KIA Spectra

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I just put 2K on a rental and was quite surprised with the car. I got a high of 42MPG at 65 and low of 37.6@75+. The fit and finish we about what I expected. The handling was worse than my Protege but it had mismatched tires and they were not high quality.
I would definitely look at one if I were in the market.
 
Kia and Hyundai have improved greatly and have become what Toyota became in the 90's. Next car/truck I'll be looking at both of them.
 
Had one as a rental as well, for three weeks.

Not as nice fit and finish wise as a Civic/Mazda 3. But you do save a few Thousand (with a captial T) buying it. So definitely one to consider. It had enough power. No refinement, but not slow. And I also got in the high 30's.

I actually hated it at first, but after awhile it grew on me. I think the worst part was the auto trans. With a stick it would be a lot more fun.

Would make me consider a Hyundai in a few years. Last time around turnoff was low power output and horrible fuel mileage of the 2.7 v6.
 
My mom has an '04 and absolutely loves the car it has close to 100K KM on it now and was just in an accident with $6800 damage and the insurance fixed it, which is surprising because she only paid $20K new!
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She has had 0 problems other than a defective stereo CD-Player that was replaced under warranty.

I have an '06 Santa Fe with over 170K KM on it and I have had 0 problems with it except an O2 sensor I replaced a few weeks ago which I think I damaged hitting something on the road.

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the SPECTRA is being replaced by the FORTE . Very impressive looking . http://www.kia.com/#/forte/explore . Comes with Vehicle Stability Control ( traction control ) and many other safety features . Talked to an owner of a SPECTRA that claimed to be averaging 35 miles per gallon with the automatic . They're gaining some ground on TOYOTA .
 
there's a $3,000 rebate on all SPECTRAs until the end of JUNE . We've seen $4,000 off some SPECTRAs in the newspaper . My father drives a KIA Rio with 5 speed manual and has had very few problems . Says to get in the upper 30s for mileage .
 
just noticed there's a FUEL ECONOMY PACKAGE for the FORTE EX . Gives you a 5 speed automatic , motor driven power steering ( M.D.P.S. ) , smart alternator , low-rolling resistance silica tires , and aerodynamic enhancements for $600 .
 
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I'll be looking very closely at the Forte Coupe when it hits dealerships. So far, the pictures indicate that it's a better looking Civic Coupe at a better price.
 
You should also check out the Hyundai Elantra, built on the same Chasis with the same engine as the Spectra. Can't be beat for the price!
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Here is the Forte, since I'm adding pictures to this thread... Much nicer!
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Actually the new Elantra and the current Spectra are completely different animals. The Spectra is built on the previous-gen Elantra's platform with the current Elantra's engine.

They just share some sheetmetal familiarity.

Both are still nice cars. But the Spectra is more of a modder's car than the Elantra.
 
The Kia got such a bad reputation years ago I don't know a soul who go near it in my neck of the woods...True they have gotten better but nobody I know would touch one..The last 2 people I knew who had one [00 Spectra 98 Sportage] both fell apart before 60K miles...First the door inside handles fell off then everything else went after that..Sounds like the newer ones are much better... But for the most part the damage has been done.

The older Hyundai were nightmares also...I know of several people who recently got late model [05 and up] Sonatas [V6] and love them and have no complaints what so ever.
 
Originally Posted By: ViragoBry
I'll be looking very closely at the Forte Coupe when it hits dealerships. So far, the pictures indicate that it's a better looking Civic Coupe at a better price.
they're at the dealerships in this region . Very sharp looking . I see where an hybrid version will be introduced in the future . All these hybrids that are arriving on the market should make them more affordable in the next year .
 
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Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
The Kia got such a bad reputation years ago I don't know a soul who go near it in my neck of the woods...True they have gotten better but nobody I know would touch one..The last 2 people I knew who had one [00 Spectra 98 Sportage] both fell apart before 60K miles...First the door inside handles fell off then everything else went after that..Sounds like the newer ones are much better... But for the most part the damage has been done.

The older Hyundai were nightmares also...I know of several people who recently got late model [05 and up] Sonatas [V6] and love them and have no complaints what so ever.


The quality is much better... Go to a Hyundai dealership and sit in one of the new Gensis sedans. They are
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They are working hard to give Toyota/Lexus a run for their money!
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Originally Posted By: StevieC
You should also check out the Hyundai Elantra, built on the same Chasis with the same engine as the Spectra. Can't be beat for the price!
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05.kia.spectra.500.jpg


08HyundaiElantra01.jpg


Here is the Forte, since I'm adding pictures to this thread... Much nicer!
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kia_forte_13_opt.jpg



i've always thought that dark red on the elantra looks pretty good... just the back of the elantra that i don't like.
 
My fiance took the Kia Soul for a spin and reminded me of the XB, while not as roomy as the XB it does cost less in the mid-level package but a fully loaded XB is still cheaper than their plus equipped Soul.

I wanted to look at the Sante Fe and Sorento. The Sante Fe is nice, the Sorento is nice but the interior is kinda wonky for me. Hyundai Genesis is a nice looking car and for the price you get more bang for the buck compared to a Lexus of BMW. When I'm shopping around for a car I'll definitely be looking at both of them.
 
I really like the Espresso colour my mom got. It's nice because it's sharp looking and doesn't show the dirt!
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Shown here:

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Sad thing is, i'd hop on it now, but already bout the X 3 months ago used and rolled 2.5k into it from my TC so I'm stuck. I'd hop into one now if it weren't going to cost me an arm and a leg.
 
Originally Posted By: ViragoBry
I'll be looking very closely at the Forte Coupe when it hits dealerships. So far, the pictures indicate that it's a better looking Civic Coupe at a better price.

Not bad...

2010%20Kia%20Forte%20Koup%20front_2.jpg


2009_04_10_kia_forte_koup_3.jpg
 
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