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Kia Spectra5

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Comments

  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    Was wondering what color yours is? Found a couple of bubbles on my door today and took it back yet again. Service manager agreed with me that this was not right, have an appointment to see the rep again. I printed off all the other posts about the Spec5's with the same problem (Kia rep's red spec5 has the same thing as well). He was interested and asked what color the others were, told him I wasn't sure but was interested in finding out more about the others. There is a thread back in the spectra paint quality thread that asked what month/year the cars were built and colors. Mine is red built in October 2004. Hoping to find more people to take back to Kia to prove that it's a real problem.
  • canuckkiafancanuckkiafan Member Posts: 21
    Hi,

    Mine is Volcano Blast red - not sure of the date of build, will check & post back under the paint quality thread tomorrow evening.

    Also agree re the warranty - they pretty much told me the same thing - nothing they could do, par for the course, and so on.

    Still planning to take mine to another dealer, hoping I get the time to do so next week. Will mention the forum discussion again, though it didn't seem to matter when I told the original dealer service rep.

    Bye for now,

    c-k-f
  • geomaticsgeomatics Member Posts: 60
    Mine was a black 2005 s5. prob built late 2004. not sure, but the lower part of the air dam wasn't completely painted either, just enuf overspray to make it look black.

    so much for my last post being the last post here... :)

    Geo.
  • kentuckyrangerkentuckyranger Member Posts: 41
    Well, it's very racy to this 43 Year old Boy! :P
  • kentuckyrangerkentuckyranger Member Posts: 41
    As for the ride it's very sporty but with the variable rate shocks the ride is very smooth out on the Interstate and very quiet as well.
  • rxmacrxmac Member Posts: 12
    Just bought a silver 2006 Kia Spectra5, 5-speed w/ABS. I gotta say, for what I paid ($16,500.00), I honestly didn't expect much. I just retired my Pontiac Vibe with 120,000 miles on it and was just looking for another sporty-looking, daily driver with room for boxes and kids. The Kia dealer paid off the balance of my Vibe, put me in the car with absolutely NO money out of pocket, I'm within $50 of my old monthly payment, AND they brought the car in from another dealer because they didn't have the color and trim I wanted. I thought, if they want to sell this car THAT BAD, how good can it be. Well, so far, I'm really impressed. I haven't had this much fun tossing a little car around since my 1984 VW GTi. I read the posts on this and a bunch of other similar sites regarding this car and it was the mostly positive comments (and the 10 year/100k mile warranty) that made me feel it was OK to take a chance on the car. I've only had the car a couple of days now and may find flaws with age, but I gotta report that the brakes are great (much better than on my Vibe, which locked up way too easily), the engine pulls with authority all the way through the rev band, and the car stays flat even when accelerating up a curving on-ramp at 60+. If I gotta be picky, I'd say the steering may be a bit over-assisted (although I noticed this more at lower speeds, at extra-legal highway speeds I felt pretty secure) and I miss all the conveinient power outlets my Vibe had. All in all, I really am pleasantly suprised.
  • rxmacrxmac Member Posts: 12
    Hello, again. I am now at 2500 on the clock (what can I say, I live to drive and drive to live). I calculate that I'm getting a consistant 21 to 22 mpg in city driving, a wee bit off the average fuel economy of 23 mpg reported by Edmonds and way off the 25 mpg reported by Car & Driver, The Auto Channel and KIA's own promo material. I confess to having a VERY heavy right foot, but I have to wonder just how some car reviewers got 29/30 mpg... by letting it idle in their driveway through a tank, lol?
    The 5-speed's shifts are getting a bit clunky and I have to let up on the clutch pedal a bit or the shifter refuses to go into reverse. Probably an adjustment, I'll ask a KIA service manager when I take it in for a check up.
    She still seems as motivated as she always has, still rocketing up to redline (and smack into the rev-limiter) with enthusiasm. I did recently have my rear handed to me by a 3-series BMW on a straight, but I was able to reel him in when the road got curvy. I understand there's an Eaton MP-45 supercharger kit which reportedly boosts HP to 200, now THAT might be worth voiding the warranty for.
    No squeeks or rattles to report, everything's still solid.
    No unusual oil or fluid consuption.
    I'm going to be adhearing to the severe manitenance schedule and document EVERYTHING as I've read in multiple posts that KIA apparently will look for any excuse to punk out of warranty claims. Sadly, I don't read of many positive warranty experiences, but the bad is always trumpeted over the good... I'll reserve judgement and report my experiences.
    To kentuckranger and loveredcars: Don't feel bad, Edmonds Insideline spent $175 in chin spoiler repairs, too.
    All in all, still very happy with my purchase.
  • kentuckyrangerkentuckyranger Member Posts: 41
    Sounds like You're having a great time with Your ride!
    I have 6 k on Mine and right now I'm getting 30mpg as long as I stay out of the accelerator, hard to do, LOL! When I get racy the millage goes down to around 24mpg, not bad concidering I'm having fun, woo hoo! As for the Spoiler I'm doing OK I just scraped the bottom a little because I wasn't paying attention to the sharp angle of the ramp comming out of the store. If I'd have slowed down and angled out it would have been OK. Something to always keep in mind when driving any kind of sprty car. I had a 93 Probe GT and had to fix the spoiler twice, thank God it was back under the bumper because I drug it on everything, LOL! ;)
  • rxmacrxmac Member Posts: 12
    KR, you're a much better (read: mature) man than I. Perhaps if I had a bit more control of my mid-life crisis, I'd hope for your 24. Truth to tell, I'm probably lucky I'm getting 22. Cheeseburgers and speeding... one 'r the other 'll be the end of me yet, lol. I read lots about the spoiler issue, so I grandmother it over ruts and speedbumps and keep her chin wide of curbs and parking stops. I confess, I did "rub" her a wee bit on one particularly steep driveway once, but no worries.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    New discussions popping up all over the forums. What's going on is that we're moving away from large, everything in one pile discussions and towards smaller more focused topics. So I've created some new discussions here and moved posts into them to move us in that direction. Here in the Kia Spectra/Spectra5 Group you'll now find:

