Kia Spectra Sedan

iluvmysephia1

for a story about a guy who pushed his new '02 Spectra a tad bit hard. He's not hesitating to get another one after the wreck. Good sign!

netranger4

Gee whiz! Ever since the new Spectra Sedan/Hatchbacks have been going on the road, no more complaints, general condemnation or whatever! Apparently, the quality has been vastly improved and threrefore eliminates the torrent of adverse comments that used to appear in this thread OR the unhappy posters that populated most every forum have moved on to lambaste another automotive product or service. In reading the latest Consumer Reports 2002 Auto Special, the verbage used for the Spectra is virtually identical to that used for the last three years in any of their publications that deal with cars. Hmmm!

iluvmysephia1

I was going to call them Clodsumer Retorts but I thought better of it! Consumer Reports...hummm...what a quality mag. Is that called laziness when a car maker puts out a brand new car with a brand new design(mostly body design)and a magazine STILL gives the review they hastily spit out 3 years ago? That helps nobody at all. Yes, Kia must have improved upon Sephia with their new Spectra. I've noticed the same absence of flame blitzing through, net.

lonesomeduv

We just got back from the local Honda dealership where my fiance gladly traded in a 1998 piece of garbage otherwise known as a Kia Sephia on a 2002 Honda Accord EX. I was thrilled beyond words that the dealer did not charge US to take this pile of junk off our hands. I cannot begin to describe to you how awful this "car" was - brakes that don't last 10,000 miles, a windshield that cracked at the drop of a pin, a dashboard that warped almost immediately (which 2 warranty repairs could not resolve), front door panels falling off (twice), peeling insulation and shakes, squeals, and rattles too numerous to even count. And this car had barely 40,000 miles on it, if that.

I beseech anybody out there who even thinks about stopping by a Kia dealer, even if it's just to look, please, please DON'T. It will be the worst decision of your life. Do not be seduced by the seemingly low prices and good value - these cars are barely a step above a Yugo. You will pay many, many times over what you save on a Kia compared to something that more closely resembles an actual car, like a Toyota Tercel or Honda Civic, that won't require major surgery every 8 months.

It is truly a mystery to me how this company has managed to stay in business so long. These cars are fecal matter.

lonesomeduv

...because these sorry excuses for automobiles howl in protest anytime they are asked to maintain a speed above 20 mph. It will let you know through wind noise, rattles, shakes, and shimmies that you are driving waaayyyy too fast for this car's capabilities. All those little things you noticed and tried to dismiss on your test drive will multiply rapidly in very short order.

So if avoiding speeding tickets is your goal, a Kia is the vehicle for you.

I would ask everybody to do this before they buy one of these dogs - ask the service manager the average life of Kia brakes. Not the salesman, the service manager. And if he tells you anything more than 10,000 miles, get it in writing because he is lying and you will want it later for your Deceptive Trade Practices claim.

csandste

so I thought I'd post. Even though I think this car is past its prime and will be Cavalier-old by its next platform (shared with Elantra) in 2006-- I think there've been fairly strong advances in quality control since 1998. I can't believe however, that Kia can't put together a tighter throwing transmission. My old Festiva was no where near that sloppy. Then again I haven't driven a new Spectra sedan, only a Sephia. Minor trim changes as far as I know.

mvaldivi

Brakes and rotors: First set lasted 12k miles. Second set (kia original, but custom slotted), is still in excellent condition (I have 54k miles on my sephia). Important, you must adjust the rear drum brakes every 20k miles.
Spark Plugs: I had just replaced them, and mileage-average improved from 28mpg to 33mpg.
Tires: The Yokohamas H4 are nice runners, but tight cornering is so-so.
Engine: Best part of this car. It sounds and responds like a Swiss watch (castrol full-syntec oil is a must).
Dislikes: Uncomfortable driver seat, poor soundproofing, and lack of power locks (last two, I plan to modify this coming summer).

2003corolla1

It's a shame that so many people feel these are such bad cars--considering many people who feel this way have never riven one. It's a shame about the experience lonesomeduv had, hopefully the new Accord will not have any problems. I bought a Sephia in 1995 and kept it until about 10 days ago. It never left me stranded or failed to start--except one time when the battery was dead. That problem was resolved very quickly. Just take basic care of them and they will take care of you. Will they ever be mistaken for a Mercedes? Of course not, but they do the job fine for what you pay for them.

caesarslegion

in your opinions would you kia owners say that the spectra and rio are just as good or better than american cars such as escort/cavalier/neon?thanks.

claywaterfill

As the owner of a Sephia from August 1995 until two weeks ago, I would say mine was as good. But, I took care of mine. Many people consider them to be disposable cars and treat them as such. Of course those will fall apart.

caesarslegion

ok,did you buy another kia?and would you buy another one?

