Our test drive was right on track raking in 29 miles-per-gallon in mixed conditions.īut there are no mixed signals on pricing.
2005 KIA SPECTRA LX MANUAL
EPA estimates are 25 city and 32 highway for the manual transmission. Not overwhelming, but workableĪnd another thing that’s not overwhelming for a small car is Spectra’s fuel economy. Trunk space now measures a respectable capacity of 12.2 cubic feet. That’s standard? Look-out Corolla and Civic this is serious business! And with its bigger dimensions comes more cargo room.
2005 KIA SPECTRA LX SERIES
Rear seating quarters feature a fabric covered 60/40 split folding rear seat with an inch more leg room than before.īut the Spectra’s most notable feature is its standard, class leading safety net a series of six airbags! In addition to the mandatory front bags, front-seat occupants are protected by seat-mounted side impact airbags while full-coverage side curtain airbags protect both front and rear seat occupants. Our EX trim adds air conditioning and power windows, mirrors and locks. And of the two trim levels offered, the base LX includes a standard CD player, tilt steering, tachometer and map lights. Interior space measures a healthy 97 cubic of passenger volume, and the front bucket seats include 6-way adjustments for the driver. Fit and finish take on an Audi-esq attitude with high quality materials and upgraded amenities. Overall the rear end stays planted nicely, and despite skinny tires, provides a quite acceptable amount of grip.Īs for braking, even if average stops of 137 feet from 60-to-0 are a little long, the standard four-wheel-disc with available ABS and electronic brake-force distribution delivered a solid performance with a fair amount of pedal feedback.Īnd speaking of fair, the Spectra offers way more room and standards than you’d expect from a value priced sedan. Save for some mild understeer, the Spectra hammers through even high speed lane changes. The Spectra arrived at 60 in 8.7 seconds, and passed the quarter mile in 16.1 seconds at 85 miles-per-hour.Īnd though competing sedans like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic have quite a reputation to follow, the front drive Spectra earned its place next to them and proved nearly as nimble and quick. Though no road warrior, acceleration numbers do fit this sedan’s purpose of daily driving. Unfortunately, we found shifter action a little flabby, with the on-off clutch equally as lax with little feel. This energetic little motor is mated to our test car’s standard 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automatic. At 138 horsepower, it surpasses the previous Spectra by 14 horses, and cranks out an elevated 136 pound-feet of torque a 17-point jump. Speed sensitive power-rack-and-pinion steering, rare in this class, also adds to a fine list of equipment.Īnd motivating that ride is the Spectra’s new 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16 valve, in-line 4 cylinder with Kia’s first variable valve timing system. Standard front and rear anti-roll bars are included, too. The Spectra rides on struts and coil springs up front, and multi-link with struts and coils out back. On that score, to match its clean-edge style, the Spectra provides an equally sharp driving experience. But while overall length is down slightly, width and track widen for more interior room and stability. Cornered by 15-inch steel rims on the LX, and alloys on this EX, the Spectra’s wheelbase stretches two-inches to 102.8. From its larger grille, gaping lower air intake, and expressive headlight housings across the front, to its deeply etched side panels and wedgie rear, the Spectra has grown in style and size from tip to tail. In fact, other than the Spectra’s name, and the borrowed platform from its cousin Hyundai Elantra, this subcompact sedan is completely redesigned and restyled. Well, we think it is indeed Kia, and all the way to the bank! That’s because the 2005 Kia Spectra now offers a serious leap in features, quality, and pure value over its predecessor. But after quantum leaps in quality, content, and performance, Korean makers like Hyundai, Kia, and Daewoo are selling us more sub-compact and compact cars than Toyota.
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