Kia Spectra

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 10.00 votes

Price Paid:  $15900.00 from Central Kia of Plano

Year / Model Reviewed:
2008 Spectra EX

Strengths:
Great interior, Good stock sound system, 5-Star Crash test rating, 100,000 warranty, Superb suspension, Powerful brakes, Standard Side Airbags.

Weaknesses:
Average fuel economy 29 MPG city and highway combined, Soft springs in the suspension make the nose dive in hard braking, No standard ABS, Poor resale value.

Summary:
Overall a great value. The vehicle is extremely spacious inside. Interior fit and finish is on par with the competition. KIA has been standing behind their slogan "The Power To Surprise". The vehicle is an extremely middle of the road car, cheap frills and a decent price.
The engine is a 2.0L Hyundai "Beta II" CVVT DOHC 4 Cylinder. It provides plenty of pep for everyday commutes. The engine whines a tad bit as I merge with the 70 MPH traffic of the Dallas/Ft Worth area. The car felt far more expensive at 90 MPH than I ever expected a "Cheap Kia" to perform. The cushy ride feels smooth until you cut a sharp corner and all of a sudden a 2900 pound car feels like a 4000 pound SUV. It came with all disc brakes which means it will stop on a dime. If you want a good commuter car with a solid crash test rating and a bargain price you might just fall in love with the car when you test drive it.

Similar Products Used:
2002 Honda Civic, 2005 Hyundai Tiburon

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $16000.00 from Pete's CarSmart Kia

Year / Model Reviewed:
2008 Kia Spectra

Strengths:
Came with many features:
MP3 hookup
Remote key-less entry
Heated side-view mirrors
CD player
ABS
Electric windows

Good gas mileage: 28-35 mpg
Great warranty
Roadside assistance

Came with $1,500 rebate

Weaknesses:
Some road noise at high speeds.

Summary:
I purchased this car in August of 2008. As of this writing I have had no major problems with this car (aside from road noise when driving high speeds) Some of the problems listed by other reviewers don't apply in my case. I live in a small town of 3,000 people. Most of my commuting is done in town and most of my highway traffic is to a town of 14,000 40 miles away. With no major traffic issues or freeway driving, lack of acceleration is not an issue. I've never had to break from high speeds, so cannot comment on the front end lowering significantly during breaking.

I average 28 mpg. On a recent trip to OKC the car got nearly 35 mpg. I find it to be a comfortable ride. I am single so the lack of leg room in the backseat is not an issue.

I would highly suggest this car for small families (no more than 2 kids), for those on a budget (my payments are only $250), or first time buyers. (it has a 10 yr, 100,000 mile warranty)

I personally think it is a great low priced car. It isn't a $55,000 Mercedes, so don't expect it to drive or feel like one.

Similar Products Used:
Honda Accord, Chevy Cavalier

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Price Paid:  $13700.00 from CarMax

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 EX/4D

Strengths:
Great gas mileage, decent first car, do all the oil changes and you won't have to do major maintenance. Holds the road well, great turning and breaks on a dime. It has a decent sound system with MP3 compatibility, and a decent interior.

Weaknesses:
Acceleration lacks greatly, front seats are uncomfortable (simply fix with a cushion pad), Wheel Alignment can be an issue if you are wreck less on the road. Not much legroom in the back seats.

Summary:
I bought my Kia at a CarMax Dealership with just less than 8,000 miles on it and I use it for commuting. I bought it for a few reasons, but mainly for gas mileage. I can do 300 miles in city driving, and 450 highway (driving on highway only) on a 14 gallon tank of gas. So with a mixture of both I can get around 375-400 miles on a full tank, which isn't bad at all. One thing that really sticks out is it can't pick-up speed at all, terrible for getting on the freeway even when my foot is hitting on the gas. I wish this had a V6. Also, my mechanic gave me some good advice saying that its durability is very weak (was rated 3rd worst care to repair in a collision) and that after 90,000K miles when things start to break down it's not even worth trying to fix it. I can get about 5-7 years out of this car before I’ll need to sell it. So far, I had to get all 4 wheels aligned, and that's it. A word of advice; potholes, speed bumps, and dips are very unforgiving to this car, so you need be careful. Overall if you are a new driver to the road, this is a good first car to get. If you aren’t, I’d look elsewhere for a car.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $24000.00 from 24000

Strengths:
child protection

Weaknesses:
nothing as yet

Summary:
i have never been so satified, and felt more protected in a vehicle. I am very pleased with the over all vehicle in my life!

Similar Products Used:
toyota, ford,

Price Paid:  $0.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 Kia Spectra EX

Summary:
After only few days I noticed that the tires needed some serious alignment since my steering wheel shakes like crazy when I drive my Kia on the freeway. For a brand new car I was expecting for it not to need this kind of service right away.
After only a couple of days of owning my new Kia the breaks suddenly locked up on me as I was slowing down at a stop sign. They continued to stay locked up and squealing for about 2 miles before they finally released themselves. I have heard this has been a common problem from other consumer reviews.
After only a couple of months my engine stared to tick very loud. If I let off the acceleration it seems to be louder and even more noticeable. I have changed the oil exactly every 3000 miles and even tried thicker oil to see if it would stop the noise. It made no difference and the engine still ticks like crazy.
When I run my Air Conditioner it seems that my car does a random acceleration at times. I find that very odd and not safe at all.
Just a few weeks ago I have also noticed upon starting my engine that the belts are starting to squeal. Especially when putting it in gear. The sound does however subside after a couple of minutes.
My stereo makes this very high pitched and hard to hear noise especially when I accelerate. My guess is that somewhere the wires aren't grounded correct.
I have owned my Kia for less than one year and am very disappointed about all the problems that have come up with it. If I had a choice I would not buy another Kia. For the money I paid and it being new I should not have to go through this.