Kia Spectra Sedan

iluvmysephia1

Howdy. I'm thinking of trading my '99 Kia Sephia in on either a 2002 Kia Rio Cinco, 2002 Kia Spectra hatchback or a 2002 Kia Spectra sedan. Has anyone bought a 2002 Kia Spectra sedan yet? What'd'ya think? Pretty cool?

aniryu

Are these cars even released yet?

iluvmysephia1

and Florida, but that may be rental car fleets only. I'm curious to get owner/driver feedback. My local dealer doesn't have them in yet(can you tell I'm a little bit anxious here....!!!!). They both look great in picture and I can't wait to test drive them.

aniryu

the Kia getting a redesign this year is questionable.

pat

Are you sure about this? Can you post a link to some information on the Spectra debuting as a sedan for MY 2002?

What I'm finding is indicating neither the current hatchback (Spectra) nor the sedan (Sephia) are due for a redesign until 2006. But perhaps you have different information than I have found so far.

Let us know.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

lngtonge18

Car and Driver has already stated that the Sephia sedan has freshened styling and is renamed Spectra for 02. I also spotted one in Tallahassee, Florida. It was a sedan and had Spectra written on the back. It had a totally new trunk and taillight design. Looks similar to the Rio from the back, but is larger and more square with less of a wraparound-the-side treatment for the taillights. It looked really attractive. The fact that the local dealer does not have any on their lots yet tells me this car must have been a rental as well.

aniryu

I also saw TWO of them here in Washington state.

majorthomecho

The Spectra is now a sedan so it looks like you get another board to watch over. Like you don't need any more of those, right?

Whatever you get out of this deal can't be enough. ; )

fangio2

surely need to be recapped.

iluvmysephia1

on the 2002 Kia Spectra sedan. There's a news release on the Kia Motors American site that explains the dropping of the Sephia line and the new Spectra sedan debuting this year. Apparently it's been in the works for some time. The people like the Spectra name better(from surveys)and they want a more integrated model theme with Spectra. Here's a look at the new 2002 Kia Spectra sedan.
http://www.kia.co.uk/
Go to the information on Mentor(the name for Kia Spectra sedan in the UK) This is the one that will be called Kia Spectra sedan in the U.S. I'm partial to the bluish-purple color!
Let me add cherry red to the mix!

pat

Thanks for the link.

I looked several places yesterday, the Car And Driver site was one of them - maybe I just missed it, but I couldn't find a thing about a Spectra sedan. I think it was autoweek that said what I read about the redesigns for Sephia and Spectra in 2006 - I guess that means after this one?

Oh well, let's talk about the Spectra Sedan then! :-)

Searches and sorts here do not work very well with numbers, so I'll alter the title slightly.

Major and fangio - I'm always happy to have another interesting discussion here. And I'm sure there'll be no need for any use of the delete button, right?

:-)

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

aniryu

So is the Spectra Sedan a new generation of Sephia, or is it just a facelift? And does it have Elantra's engine, or it's current engine?

If this is just a facelift, then when is the next generation Spectra coming out?

Is Spectrawing coming out here in the United States this fall?

I apparently is confused.

I also prefer the name Sephia over the Spectra.

csandste

The '06 redesign should bring it in line with a new Elantra platform. It should be REALLY out of date by then.

iluvmysephia1

the Spectra sedan will have the same engine Sephia has now. The Kia logo changes and the body totally changes. Looks pretty sharp to me. Spectra Wing also debuts this fall for 2002.

aniryu

New logo? Are you saying that Kia will have the same logo as the ones in Korea?

iluvmysephia1

way home from work. It was going northbound on I-5 through Marysville. It had Florida plates and it was white. Almost looked like one of the new Corolla's in front. The wedgie-slant taillights look good. I'd love to see one in bluish-purple. My dealer e-mailed me back Saturday to say they have them but they've messed up before. They thought I meant 2001 Spectra's(I'm interested in the 2002 Spectra's)and said they were in. That was about two weeks ago and obviously they weren't in two weeks ago. So I may see them this Saturday and you know I'll be reporting what I find. The logo is not the same on the website but that could be the Korean Kia logo. Don't know about American Spectra's logos for sure yet. I'll let you know.

aniryu

Thanks Iluv.
I hope this will boast Spectra's sales, and maybe even go up in the rankings.
The Korean logo wouldn't hurt--it kinda looks like a BMW logo.

iluvmysephia1

that the new Kia logo looks exactly like a BMW logo! Let the input flood in my friends!

netranger4

Hi folks: Just got back from Florida and didn't see one single '02 Spectra. Talked to a dealer in Clearwater and one in St. Pete. No one has them. Had reserved a Sephia from Budget at the Tampa Airport and they had none either. Got a Sonata instead for same price. Not too bad, but the transmission seems to have a mind of its own. My friend the local Kia dealer is telling me October. He is stone out of new '01 Sephia's and has to go to the auctions to buy used program or fleet return cars. Good prices on those though.

