The Spectra is Kia Motor's alternative to the herd of Japanese and American compact sedans and hatchbacks. Years ago the Spectra boasted a price tag that was thousands of dollars shy of its competition; recently, however, the Spectra's pricing has come ever so close to the price tags of its once notably more expensive competitors. Has the Spectra's quality improved enough to rightfully command its premium price tag?

Though the hatchback variant of the Spectra is available as one trim level (the SX), the sedan is available in a variety trim lines ranging from the base LX to the top-of-the-line SX. All Spectra's come equipped with the same DOHC 2.0-liter 4-cylinder making a generous 138 horsepower. The Spectra's power plant can be teamed with either a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard equipment or an optional old-fashioned 4-speed automatic transmission for an additional cost of $1,000.

<b>Driving Impressions: </b>

<i>Acceleration: EX 4-speed automatic 3/10</i>

Last year I drove the mid-level Spectra EX equipped with its standard 5-speed manual gearbox and found it to offer adequate if not spirited acceleration. This year, however, I spent some time with the Spectra EX equipped with its optional 4-speed automatic transmission. Though the Spectra's engine boasts a healthy 138 horsepower (similar horsepower specs as its competitors, i.e. the Civic LX, Toyota Corolla, and Mazda3i, it feels significantly less powerful than said rivals. The two flies in the ointment here no doubt is the Spectra's bloated 3,000-lb. curb weight and its sloppy 4-speed automatic transmission. Stab the Spectra's throttle to the floor from a stop and there is considerable lag in communication between engine and transmission, most notably between 1st and 2nd gears. To add insult to injury, the Spectra's automatic transmission oftentimes up-shifts prematurely at full throttle making those 138 ponies feel downright overrated, especially when merging into fast moving traffic or when quick passing maneuvers are needed.

<i>Engine Quality: 1/10</i>

I can forgive the Spectra EX for offering ho-hum acceleration; after all most cars in this class aren't exactly geared to break your neck at full throttle, but the Spectra's obnoxious engine behavior is unforgivable. At idle the Spectra's rough idling engine can be felt through its steering column and at partial throttle the Spectra's engine emits a non-harmonious raucous consisting of a menagerie of metallic sounds that are ever so reminiscent the tiny econoboxes of the 1990s. With comparably priced cars like the Civic LX, Mazda3i, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Sentra all offering relatively quiet and refined powertrains, I expected similar quality from the Kia Spectra.



<i>On the highway: 4/10</i>

Unfortunately the Spectra doesn't quiet down much on the highway. While Kiahas done a good job keeping wind noise devoid from the Spectra's cabin, engine and road noise become obtrusive at speeds nearing 65 MPH. While no car in this class is dead quiet on the highway, Kia has made no effort whatsoever to isolate the Spectra's busy engine from the cabin. But I digress, the Spectra's softly sprung suspension does an excellent job covering rough terrain: never does the ride feel jarring over moderate road imperfections. Also, nothing in the cabin rattles over rough road surfaces: an annoyance that plagued the 1st generation Spectra.
<i>Handling: 7/10</i>

While the top-of-the-line SX trim level comes equipped with larger wheels warped in performance tires and a sport tuned suspension, my no-frills EX trim handled surprisingly well. Though the Spectra is based on the Hyundai Elantra's platform (a car that I did not enjoy driving on twisty roads), the Spectra seems to offer a more sporting demeanor on twisty roads than its Hyundai counterpart. Through the twists and turns the Spectra keeps itself adequately glued to the road with surprisingly very little body roll. Even with the EX's small 15" wheels wrapped in skinny 195/60 all season tires I never received any complaint from the tires nor did I experience any wheel hop when driving on twisty roads where road imperfections were commonplace. The Spectra's steering is weighted well and doesn't feel nearly as artificial as steering as it does in some of its competitors, i.e. the '09 Corolla. By no means is the '09 Spectra an alternative to an expensive sport sedan, but for a car under 19K it ranks as a highly competent compact sedan when it comes to tackling twisty roads.

<b>Fuel Economy: 6/10</b>

Although the 2009 Spectra comes equipped with a small and non-performance oriented 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, there still isn't much in the way of fuel savings, over say, a small V6 equipped sedan. According to the EPA, the automatic equipped Spectra will yield 24-MPG with city driving and 32-MPG on the highway (23 city/ 30 highway with the manual gearbox). While real-world numbers will vary, I expect better fuel numbers from a small econobox with a powertrain that is supposedly geared to save the consumer big bucks at the pump.