claywaterfill

I didn't buy another Kia--but that was not Kia's fault. I have moved since buying the one in 1995; and, the closest Kia dealer to me now is about a 25 minute drive from me--and in the opposite direction from work. So, had the need for warranty work come up, I would have had to pracically take a day off just to get it to them--plus the pick up if it could not be fixed right away. I am not saying I thought the Kia would have needed warranty work. I am saying I would not buy any car where this is true. For some reason there is not a Chevy dealer within about the same distance. So, while the Malibu was on the "consideration" list, it came nowhere near the final list as the closest dealer was too far away from me. I bought a Saturn SL2. My Saturn dealer is about 2 miles from me and they were great to get along with. This is my second Saturn--and if this one holds up like my first one, I know I made a good decision.

Another one? Absolutely would consider it. If I move again or if a Kia dealer opens closer to me, I would have no hesitation to check them out. Personally, I like the Optima. The Optima LX is advertised from $13,999 here. For the price of a Civic LX or Corolla CE--or a Saturn SL2--you can get a mid size sedan with a 149 hp dohc engine, 4 wheel independent suspension, side airbags, air, all the power goodies and more. I will check them out in a few years when the time comes. Go ahead and look at them! Good luck to you.

caesarslegion

my car list has the rio or spectra on it.im not sure which i want yet.one side of me wants the spectra,the other thrifty side of me wants the rio.i guess it might come down to prices.im now starting to see more and more of them on the road.i always get buyers remorse for a lttle while when i buy a new car,so i hope its not a negative experience like my last new car buy.sometimes dealers can make the process long and hellish.

Kirstie_H

A major midwestern newspaper is interested in speaking with folks who have anecdotes and opinions on rear wheel drive vs. front wheel drive in winter driving conditions.
We're also looking for people who recently switched one way or the other and what they like/dislike about what they're driving now.
If you are interested in participating, please provide your city/state of residence and your daytime phone number to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than March 20, 2002.
Thanks as always,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

warzonectx2

how fast can the Kia Spectra go. can it get up to 120!. is the Kia Spectra have a quite ride. please tell me.i em looking for a cheap car. i em working at Carl's Jr. and i em makeing 6.75 a h. so is the Kia Spectra a good for me.and for the money! and can i get abs on the Kia Spectra. ok now you can email me at warzonectx@yahoo.com or post it. ty all

csandste

and working at Carl's Jr! Thought something bad had happened to him. I take comfort in the fact that we still have Hardee's here.

netranger4

What is with this person? I didn't realize Alzheimer's could occur in young people. Maybe if we all ignore it....

drkcgray

We are considering a Kia Spectra for a 16-yr old. I'm interested in owners comments. If you have a spectra....how is it in terms of ride, reliability, #of repairs?

regfootball

that Kia Spectra commercial is pretty funny, isn't it?

claywaterfill

I do not have a Spectra; but, I did have a Sephia for almost seven years. The Spectra is the Sephia's replacement. I had no problems out of my Sephia. If you take care of it, it should do the job nicely for you.

That being said--if you are looking for a car for about 10 grand, check out a couple of year old Saturn SL2. It's safer and Consumer Reports gives them reliability scores right up there with cars like the Civic. Good luck!

caesarslegion

yeah i laughed when i saw that.it took me back to my high school days.

supreme

04-16-2002
Supreme is back. Check my low end posts. Check my Kia owners posts. With 43650miles on Sephia we recyled it in the sales process for a Spectra.
That Sephia gave me 33mpg religiously. That Sephia traveled from Green Bay to NYC and GB to Ft Lauderdale. Two months ago I spent $220 for a new set of tires. One month ago I tuned it up for $66. Other than GOF no other expense except the $8650 T&T on 4/28/00. (Sorry,I take it back, I hit a pothole & bent a wheel rim and had to replace it--only other expense $100 w/painting).

On 4/12/02 I moved to Spectra for a whopping
$4987 plus my Sephia. That means I got $4100 (thats almost $1000 more than Edmunds estimates the TMV for my old recycled Sephia) and $2000 rebate or $6100! Not too bad, eh? Spectra is superior to Sephia. The ride is smooth,(has anyone read whether the suspension was improved in some way?) drivers seat updated, tranny is in a different class. Map lights, Folding rear seats, enclosed tape compartment. I have about 40 miles on Spectra now. BTW, for a guy who has owned two brand new Kias in two years, let me share with you that those "two brand new cars" cost me less than $14,000. Ride ON! Supreme

majorthomecho

If I was choosing just between these two vehicles and no others, I would take the Spectra. Bigger car so it seems there is more room and the seats in the Spectra are more comfortable. The ride in the Spectra is better and the engine is less noisy.

majorthomecho

Someone asked how the Spectra compares to American cars. Having driven all three, I would like to talk about the Spectra, the Neon, and the Escort.

