- sedan 181,198
- Everett, WA
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- autoshopper.com
2002 kia spectra review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Merger mania. introductionlast year, the kia spectra was a hatchback version of the kia sephia, a 4-door compact sedan significant for being kia's first model sold in the u. Under its own nameplate, dating back to 1993. This year the sephia name is gone, absorbed into a lineup bearing the spectra name. So now there are spectra sedans and hatchbacks. all spectra models receive freshened styling for 2002. the base kia spectra sedan lists at just $10,995. An am/fm/cassette stereo is standard, but air conditioning 960) is optional. ls sedan 12,595) adds air conditioning, power windows, mirrors and locks as standard equipment. For 2002, that styling was massaged slightly. spectra's styling is pleasant, albeit vaguely derivative. The front end seems to owe a lot to the ford taurus, with elliptical headlamps and a central grille opening with a crossbar, where a red kia badge substitutes for ford's blue oval. Between the clear-lens headlamps and the grille sit round high beams. The ls and gsx also get fog lamps. Bulges in the sheetmetal that sweep back across the hood trail the high beam bezels. The front bumper is integrated into the body profile, its plastic cover encircling the cosmetic grille above the bumper and the larger, functional radiator opening below it. Bumpers and mirrors are body color, an upscale feature for a car in this price range. the spectra's profile won't upset anyone. The windshield has an average rake, and the greenhouse, for sedan and hatchback, comes out of the designer's standard playbook. A fine crease at door-handle height keeps the side from being too plain. A winglet attached to the rear of the gsx suits the overall shape of the car, and a rear wiper/washer is optional on both the gs and gsx. The gsx gets front and rear air dams, door-sill extensions and spoked 6x14-inch alloy wheels with p185/65r14 kumho radials. the rear hatch is invisible from behind the car. It produces 126 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 108 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm. That's less than the optional engine in some of spectra's primary rivals, but considerably more than the competition's base engines. the suspension is impressive for this class of car. Lotus engineering, creator of exotic, world-class sports cars, tuned the spectra's suspension to optimize handling and ride quality. Macpherson struts are used up front while a multi-link arrangement replaces the usual twist-beam axle in back. Front and rear anti-roll bars are standard. Rack-and-pinion steering is standard, and power assist varies with engine speed to firm up the steering at higher velocities. All spectras have vented front disc brakes. The dash design is generic and inoffensive; it could have come from one of many asian sedans. The controls are easy to use. Kia has responded to earlier complaints about tiny radio buttons. As a result, even ham-fingered auto writers can operate the spectra's radio without much distraction. The ls, gs and gsx have a standard tachometer while an am/fm/cassette stereo is standard across the board. door panels on less-expensive cars are often plain plastic, but spectras have cloth door-panel inserts. The gsx upholstery is upgraded to nicer sport cloth. The seat bottoms on the front buckets, however, are short on support for longer legs. The seats do have wider cushions this year-one hopes not a korean comment on american derrieres-and a new fabric is used. The console provides adjustable cupholders, and the ls and gsx door panels have bottle holders, but the overall quality of the plastic parts in the interior seems below standard for the class. the rear seat will accommodate three, but not if they're adult males who plan to be there for a while. The seat folds 60/40 on sedans and hatchback, offering cargo flexibility with the hatch that challenges a small wagon. Seats up, the official trunk for the hatchback has 11. 6 cubic feet of luggage room, which is excellent for a small car. driving impressionthe 126-horsepower spectra engine is not blindingly fast, but if the driver is willing to rev it, there's spunky acceleration with the five-speed manual transmission. The engine revs with abandon and seems happy to do so. the gearshift lever has a rubbery feel, but we never missed a shift. Clutch take-up is smooth and light. we suspect the optional automatic transmission would sap a good deal of the engine's vigor. Comparing the ratios of both transmissions confirms that impression. Anyone at all interested in acceleration in a spectra should learn how to drive a stick. The manual gearbox also edges the automatic in fuel mileage. Like most front-wheel-drive cars, its handling is predisposed to understeer (the front tires begin losing grip before the rear tires do). This is particularly noticeable in fast, slalom-type directional changes. A tire upgrade would surely help. the spectra is quiet on the highway, with a surprising absence of wind or engine racket. It feels larger than its compact measurements would seem to warrant, even on an extended drive. we were delighted by the performance of the standard brakes. We checked them out on a closed circuit that had several corners requiring high-speed braking. The spectra's brakes never whimpered nor showed any signs of fading. Power Windows✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Tachometer✔ AM/FM✔ Cruise Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ CD Player✔ CD Changer✔ Alloy Wheels
Everett, WAEverett, WA at autoshopper.com