    Kia Spectra/Spectra5 Accessories & Modifications
    Kia Spectra Audio & Entertainment Questions
    Kia Spectra5 Test Drive: What Did You Think?
    New Kia Spectra5 Owners: Give Us Your Report
    Kia Spectra: MPG-Real World Numbers
    Spectra Paint Quality?

    So before you post, please check the discussion list for the approriate discussion. If you have an issue that youthink we need a new discussion for, please feel free to start it up or contact me with the suggestion. If it really needs to be part of an existing topic, I'll let you know and take care of it. ;)

    Thanks for your understanding and help as we slide the furniture around a bit.
  • herotakesafallherotakesafall Member Posts: 103
    Bear with me, guys, but if someone could answer these questions, I'd really appreciate it.
    I've seen pics of the new Cerato several places. But what about the Spectra5? In Car & Driver, they mentioned it would change dimensions, but the Spectra5 on the Korean site looks virtually identical (which would be fine with me!). Do we know what's happening with it?
  • dislikemykiadislikemykia Member Posts: 1
    I have had my Kia Spectra 5 for just under two years and have to say this is my least favorite car. I have complained to Kia, the car was "checked" by the shop, and I was told that all my complaints are baseless.

    The doors automatically lock themselves and have been doing this since the second month I had this Christine wanna-be. I can use the key fob, hear the doors unlock, then relock before any can be opened. When I finally get into the car, which usually takes five or six tries, the door will lock before I close it. I can park the car, take the key out of the ignition, open the door and it will lock. On the rare occasions it does not lock when it is first opened, it will lock when the door is closed. I dare not leave the key in it. Of course, the mechanics at the shop can not find any problems with this.

    At 32,000 miles, I had burned through not one, but two sets of tires.

    The air conditioner went out in the middle of a Southern summer. 98 degrees out and not only did cold air not blow, no air would blow.

    The fog lights burn out in less than ten thousand miles.

    On occasion, the speedometer fails to register over 40 or 50 MPH. I could be going 90 and it will still say between 40 - 50 MPH. The shops can't find anything there, either.

    I am currently trying to find another vehicle in order to get rid of this POS I feel stuck with. I truly regret ever buying it.

    Also, when I complained to Kia about poor mileage, 17 - 22 on the interstate, I was told I needed to have the 30,000 mile service done. This is the average mileage I have gotten in this car since the day I bought it. Kia also said that was within the advertised mileage. (Is not, when I got it, Kia advertised 36 on the highway.)

    I hope I can get rid of this lemon soon. :lemon: Maybe tomorrow, but that is still two years too late.