netranger4

Spectra. On the way to the grocery store tonite I took a drive through my friend, the Kia dealer's back lot and lo and behold there were 8 (count 'em)8 new Spectra sedans. They did a great restyling job on the car and it looks almost like the Optima front end. You can tell what family it comes from. The grille is very slightly different from the one shown on the Sephia II page of the Kia.co.kr website. On checking further, the base cars have side moldings on the doors but no tachometers on the automatics. The one LS there had an automatic with a tachometer. I checked them all and there were no standard shift cars. Will pop up there on the morrow and take one out for a spin....

iluvmysephia1

of your Spectra sedan test drive! I've now joined the 4-wheelin' Kia Sportage 4x4 ranks and am out of the new vehicle market. It's way cool to sit up higher and I love the way this little pup takes the road bumps. They're actually fun to pop over now(if that makes any sense!). Our color is called Pepper red and, yes, it's beautiful! Already needs a bath though. A neighbor's cat did a thorough walk over inspection and left muddy pawprints. Anyhoo, do leave your impressions of the new Spectra sedan, net. I like it's styling as well.

aniryu

Which Kia dealer are you looking at your Sportage? Perhaps KIA of RENTON, the one owned by Honda? Or KIA of EVERETT?

Please tell me your satisfaction in the KIA dealers. I am interested to know how they are.

Thanks..Aniryu

netranger4

Didn't make it up there today, but tomorrow for sure. Their biggest seller seems to be the Rio Sedan. The wagons don't seem to be moving as fast as they hoped. The Sephia (now Spectra) also sold terrifically well. The Sportage also was a big seller. His problem was getting vehicles. He had to go to the auctions to get fleet return 01's to keep up with the demand. He was going as far as the Auctions in Miami and Las Vegas to pick up cars. Their best day recently was 18 cars. That's a bit above their normal 5-7. Glad to hear iluv's new Sportage is the new vehicle of choice. The dealers here and around Detroit have been doing a ton of dealer trades to keep vehicles in stock due to the booming demand for all kinds of Kia's.

netranger4

Guess you'll have to change your handle to ILUVMYSPORTAGE now. Go with the flow.

iluvmysephia1

were making the purchase! I may switch to iluvmysportage yet. Aniryu-the dealer I bought my '99 Sephia from 2 1/2 years ago and the same dealer I traded the Sephia in on the 2001 Sportage 4x4 for is Jerry Smith Chev-Buick-Kia in Anacortes. I'm a Skagitonian so Jerry Smith's is my logical choice for a new Kia. There's also a Jerry Smith Kia in Bellingham. I'm very happy with the way I was treated with my trade-in and test driving experience. The numbers worked out in a most beneficial manner-I used the $2,500 Kia rebate to absorb some of the Sephia's depreciation. I knew that was coming but I feel very good about my small car Kia experience and if I ever want to buy a small car again I would not hesitate to buy a little Kia. The Sephia treated me very well.

aniryu

I am surprised. Does anyone have satisfaction scores for KIA dealers?

Thanks..Aniryu

majorthomecho

I don't drive a Korean car, but I did not get a Japanese car because I was worried about what society would think.

Personally, I think the thoughts of society should take a seat in the very back of the bus when it comes to your car buying decision. What is important to you should be in the driver's seat.

That said, I would hope that more than looks and the upfront costs will enter into your decision.

netranger4

test drive of the new Spectra today. The weather here was cold and very rainy and the traffic, as usual, was a total mess. Will definitely give a full first drive report when the weather clears and the traffic has returned to its' normal maniacal pace on dry pavement. The Detroit area has perpetual road demolition/construction and the freeways are generally clogged with local and/or outbound traffic for Canada and inbound from Canada since there are a lot of parts moving back and forth across the border to and from the car plants. Since the 9/11 incident the traffic has been slowed by 90% due to intense inspection on both sides of the bridge and tunnel. More later.

bluewinds

http://bbs1.adwars.com/read.php?table=mildbreeze&no=184

aniryu

Bluewinds..

You told us that the Spectra will share the same platform as the Elantra in 2006, right?

Will the Elantra get a completely new platform? Or are they just going to use the same platform modified? *sigh* The current Elantra platform would be very out of date by then.

coolguyky7

can Hyundai get any cheaper?

iluvmysephia1

Check out bluewinds' link above and enjoy the new Kia Spectra sedan! Look at that beautiful Spectra sedan and drool! Kia has a definite edge in designing over Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Acura, Lexus, Daimler-Benz, Daimler-Chrysler, GM, Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, Renault, Daewoo, Hyundai, Fiat, Yugo(just kidding!), Nissan, etc., etc. Did I leave any out? No kidding. Kia designers smoke no crack my friends. You're getting the whole enchilada and you're getting a hot plate for the beans and rice as well. I've joined the 4-wheelin' world with my 2001 Kia Sportage 4X4(which is flawless, by the way). I can still admire the rest of Kia's stable with joy.

aniryu

"Check out bluewinds' link above and enjoy the new Kia Spectra sedan! Look at that beautiful Spectra sedan and drool! Kia has a definite edge in designing over Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Acura, Lexus, Daimler-Benz, Daimler-Chrysler, GM, Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, Renault, Daewoo, Hyundai, Fiat, Yugo(just kidding!), Nissan, etc., etc. Did I leave any out? No kidding. Kia designers smoke no crack my friends. You're getting the whole enchilada and you're getting a hot plate for the beans and rice as well. I've joined the 4-wheelin' world with my 2001 Kia Sportage 4X4(which is flawless, by the way). I can still admire the rest of Kia's stable with joy."

