- hatchback 88,675
- 5,495 fair
- Grand Prairie, TX
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- autoshopper.com
- hatchback 88,675 silver manual
2008 kia spectra5 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Solid value in a solid compact. introductionthe kia spectra is a good choice among a field of compact cars that offer few, if any, bad choices. It represents one of the best values among compacts, with an impressive list of safety equipment for its modest price. more important for everyday driving, the spectra is a nice little car. Both present styling that is sharp and distinctive. inside is a modern cabin that's roomy and pleasant with quality materials and good fit and finish. Everything is easy to operate. spectra gets an epa-estimated 24/32 mpg city/highway with an automatic transmission, yet produces peppy performance. safety features are plentiful: the spectra comes with a full complement of airbag supplemental restraints. All can seat up to five passengers. Tires are 195/60r15 on 15-inch steel wheels with full covers. Outside mirrors are manually adjustable and windows have hand cranks. Air conditioning is optional 900). spectra ex 14,895) adds air conditioning, power windows, heated power mirrors, power central locking, remote keyless entry, fog lights, map lights, a sunglasses holder, and some additional cupholders and bright trim. Rear brakes upgrade from drums to discs. A power tilt sunroof 700) and anti-lock brakes 400) are available on sx and spectra5 only. Carpeted floor mats 85) are available on all models. safety features include advanced frontal airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, full-length side air curtains, height-adjustable front seatbelt anchors (making them even more comfortable to wear, so wear them!), seat belt pretensioners, the latest child-seat attachment system, and a tire pressure monitor. walkaroundthe kia spectra makes a styling statement, not a busy, fussy one, but one that's clean, with sculpted character lines and interesting surface planes that set the spectra apart from the look-alike, safely conservative econo-box class. the fog lights on up-level models are round, adding perceived height to the front end. Headlight housings taper upward at the outer edges, drawing the eye more naturally into the hood's increased slope. The sporty sx and spectra5 are distinguished by a more assertive front end highlighted by a black mesh grille, blacked-out headlight surrounds and a deeper front spoiler. a sharp groove etched into the side accentuates spectra's rounded shape. Embedding the door handles in the groove reduces clutter. Clearly defined fender blisters add sportiness to the wheel openings. One stylistic hiccup is the rear fender blister, which isn't as well proportioned to the surrounding body panel as is the front blister and leaves the rear wheel looking undersized. Badging is minimal, confined to a kia logo centered in the grille and above the rear license plate. on the sedan, the arched roof blends gently into the deck via a soft, flowing sail panel. Then the back end draws all the various geometrics into a pleasing departure. The backlight (rear windscreen) is steeply sloped, flowing smoothly into a short deck. The deck lid ends in a sharp crease filling the arc between the large, angular taillights, from which it drops almost vertically from a slight indentation to the fully integrated rear bumper fascia. A large depression scooped out of the vertical trunk panel houses the rear license plate. the spectra5 makes a bolder statement. It's nearly six inches shorter than the sedan, and exactly the same height, but its roof extends almost to its rear bumper, falling gently in height as it does, and visually separating from the more rapidly declining tops of the windows. The roof terminates in a significant spoiler that looks as if it could actually enhance fuel economy (by limiting boundary-layer separation) while keeping the rear window clean. small vertical quarter windows behind the rear door glass neatly extend what designers call the daylight opening into what would otherwise be a bulky rear pillar. Large taillights wrap into a point that lines up nicely with that previously mentioned groove in the body side. visually more compact wagon than sporty hatch, the spectra5 won't please everyone. On the other hand, now that once-sleeker competitors such as the mazda3 and volkswagen golf have put on so much middle-aged bulk, the spectra5 is looking better by comparison. Kia says the spectra5's shape maximizes interior volume. interiorthe kia spectra proves that interiors can be stylish and user friendly without being expensive. Its cabin features an organic design that's pleasant to look at. It feels like a compact, but doesn't feel cheap. Everything is easy to operate with no awkward or annoying traits. large expanses of textured materials give the dash a quality look. The same large expanses make for fewer seams and joints that inevitably will start to squeak as they work against each other, and this, plus good sound deadening, promises quiet times for people riding in the spectra. Even over rough pavement, only the sounds of tires against road penetrate the cabin. The look is quality, too, with a dark color over a lighter shade, giving the cabin an open feeling while minimizing reflected dash-top glare in the windshield. Door panels are finished with textured plastic panels and soft fabric insets that add to the sense of openness. The rim of the steering wheel is thick and easy to grip. the radio sits high in the center stack, below two large adjustable vents, above which are positioned two smallish screens with digital clock and seatbelt warning displays. Stereo controls are easy to read and use, save for the tuning function, a large rocker switch that scrolls at a fixed, agonizingly slow rate up or down through the frequencies. in the lx, two storage bins sit beneath the stereo; in the ex, sx, and spectra5, the smaller of the two bins is replaced by a row of sizable buttons, only one of which does anything, namely, turning the rear window defroster on or off. Across the lower area of the center stack are the climate control knobs: large, round and basic, with tactile feel surprisingly consistent for an economy car. At the left end of the lower dash panel are readily accessible switches for opening the trunk and adjusting the dash lights above yet another storage bin. the center console houses two cupholders and a bin forward of the shift lever fitted with a grippy pad. Two more cupholders fold out of the rear of the center console for use by rear-seat occupants. Molded map pockets run the length of the front door bottoms; in all but the lx, these have cup-sized rounds molded into the front portion. The ex, sx, and spectra5 also get magazine nets on the back of the front seats. seats are generally comfortable and covered in a quality fabric. They have adjustable head restraints, save for the rear center position. Front seat bottoms could be deeper, however, with more thigh support. The center console armrest is high enough for elbows but too far rearward. The spectra is roomier than most cars in the class. Headroom and hip room are better than the primary competition: the honda civic, toyota corolla and ford focus. Rear headroom is above most of the class, there's a lot more hip room, and legroom is on par, giving up less than an inch to the roomy focus. One problem with the spectra's rear seat is the proximity of the rear wheel well to the.
5,495 Grand Prairie, TXGrand Prairie, TX at autoshopper.com