    I should've bought a Toyota.
  • formerneonformerneon Member Posts: 1
    As my name says I'm the owner of a former neon now a 2 ton paperweight.Now I'm looking at the wagontypes and the spectra 5 is in the top 3 I'm asking question does it have timingbelt ? and is are there any problems with the engine if the engine
    is used in another model besides a spectra or is the engine used main in the spectra models.
  • guestguest Member Posts: 770
    Well, so far I have about 12k Miles on My Spec 5 and all is well. Not one problem out of the little wagon. I'm getting 29-32mpg depending on how I drive.
    As for the Engine yes, there is a Timing Belt and as for problems I haven't had any and I haven't heard of engine problems.
    The Drivetrain is very stable, smooth shifts and positive feedback during acceleration. The Engine was tight when it was new but after about 5k Miles the Horsepower picke up as well as the Millage. Off the lot the Millage was 23-28 mpg
    after 5k mles it picked up to 26-28 mpg. After 10k Miles it leveled off at 29-32 mpg.
    Hope this helps.
  • guestguest Member Posts: 770
    Sorry to hear about Your problems. I have 12k Miles on Mine and haven't had any problems, knock on Wood.
    I don't know what State You live in but many States have Lemon Laws and if You have had 3 documented problems with the Car You can make them either give You a new one or refund Your Money. Whether it's a Kia, Toyota, Ford or anything else, things like this happen. That's why they made the Lemon Law. One question, why did You let 2 Years go by without making Kia do something about this?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
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  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Talk with Ian Beavis – Vice President of Marketing of Kia Motors of America about building the Kia brand in the U.S. Get exclusive takes from an industry leader about Kia's quality, safety, product development and globalization in the automotive marketplace.

    Don't miss your chance to chat with Ian Beavis, a veteran in the automotive industry the inside questions you want to know.

    Please join us for this chat with Ian Beavis – Vice President of Marketing of Kia Motors of America tonight from 6-7pm PT, 9-10pm ET
  • planefxrplanefxr Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a black Spectra 5 today! It is an '06, but was new from the dealer with only 32 miles on it (4 of which I put on myself on my test drive). This is one gorgeous ride! Very smooth and quiet. I will be saving around $200 a month on gas now (I was driving a F150 with a 5.8 V8). I am really looking forward to breaking this baby in!
  • kentuckyrangerkentuckyranger Member Posts: 41
    Quote:
    I just bought a black Spectra 5 today! It is an '06, but was new from the dealer with only 32 miles on it (4 of which I put on myself on my test drive). This is one gorgeous ride! Very smooth and quiet. I will be saving around $200 a month on gas now (I was driving a F150 with a 5.8 V8). I am really looking forward to breaking this baby in!