If I had to choose among only these three cars based just on driving experience, I would take the Neon. Spectra would be next. And the most recent Escort would be last.

I think the Neon has a better ride, the seats are more comfortable, and the engine seems more powerful and less noisy.

The Escort I drove was one I rented. Talk about being decontented. Even at $9.95 a day, I ended up feeling overcharged for what I got.

supreme

4-18-2002
Your reference is "Low End Cars: #1595"

Briefly stated: 2000 Sephia traded in on Spectra is on dealers lot at $9995 which is identical to the MSRP of April 2000 without the 43,650 miles.
Go figure. Supreme

majorthomecho

They gave you more than the car is worth; they know they gave you more than the car is worth; and they are pricing the car for more than they know they will get out of it. Simple explanation really.

supreme

4-19-2002
The whole truth of the matter is that I bought two cars when I bought the Spectra. I got the Spectra deal and told Salesman I also wanted a 10year old Ply Minivan. The oldest one on the lot was a 1995 v-6, traded in by the salesmanagers daughter, listed at $8999 and conveniently marked down to $5692. (83,000 miles)I bought it on Friday and it was a lost leader in Sunday's big auto ads. Timing was everything.

They gave me $200 for my '89Voyager for which I just replaced the radiator--and by the way dont even trust your best repair shops mechanics-keep them arms length & like the MDs get a second opinion before you spend any bucks. Anyway, the salesman worked up a deal that came to $11,995 for the two and I guess he had to massage the numbers to squeeze in the sales tax, title, and whatever(no non-auto options, thats another story, maintenance K)and thats how the numbers fell out. Spectra $4987 and Voyager $5492. So while it was a heck of a deal with the final Spectra numbers, who knows maybe he could have shaved the extra off of the Voyager. Anyway,KBB for Voyager was $6485 and ED was $4659 so my $5492 was probably right for a dealer prepped vehicle, new shocks & family car.
I am a happy camper and now we have an accepted offer on a Lake front property to close 5/31/02. Either we have lost it or the economy will be turning around. So now you know the whole truth.

majorthomecho

Is that lake front property in Arizona? ; )

supreme

04-21-2002
54952 At the Apex of Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin. 4 Seasons Living.
I keep discovering more and more enhancements in the Spectra: Sunglass storage compartment with the Map Lites; 2 Vanity mirrors on visors; digital odometer/tripometer; larger hook for hangers in rear; padded drivers armrest that contains a storage compartment(I keep tapes), this lifts to a well storage area. Since I didnt have a factory installed radio in Sephia I cant compare but can observe that Spectra has digital tuner & digital clock. Im sure to discover more & Ill keep you posted. Supreme

supreme

04-25-2002
Discovery: The front visors slide on the rod on which they are attached and thus extend the area they can shield from light. Kudos to Kia. Supreme

coolguyky7

I read your post in the Low End discussion. That form Kia used is better than no extension, but other car companies have the original sunvisor PLUS extensions that slide out which give even more sun blockage rather than just moving the sunvisor to the most convenient location.

mvaldivi

"...The front visors slide on the rod on which they are attached and thus extend the area they can shield from light..." Nice! That must be a newer improvement on the sephia/spectra line.
My sephia's visor will fall off if I pull it out that way. I should probably buy one of those and install it in my '98 Sephia.

supreme

04-25-2002
Remember Kia is at bottom end of Low End. My Spectra which is a base model at the base of the Low End includes the visor feature and all the other features I've referred to at the MSRP of $10,450 which translated into $4987 plus 2000 Kia Sephia with 43,600 miles. I think the $2000 Rebates are gone after April 30th.
Supreme.

godeacs

what's with the date and sign off? Both are listed in the header line! Save yourself some typing....lol

iluvmysephia1

I like supreme's posts because they're straightforward and honest. When one of you says something about their plain looking Honda or Toyota that you think is better(yeah right) he comes back and simply reminds you that Kia is low-end. I love it. I love my Sportage, too, but that's a different Kia model and I'll keep comments about Sportage for the Sportage thread. Keep posting, supreme. I'm learning more and more about the 2002 Kia Spectra without even having to test drive one. Kia packs a LOT of value in a very low-priced sedan and hatchback. Good job, supreme and great job Kia!

majorthomecho

Okay, well the Corolla and the Echo are low end products too and their quality is better and so is the gas mileage they get.

That is the truth and I don't see what is dumb or jealous about it.

supreme

04-28-2002
2002 ECHO: 10585+1020(no rebate)= $$11605
+ (upgrade to equal Spectra)
2002 COROLLA: 12568(no rebate)=$$$12568
2002 SPECTRA: 10995-2000(rebate)=$8995
I seriously doubt that Echo is worth 22% more than Spectra and that Corolla is worth more than 28% more than Spectra, but that's what you have to pay to get the ?quality? gas mileage?