<b>Interior:</b>

<i>Styling: 2/10</i>

The styling of the Spectra's interior certainly can't be accused of being pretentious. Inside, the Spectra EX sports utilitarian styling that doesn't hint at anything but economical point A-B transportation. While I am usually a fan of interiors that lack gimmicky gauges and odd color schemes, the Spectra's ultra-plain interior is enough to put one to sleep. Kia has a history of trying to replicate the interior and exterior designs of its competitors; in this particular case it would have been welcomed had Kia at least tried to duplicate the more interesting interiors of the Civic or Mazda3.

<i>Interior Quality: 2/10</i>

Sadly, the Spectra's interior also suffers from quality control issues. Save for a few cars in this class, i.e. the new cheaply made ‘09 Toyota Corolla, most econoboxes between the 16-20K price range offer interior materials on par with more expensive vehicles. While there is no question that the Spectra's interior materials have improved over years, the cabin is still plagued with hard plastics, cheap gadgetry, and ridiculously inexpensive door paneling. The Spectra is a sub $20,000 dollar car so I don't expect Lexus or BMW quality, but when its comparably priced competitors like the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentraoffer solid interior materials, I can't find any excuses to help justify Kia's use of uber-cheap interior materials. If there is one thing in the interior that doesn't scream cheap, it's the Spectra's bucket seats. While they don't offer as much upper andlower body support as many of its competitors, I found these seats to be super comfy. The cloth is made of a valeur type material that feels great on the skin and Kia didn't skimp out on seat cushioning, a definite plus for those who enjoy taking frequent road trips. The Spectra's seats also come standard with manual 6-way adjustments that do a sufficient job getting the driver is a position that allows for easy access to the swtichgear in the car.

<i>Ergonomics: 8/10</i>

Despite having a horribly dated interior, ergonomics at least are geared for easy use. While I would have liked to have seen the HVAC controls moved a bit higher up onto the center stack, everything in the Spectra's cabin is easy to reach from the driver's seat. The analogue gauges are also easy to read (even with the sun glaring on them) anddespite the Spectra not having telescoping steering (a feature found in just about all of the Spectra's competitors) the steering wheel doesn't feel like it's too far from the driver seat.
<i>Amenities: 4/10</i>

Though the base trim LX is a stripper model that should only be considered if you are content with roll-your-own windows and virtually no convenience features, i.e. cruise control or even standard air conditioning, My mid-level EX came adequately equipped. Standard for all trim levels include the basics: front/side/curtain air bags, dual 12 volt power outlets, tilt steering wheel, 6-way manual seat adjustments and a single disc CD player with 6-speakers. Opt for the EX (add about $2,000 over the base LX's price) and Kia provides power windows & locks, cruise control, air conditioning w/ pollen filter, 4-wheel disc brakes, 2 rear cup holders, and floor mats (yes, the base LX doesn't even come with floor mats). Note: a sunroof can only be optioned with either the EX or SX trim levels.

From the exterior the Spectra looks like a small penalty box, however the interior is very roomy for this class. At 5'6" I had plenty of room in both the front and rear of the cabin: not once did I feel claustrophobic. I imagine even 6-footers will have little to complain about when it comes to creature room. The only downfall with room is stowage space, or lack thereof. While the Spectra's cabin provides small cubbies throughout, the trunk could definitely be larger. If more cargo volume is needed, the rear cloth seats are 60/40 split, however those who require a lot of storage space will be sorely disappointed with the size of Spectra's trunk.

<b>Price and warranty: 5/10</b>

The 2009 spectra has a starting MSRP of $14,200 for the base trim LX and tips the scales at $17,200 for the top-of-the-line SX model with no options. The mid-level EX I drove had a relatively low MSRP of $16,500, however with just a few options (ABS, alloy wheels, sunroof, and automatic transmission) the sticker came to a whopping $18,750 or about $500 less than a comparably equipped Civic EX or Corolla S: so much for extreme savings. If there is one thing that might justify the Spectra's price tag, it's its standard warranty. If anything goes wrong with your Spectra, Kia offers a class leading 6-year/60,000 mile full coverage warranty and 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty to the original purchaser.

<b>Overall 4/10</b>

The Kia Spectra has evolved over the years, but it simply hasn't evolved enough to keep up with its Japanese or its American competitors. While the Spectra offers sufficient interior room, good handling, good stowage space, and notable safety features like 6 air bags as standard equipment, it suffers from many flaws that should have been worked out prior to production. The Spectra's engine is noisy, its automatic transmission is fussy, and its interior materials feel cheap. If you are on the market for an economy car, just about all of the Spectra's comparably priced competitors offer markedly better packages.


Thanks for reading!

Amount Paid (US$): 18,750
Condition: New
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: EX 4-speed auto