    Sounds great! I'll bet You got an even better deal than I did, LOL!
    I don't think there where many changes from 06-07 so unless You just wanted some fresh air from Korea, it's a great deal.
    I've put a little over 21k on mine and it's running great!
    I average 28mpg City and 32mpg Highway so I can't complane although it's not as good as advertised, it's close.
    I also haven't noticed any issues with the paint, it seems to be an issue with some People that I just can't figure out unless it was just a bad series from the factory, thank God Mine wasn't one of them.
    Over the Years I've purchased allot of new Cars and this one's been the best by far. I could go into detail but I don't want to turn this into an artical. Let's just say I've purchased 3 Fords and a Chrysler minivan, they all had what I would concider serious problems warranting long stays at the dealer Shops and rental Cars.
    The only problem I've had with My Spec5 was a loose weather stip on the drivers side windshield. I took care of it with a dab of Silicone to keep it in place, no big deal to Me, but some People who are intimidated by fixing things would want to take it to the dealer for a quick fix I'm sure.
    Other than that, FLAWLESS!
  • moddedspec5moddedspec5 Member Posts: 2
    YOUR LOOKING AT ABOUT THE SAME PRICE HERE... THATS WEIRD.... I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CHEAPER OVERSEAS..
  • earlglennearlglenn Member Posts: 1
    We have been looking for a 07 Spectra 5 but our local dealer which has over 230 new Kias did not have even one Spectra 5. Two days after we visited the dealer the salesman called to say they got one Spectra 5 in. We went over two days later to see the car which turned out to be a 06 with an 07 price tag. The dealer did not have any brochures on the Spectra 5 to give us. I guess if you don't have the car why stock the brochures. I went on line to check the other dealers within 100 miles . These dealers only had 2 or 3 Spectra 5's in stock out of over 250 plus new Kias. I guess Kia does not want to sell the Spectra 5. We are also looking at the Mazda3 5 door. At least there are more of them available. Is anyone else having the same problem finding the Spectra 5?
    Earlglenn
  • srr5srr5 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Spectra 5 I purchased new 1 year ago and I just had my 3rd oxygen sensor replaced (part# 39210-23700) The check engine will go on for a while then off and back on. When I take it to the dealership, it always shows a code of p2243.
    Has anyone else had this problem on a consistent basis?
    I love my car but this is getting frustrating.
  • rambler8rambler8 Member Posts: 1
    Got my Spec5 a few months ago and other the gas mileage, it's doing ok. After driving a few days, I noticed that the passenger door panel was black while the drivers panel was white. That got a good laugh from the salesmen and the service department, but left me curious about the quality control of this car when something like that gets all the way to a dealer's lot. Maybe it has to do with that Ying/Yang thing...
    Traded off an '03 Pontiac Vibe which got a consistent 36mpg on my trips to Biloxi, but so far the best I've managed is 32 and a low of 26 while running at just under 3K rpm. Other posts have indicated that the mileage improves somewhat as it mellows with age.
  • cthundercthunder Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2006 Kia Spectra5 with 6200 miles on it.There's a persistent noise from the front passenger side when turns. The service department has replaced the strut and cv-axle and the noise is still there. A different service department is going to replace the right cv-axle again; has any one experienced this issue too? This is the third time that Kia's service department is working on the noise (which would probably be the last as I plan to pursue lemom law against this vehicle if Kia can't figure what is wrong with their car).I know there was a recall for tie-rods on some 05's, does anybody know if there's any kind of recall for the 06's,and if so for what? Haven't seen any TSB's out there.
  • rxmacrxmac Member Posts: 12
    Now have 31,000 on my '06 Spectra 5 and have experienced none of the problems (knock on plastic) reported here. She's been a very fun and dependable little car. I've not had her in for any mechanical difficulties, just routine service. I'm VERY rough on my cars and if this car were weak in any area, my thrashing would have turned it up already. My only complaints were that she really could use more power and that the interior is kinda dull and cheap... what did I expect for 15K? I've taken steps to rectify these shortcomings. I invite all to check out the pics on my profile. This car responds well to some basic mods...
  • kentuckyrangerkentuckyranger Member Posts: 41
    28k on mine and other than the quick fix of the weather Strip on the Windshield, no problems whatsoever.
    The Millage is a little dissapointing. I'm getting 30mpg on nice level Freeways but only 29mpg avg. Not bad but not what they advertised. Still a great Car and would by it agian if I had the choice and knew what I know now. :)
  • 05spectra5sask05spectra5sask Member Posts: 3
    66,000 Km on our Kia. Echoing the disappointment on fuel mileage. I'm getting about 34-35 avg on an Imperial gallon of fuel(4.5 litres)Could be worse, but room for improvement. We have the 5 speed, but I understand the automatics are doing better. We are getting ours painted under warranty as factory job is defective (RED!!!!). A Warning!!I just had it in the shop for the Check Engine light. They replaced some exhaust canister/filter that was full of dust. This is NOT under warranty and cost me $100.00. Apparently there is a bulletin out warning that canister will fill up sooner if you drive on any gravel roads. We drive about 4 miles a day on gravel.
  • rxmacrxmac Member Posts: 12
    I don't know what you guys are doing but 29MPG sounds pretty good when compared to my 22. The 22 has been pretty consistent with daily mixed highway and city driving. I haven't done the math since my modifications to the intake and exhaust but it seems roughly unchanged as I still fill up every other day (I drive ALOT for work). No paint issues other than the occasional highway rock chip and scratch. Guess I wont have to worry about the canister issue since I've pretty much a straight shot from the headers into the cat-back exhaust now. Noisy but so worth it as she idles smoother and has real passing power now.
  • tmporttmport Member Posts: 19
    I'm also getting a consistent 22 mpg, though I have less than 3000 miles on my car and almost all of my driving is local stop-and-go traffic in Washington, DC. When I venture on to the highway (which is rare), I've gotten over 30 mpg.

    Other than that, I have no complaints. Sure, the car isn't perfect (a few small rattles, a stiff ride), but it's so fun to drive. I only wish I lived somewhere with less traffic so that I could have even more fun!