Come now, I have already proved that Sephia with
43600miles two years later is sitting on the dealers lot list for the same MSRP that I inspected when new. You may theoretically tout the praises of Echo & Corolla but real world experience is telling another story, but than again this could be the exception to the rule.

As for mileage would you pay 22% more for 3mpg advantage? Spectra 1st tank 38mpg; 2d tank 35mpg.
Supreme. .

majorthomecho

As has been stated before, what the dealer wants for the car and what the dealer gets for the car will likely be two different things.

And where are you getting the 3mpg difference between the fuel economy of the Spectra and the fuel economy of the Echo? Are you comparing your numbers for the Spectra with the numbers the government says the Echo will get? If so, that is not an apples to apples comparison.

One Echo owner posted that he gets around 46mpg which makes it an 8mpg difference over your first tankful and a 11mpg difference on your second tankful. And in this summer of probable $1.50 a gallon [or higher] gas, I would say paying 22% more for the car would be worth it.

And where did you get the numbers for the costs of the car? Are they the price you paid for your Spectra versus the suggested price of the other two? Given that you did not do an apples to apples comparison of the fuel economy numbers, I wouldn't put it past you.

majorthomecho

Supreme, your numbers in your most recent post must be examples of that new math I keep hearing about or was it funny numbers.

I went to Carsdirect.com and they show the MSRP of a base Spectra to be $11,490 and the MSRP of a Spectra LS with no additional options to be $13,090.

BTW, if you buy a base 2002 Spectra, you get an AM/FM radio with cassette and four speakers. You don't even have an option to get a CD player like you do with an 2002 Echo. And you do not have an option to get six speakers like you do the Echo.

majorthomecho

How about we take this discussion of the Spectra v. the Echo to the low end thread? That is what it is there for.

lngtonge18

You should be ashamed of chastising someone for doing an apples to orange comparison when you do the same all the time! Does comparing the base Corolla to the top of the line Aerio GS ring a bell?

majorthomecho

Lng, how about we discuss that over in the low end car thread? There is an explanation and you probably won't like it.

alpha01

why this car exists, or why the Optima exists for that matter.
Why would anyone bother with this car when the Hyundai Elantra is out there for very little more money? It seems foolish to buy a car this crude when you can STILL get a low cost car with a great warranty from Hyundai. (And I am a Toyota/Honda guy).
~alpha

csandste

but if I were shopping for the Optima/Sonata I'd take the best price. Drove both the Spectra hatch and Sephia last year and was underwhelmed. Kia has done a pretty good job cleaning up the styling details this year, but the Elantra is much more car for the bucks. Hopefully the cars will merge platforms without making them as alike as Chrysler(Plymouth) and Dodge.

iluvmysephia1

Korean model in the 2nd jpg down is the Korean model Kia hired to promote the nice looking sedan in the homeland. Have a look-see if you will.

http://www.kmcir.com/kia_e/news/newsview.asp?ino=74&page=1

What beauty, eh? The boys have done it again!

dolfinwriter

A friend of ours has a 1998 Sephia with a dead alternator. I've checked a half-dozen parts stores, and I find prices anywhere from $175 (but not available), to as much as $303.

I have never paid even half this much for an alternator for any other car, even for my 1990 Corvette. What gives? Something smells really fishy.

Anyone have any suggestions where to get an alternator or an alternator rebuild kit at a reasonable price?

csandste

"What beauty, eh? The boys have done it again!"

The model, right-- not the car which is identical to the U.S. model.

iluvmysephia1

It has front-end differences which are apparent if you put the two(2002 Spectra sedan and 2003 Spectra sedan)side-by-side. The 2003 has a newly-designed grille, radiator, valance, bumper, headlamp cluster and wheels. The interior has brushed chrome to accent the interior in spots. It's an improvement at an unbelievably low price to boot!

pat

Edmunds editor Brian Moody takes the all new 2004 Spectra for a First Drive (see the Helpful Links box on left side of the page).

Here are a couple of his comments:

"Now comes the second generation of Kia's volume seller, the Spectra, and it has the potential to raise consumer awareness of the Kia name."

"While the Spectra's main hindrance might be a lack of name recognition in the marketplace, Kia has certainly put all its ducks in a row with this new economy sedan."

Enjoy!

uga91

I also notice Kia is keeping the practice of naming 2 different cars in the same year. In 1995, I bought a 1995.5 Sephia. The difference between an early 1995 and mine was I had dual air bags and a couple of other things that earlier 1995 models did nto have. Now, they have 2 different 2004 models. I have to assume the new one is a 2004.5 for resale purposes, right?