![]() ![]() I am able to squeeze my family of five into the Spectra, although I would not recommend this to anyone who values their sanity. I also appreciate the standard side curtain airbags. The heat controls are user-friendly and the stereo is a breeze to figure out. It is refreshing to drive this car for a week and not have to pull out the manual. What the Spectra lacks in creature comforts it makes up for in simplicity and safety features. I can fit my iPod in this space, but not much more. Most disappointing of all is the size of the center console. Some other amenities that I really miss in the Kia Spectra are: A lighted mirror on the sun shade and an outside temperature gauge. I live in the land of giant SUVs, so feeling exceptionally low to the ground is intimidating and somewhat unnerving. It has a manual pump-action seat hoist that seems to get me just a couple inches off the road – literally. First of all, I cannot get the seat high enough. Holy distracted driver, Batman!Įnough about my dislike for the stick shift I am really unimpressed about some other aspects of the 2006 Kia Spectra as well. It seems that each time my phone rings or the children need me, I am also in the midst of shifting. With a manual transmission, I feel like I need another pair of hands just to take a sip or answer a phone call (with my headset attached, of course). As much as I believe in limited distractions while driving, I often have a coffee cup in the cup holder and a cell phone at the ready in the console. Sounds pretty girly, huh? I am really glad that I posses those skills, but the only one I use with any frequency is being able to drive a car with manual transmission.įor me, however, having an automatic transmission is a must in a mom-mobile. My father wanted to be sure that I could drive a difficult stick shift, change a tire, change the oil, and engage a manual 4-wheel drive system. If you're looking for a well-rounded economy sedan or hatchback, the 2006 Kia Spectra is definitely worth a test-drive.I learned to drive in a Jeep, a very old Jeep. Although class leaders like the Civic and Mazda3 are still a few steps ahead of the Spectra when it comes to performance and refinement, we think highly of this Kia car. A vast selection of trays, bins, pockets and containers provides a spot for anything you happen to be carrying, while six large cupholders make road-trip dehydration a thing of the past. So do comfortable seats, and the Kia Spectra offers plenty of room for both front and rear occupants. Inside, the furnishings are nothing too exciting, but a simple control layout, above-average build and materials quality and standard side curtain airbags count for plenty in this segment. Handling is soft yet predictable with the standard suspension, but you can get a tauter setup by opting for the SX sedan or Spectra5 hatchback, which also provides extra body cladding and sportier interior trim. Ride quality is excellent for an economy car, though, as the suspension dutifully absorbs bumps and grooves. Unfortunately, the engine begins to run out of steam at midrange rpm and gets a bit noisy in the process - this is one of the few areas in which the Kia Spectra doesn't match up to the Civic and Corolla. ![]() Roomy, well equipped and for the most part pleasant to drive, the Spectra is worth the attention of anyone shopping for an affordable compact car.Ī 138-hp, 2.0-liter engine is standard, and it's tuned to deliver a healthy dose of torque right off the line, allowing the Kia car to get around town and merge into freeway traffic with ease. ![]() However, a groundbreaking redesign came midway through 2004 and established the Kia Spectra as the value leader in the economy car segment. Although decently equipped, neither the Spectra sedan nor the hatchback had the level of refinement or quality necessary to get the attention of Civic and Corolla buyers. In 2002, the Sephia sedan took the name "Spectra" as well. In 2000, Kia added a five-door hatchback companion called the Spectra in an effort to reach out to younger drivers. market date back to 1994 when the compact Sephia sedan was introduced. ![]()
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