    Knock on wood that this car will be reliable over the long run...
  • jcj8008jcj8008 Member Posts: 5
    My o6 Spec 5 is an automatic with a header, Kia OEM center exit cat back (not running a cat either), CAI, and I average between 29 and 31 MPG. Car has 16000 miles on it. :)
  • rxmacrxmac Member Posts: 12
    Header & Cat-Back make quite a difference, eh? Try the KIA performance springs (part #UC050-SG001) and strut tower brace (part#UC050-TB001) $235.00 & $149.00 - Really improves handling with some good low-profile tires. Engine-wise, a cold-air kit (KIA was suppose to offer one but hasn't as yet - I got mine from kia-fx.com) made a big difference. I buzzed an SS Camero a couple days ago and while I didn't blow his doors off, I stuck to his bumper like glue. Boy, was he surprised to find out a Kia was keeping up with his V8.
  • rxmacrxmac Member Posts: 12
    Sorry, J. I didn't know how far you'd mod'ed your Kia before I made my suggestions. Color me embarrassed. Read your StreetKiaz profile. Curious, why an automatic trans?
  • spectranutspectranut Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 Spectra5 SX. I did my homework on the internet with regard to price and consumer comments. Before buying, I looked at comparable models from Toyota and Mazda and kept returning to the KIA. What brought me back was; price, warranty and the way the car was equipped for the money spent.

    I then shopped several KIA dealers and had some interesting experiences. I had stopped into a dealer near my home for my first hands on look and road test. This dealership had a nice easy going approach and I never felt pressured in any way. This same dealership even let me take the car home for a three day test drive with no strings attached.

    Two other dealers had different tactics. One dealer in particular made me feel like I was back in the 80’s with a real high pressure approach, free 32” LCD widescreen TV (with any KIA purchase) and a “buyers club” which consisted of several hundred dollars of add-on stuff which the dealer had already installed on their vehicles. The third dealer was somewhere in between the other two.

    When it was all said and done, I returned to the easy going dealer which I first visited and asked if the car I test drove was still available (it was). I then set down and talked price. This particular model (Spectra5 SX) has everything except a sunroof. I negotiated an out the door price of 17K (to the penny) which included everything (including sales tax, tag and title. I also made them go one step further and they switched the oil to synthetic before I took delivery.

    This price was thousands of dollars less than a similar equipped Mazda or Toyota and the closest any of the other local KIA dealers could come was 2,500 more than what I paid. The High Pressure dealership started out 5K higher and worked their way down in 500 dollar increments as I walked out. The closer I got to the door the more the price dropped.

    As I was about to leave and opened the door of my car, they got down to their lowest rock bottom price and that was still 3K more than the quote I already had. I asked the salesman if he thought the nitrogen in their tires and some add-on window shades were really worth 3K. He shook his head no and thanked me for “stopping by.”

    My experience so far has been one of simple joy. When driven conservatively, the car gets excellent fuel economy. I am satisfied with the pep & pick-up and more than satisfied with the overall handling and performance.

    I am 6’ 1” tall and my wife is 5 feet tall. Some past cars proved to be a problem when switching drivers, but not the KIA. Although a power driver’s seat would make things slightly easier, we switch back and forth with no problems or hassles.

    When I had about 350 miles on the car, I stopped into the selling dealership’s service center and introduced myself to the service manager. He asked if I was having any problems and I informed him that everything was fine and that I just wanted to come by and meet him prior to needing any service or repairs.

    It was seemingly a slow day for him and he took me on a tour of the shop, introduced me to the Service Writer (the guy who handles the initial write-up in the driveway) and even sent my car back to be washed and detailed (free of charge). It probably helped that (in my former life) I have been a line mechanic, shop foreman, service writer and service manager for foreign cars (VW, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Rolls Royce Volvo and Subaru).

    I came away with a more than favorable impression of the dealership’s service department. The service manager answered several candid questions which I posed about warranty and reliability issues. It is fair to say, not all dealerships are equal. I promise to make further posts after my 3K service and as I rack up more miles behind the wheel.

