front wheels through the steering wheel when starting from a stop with a turn. KIA should work on that.
There are small details about the car that can't go unnoticed. Many pieces and parts look and feel paper-thin. I am afraid to put to much pressure on the emergency brake because I am afraid that the plastic lever will break off in my hand. The interior door and window handles are cheap plastic also.
The car is very comfortable to sit in and I love the seats. It is not a car I would want for a long drive though, because KIA engineers missed an important detail; American legs are longer than Korean legs. After a while of driving, I feel like my knees are in my chest.
Overall I am pleased with my purchase. I think KIA is on to something and they will probably get the engineering bugs worked out soon. The warranty has all others beat. For it's intended purpose, my Spectra fits the bill.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 22nd April, 2005
17th May 2005, 09:15
I have a couple of answers for you as to me you sound pretty unpleased with what you have, I purchased a KIA from Canada, and it runs like the wind... my carpets didn't tear.. and the shifting is very very proper to me, give it more juice and the gear box shifts to a lower gear and the Rpms rev up... let go and it goes back to normal..it's as simple as that, and it's automatic.
For the long rides, yeah it is smooth and roomy and you can drive it for long distance, I took it 1000 miles one shot, and it didn't say NO WAY... running at 75-90 Mph wasn't a problem for this car, from Canada to the States, and YES... you can take it for long trips, I tried the Jetta for example, 4 hours and I was about to rip off the seat I was on, this car is completely different from the others I have tried.
About the cornering, I tried the Camry SE and the Kia Spectra, trust me, KIA won... at 70 miles I can corner faster than the rest of the cars of the pack, you have to get some Gs, but how much can the car handle...that's the question, it could handle.
Steering I don't have much experience with other cars, however to me it's still pretty good.
And about the Brakes... trust me it won't snap under your foot, I tried the ABS thing once and it saved my life, actually twice in one day, hit the brakes and steer...don't worry it won't spin out, just control the car around the obstacle and it really works...
You may be right about the fragile parts, but I've seen worse on other cars, and for those that look like chrome...it's all plastic and as strong or even we weaker.
A feature that this car has is the Visor, you can pull it out for those spots that can't be avoided by normal length as the Accord, Camrys don't have it...
The engine isn't that loud, but when you are running at a high speed of say 80 miles, yeah you can hear the engine at around 3100 RPM, come on it's only a 2.0L engine, besides don't you have a CD or your favorite radio channel to listen to instead of listening to your engine, for a small and compact car packing it with every single detail that might even lack on other big market brands out there is something that no one can ignore here, from the leather wrapped steering wheel, to the visors, to the roomy space inside, the biggest interior of it's class, back flip seats, if you ask for more from a compact car... then don't get one, because trust me... after searching the market you won't get a better deal for the size price and economy.
I hope I covered your downside of this car, to me I am getting another one...
Amir Saad.