Please! Iluvsephia! Stop it! You'll embarrassing me!

bluewinds

The schedule of new car projets are getting changed because Hyundai got the strong competitor in the domestic market. The launching time is uncertain now.

bluewinds

majorthomecho

Been making multiple visits to the coffee machine again, I see. ; )

coolguyky7

I hate that ugly grill. The Sephia looked better! Although I do like the Spectra hatchback.

bluewinds

Spectra 4 door Sedan - NA version.

http://bbs1.adwars.com/read.php?table=mildbreeze&no=191

coolguyky7

The American version is SO MUCH better.

aniryu

I agree with coolguy. It seems that KIA is doing that "triagular" headlamps, like Mazda is doing.

iluvmysephia1

that is one, hot, hot looking sedan bluewinds! I would order the bluish-purple color. I think Kia will sell as many of these as they can ship over here. That's the best picture I've seen yet of it. Bring all the information on! I'm in the new SUV owner/vehicle get acquainted stage with my 2001 Sportage 4x4 right now. We're bonding! Don't let your dirty minds get the best of you boys! I'm talkin' serious driving and enjoying. I read where Kia installed upgraded door structure and seals for Sportage 2001. That's why I'm impressed with the low, low cabin noise. The 5-speed is starting to become one with me and I with the 5-speed. The love affair is growing more intense. I've got to go.

coolguyky7

I think a lot of people form bonds with their cars. Maybe Iluv is forming one like the guy on Saturday Night Live had with his Mercury Mistress. Did anyone see that sketch?

mariners

this is aniryu. my interest connection was lost for 12 hours. so i had to make new account.

iluvmysephia1

but they'll come back Sunday to even the series at 2 games apiece. The Indians are outplaying their abilities right now. Watch and see. I'm interested if anybody has bought a Spectra sedan in our reading audience. How is the ride?

csandste

Saint Louis County, MO. Florida plates. The details on the car (especially the front end) are better than the Sephia. Still think this is going to be an old car if they carry the platform over until 2006, however.

protegextwo

What were the three top reasons for purchasing your current car? I'm assuming if your a regular in the Kia Spectra Discussion you own a small sedan of some type. I'm interested in, what sold you on your current car!

I'll go 1st. These were the qualities, I looked for when shopping.

1.) Roomy Interior-
2.) Value Pricing-
3.) Attractive Styling-

Thank you in advance!

Repectfully,
Larry

mariners

1. attractive styling
2. roomy interior
3. value

value comes third. i will pay a lot if i like a car. styling is a must. i want something stylish for my 18k. roomy interior is 2.

netranger4

today. My friend, the Kia dealer turned me loose with a new Spectra Base sedan for a test drive. The assembly quality and interior trim is very good. Fit and finish likewise. A number of improvements have made this a better car. Being of small stature, the seats were not comfortable for me, even with the tilt and height adjustments. The seat back was decidedly uncomfortable as was the seat cushion. It felt as though there was a ridge in the center of the cushion. Perhaps with a bit more padding (me and the seat) this would be acceptable for shorter persons. The brakes seemed a bit spongy and slightly non agressive in sudden stops. Possibly when they are broken in... The automatic transmission shifts very smoothly and the car has more than adequate acceleration for most driving conditions. The former 2nd to 3rd lurch is now gone.

There is a bit of engine roar when moving off from a stoplight. The engine is somewhat noisy at 55-60mph. Not intrusive, but there nonetheless. Overall I was impressed with the refinements Kia has made. The sheet metal seems heavier with better reinforcement. The speedometer seems slightly fast compared with actual speed. I slowed to 20mph and cars were falling far behind me so I slowed to 15mph indicated and that seemed better.

It was an interesting 35 mile test drive over city streets, freeways and potholed pavement. The ride was smooth with some suspension noise over rough surfaces. A little further tuning and some additional soundproofing here and there will make a vast difference in the driving pleasure.

csandste

If this is such a new car, why so little interest?

claywaterfill

People just don't pay attention to Kia. I guess the Honda folks are hoping if they ignore Kia long enough they'll go away! The Kia web site is updated with 2002 Spectra sedan and hatchback info ow--if anyone is interested.

iluvmysephia1

to 20mph where I live the cars behind wouldn't fall further back. They'd be honking and passing and causing all kinds of chaos around you. Are you sure you didn't mean 30mph? BTW-good review of the Spectra base sedan. Sounds like it's got a lot going for it actually. I'd consider it but iluvmysportage(!)

netranger4

My fault for not mentioning that here we have a 20mph limit in school zones which is rigidly enforced. Smokey usually hangs around these areas hoping to catch the inattentive. After these zones, marked with flashing yellow lights, the Indy 500 begins anew.