    :)
  • esfahani2esfahani2 Member Posts: 8
    a few months ago, i bought a 2005 spectra w/16k mi...it looked perfect. while i havent had any major problems, ive had some small annoying things that i feel a newish car shouldnt have (ive always had impeccable japanese cars with perfect fit & finish). for example, ive had the screws/bolts for driver's seat tightened (annoying squeaking noise), the passenger's window makes a clicking sound when rolling up, now passenger's seat is squeaking, and the hood often vibrates when engine idles (but goes away when shift to nuetral). The dealer seems to be shady: the Gaithersburg, MD King Kia dealership strongly hinted to me that if i ever required engine or transmission warranty service, it would greatly help my case if i had regular dealer-provided oil changes. i know this cant be the case, but im weary of Kia's long-term reliability, so ensuring the validity of my warranty is worth the extra $10 that the dealer charges for oil changes.

    also, ive had miserable gas mileage. I've gotten as low as 18mpg in the city (!!!), although the average is 22-25mpg. highway mileage ranges from about 29-33.

    for comparison's sake, i recently drove a nissan versa rental for 2 weeks, and i REALLY liked it, especially the ease of steering...Spectra's wheel, while a bit smaller, is stiffer & harder to turn. Versa has GREAT gas mileage...I got 30mpg in the city with a HEAVY lead foot (read: I kicked the living crap out of that rental and it still got me 30mpg in the city). the spectra has better initial acceleration, thanks to huge low-end torque, but I found the versa to be more athletic at higher speeds. the versa has an override mode, something the spectra lacks. but the spectra has a CVVT transmission, and so shifting gears is smooth and seamless, although it does not result in any better fuel economy over the vera's "standard" transmission.

    the versa is a bit smaller than the spectra, but its taller and the rear seats fold down, so it probably has more cargo capacity. the spectra has some nice touches, like bits of cloth on the door panels and a center-storage console/arm rest that are HUGE oversights in the versa. the spectra uses softer plastics on the console & dash, verses the versa's (ha!) hard & cheap plastics, esp on radio & air control knobs. also, the spectra has some thoughtful touches, like auto-off headlights, engine temperature gauge, illuminated ignition key switch, above-head sunglass storage apparatus, rear cup holders, ceiling and door-mounted courtesy lights, and one-touch trunk-release button. some of vera's well-thought-out features include one-touch down AND up driver's window button (why isn’t this standard on all new cars?), in-dash tire pressure warning light, and impeccable fit & finish (no rattles, squeaks, or other unusual in-cabin noise).

    While im not regretting my decision to buy a spectra, its clear that kia can still learn a lot from its Japanese competitors. All it takes is a bit more attention to detail, because otherwise, I believe kia can have a superior product vis-à-vis similar Japanese cars.
  • camoga01camoga01 Member Posts: 1
    does anyone know how to remove the mirror from the housing (passenger side view mirror)?
  • jmammasjmammas Member Posts: 1
    sounds like a dumb ?? but tell me something please I cant keep track of my mielage b/c when I press the button which should reset and keep track seems to only go to Trip A, Trip B,..I tried turning the little knob, nothing. With my other cars its always been so simple. Any feedback would really help. Thanks,
  • tmporttmport Member Posts: 19
    Press and hold for several seconds. It will reset to zero.
  • kentuckyrangerkentuckyranger Member Posts: 41
    Well, after about 2.5 Years I'm saying goodbye to little Blakie.
    It's not that it hasn't been a great Car, on the contrary.
    What happened is that back in Dec of 06 I was injured on the job and I'm now disabled.
    With the settlement I'm getting I wanted to pay the Spec5 off and get a new Car that has an excellent long term Track record.
    As much as I love my Kia, I just hear too many stories of what happens down the Road and seeing as how this will be the last time I'll most likely be able to afford any kind of Car, I want something with a proven long term record of reliability.

    I know, I know. I'm bailing out on Kia, sorry...
    It's just something I have to do to prepare for the future and I can't bet my future transportation on a Car with such a shaky history, not to mention the re-sale value of the 06 Spec5 is in the toilet.
    I checked the other Day on the Kelly re-sale - trade in price of the 06 Spec5 in perfect condition with low Miles and it made me sick to my Stomach.
    As much as I love this Car and I'm sure most owners do, the general consensus is not good for Kia owners.

    After putting 40k Miles on this Car I have had no troubles whatsoever, other than the Clock intermittently turning off, the one Horn that wasn't hooked up at the Factory and the Weather Striping on the front windshield needing to be Siliconed into place because it kept coming lose and flopping around.
    It's these little things that have had me a little on edge as to what's going to happen way down the Road that caused me to get rid of it.
    I never had the Paint issues but from all I've read, I'm glad I went with Black because every other Color seems to have serious issues.
    Mechanically the Car has performed flawlessly, but who knows what will happen in another 30k Miles.
    If they forget to hook up the Horn at the Factory, what else could they have forgotten to "hook up".

    Kia has come along way from when I first saw them back in the mid 90's.
    Far enough to get me to buy one, just not far enough to get me to keep one.

    I can hear the big question out there, "What did you replace it with"?

    After allot of research as to what I'm looking for in a reliable Car there was only one obvious choice.
    I hate big SUV's like Tahoe's, I hate little tiny Cars like Cooper's and forget those "Crossover" Cars like the Flex, way too rich for my Blood.

    I wanted all Wheel drive, something that gets good Gas Millage, is comfortable to drive, is reliable, has an excellent track record from ownership history and gets a good insurance rate.

    What else could it be, the 2009 Subaru Outback of course... :shades:
  • frank77frank77 Member Posts: 3
    Hi,
    I'm in the grip of indecision regarding a car purchase.
    I've been looking for an affordable car to have for about 3 years.
    I have a total of $12,000 to spend on a used car - cash.
    I have been comparing hatchbacks with the following characteristics:
    - Excellent dependability (by far the most important requirement) !!!!!!!
    - Decent gas mileage(doesn't have to be great)
    - Decent performance(don't want a really weak engine)
    - Preferably a 5-door rather than 3-door
    Cars considered: Toyota Matrix, Mazda 3 hatchback, Honda Fit, Suzuki Reno, Hyundai, Accent, and the three below.

    I had assumed I could find a fairly new car then buy a manufacturer-backed extended warranty but for under $10,000 before taxes and fees most cars I have found are already out of warranty which then makes them ineligible for the MEW.

    I need to decide between three available cars. Please tell me which one you

    would choose given the above mentioned.
    1. A 2006 Kia Spectra5 5-door with 60,000 miles, FWD, Auto in very good condition
    2. A 2006 Suzuki Aerio SX 5-door with 55,000 miles FWD, Auto in very good condition
    3. A 2003 Mazda Protoge5 5-door with 80,000 miles FWD, Auto in impeccable condition

    The Kia would cost me $2000 less than the Suzuki. The Mazda $1000 less than the Suzuki.

    What do you think?
  • mityhidmityhid Member Posts: 9
    Just wondering if anybody else is having problems with cold weather warm up issues?
    Takes a long time for this car to warm up if it less than 30 degrees.
    Does anybody else have this issue/what have you done about it?
    Was thinking about blocking half of the radiator with cardboard to see if that helps.
  • lamronh49lamronh49 Member Posts: 86
    It seems to take two to three miles of town driving for the temp gauge to make it up a couple of ticks. I usually don't turn the heater on for two miles or so, there is no heat there anyway and it just slows the warm up process.
    Some people turn the heat on full blast as soon as they start the car, but a car heater is not like an electric heater. It works off the radiator coolant, and the engine has to be warm to make the heater work.

    My 07 Spectra doesn't seem either particularly slow or fast to warm up, just typical. I haven't run it yet in cold cold, like 10 degrees. Will note its warming trend when winter sets in a little harder.
  • mityhidmityhid Member Posts: 9
    I know that, it just seems that my car warms up slower than most other cars that I have had when the tempurature drops below 30 degrees. Was just wondering if other people had the same problem and what they did to fix it.
  • jeff618jeff618 Member Posts: 29
    (fyi) There's an alternative to going to the dealer for a replacement rear blade on the newer generation spectras (05+). It may first appear that the blade and arm are one piece but if you take a look, you'll see the wiper blade can be replaced and its actually quite simple. It is a special wiper blade though. There may be other alternatives, but the 'trico exact fit rear blade' available online snaps right onto the special rear arm and looks like the factory original. Much cheaper than the dealer alternative and easier/less tedious than messing around with rubber refills. Comes with removal and replacement instructions too. Hope this helps.
  • harveyallenharveyallen Member Posts: 1
    I live in Vermont; I don't own a Kia (yet), but here we put newspaper in front of our radiators in November, and take it out in March or April, for a lot of cars with small engines. Some just are slow to warm up, but you also might need a new thermostat; if it's stuck open, the car may never warm up!
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