Used 2005 Kia Spectra Sedan Consumer Reviews
Used Spectra for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Soldier of a car.
Jsp9890, 12/20/2015
updated 07/08/2016
2005 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
34 of 35 people found this review helpful
I bought this car with no choice. Mine was stolen, left with little time I bought a 2005 Spectra EX for $3800. It had 98k miles. That was in 2011. I still own it, with 180k+ and she's magnificent. The little 2.0 has power on the highway, without having to go up high in the powerband. The tall gears in the automatic gearing kill performance, manuals are quicker by far. Mine hits 60 in 8.8 seconds with a 4 speed auto, and shes topped out at 126mph. I guess that's about average. The stereo is surprisingly good with a 120 watt 6 speaker setup, as well as interior materials. I previously owned a Honda and Kia is quite close with their quality. I don't care what ANYONE says, Kias are damn good vehicles.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
100,000 miles
not_a_yob, 06/24/2011
2005 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I've read through plenty of reviews, and the one thing I am noticing is that people are putting automatics in with the manual transmission, don't be daft please. The 2.0 DOHC 5spd standard transmission is great. I have over 100,000 miles on my car as it sits now still with the original clutch, and trust me when I say I haven't been overly kind to my car. I have beat on it, driven long distances and over all drvien this car as if it were a rally car or enduro car, including some slight off roading and it still starts up with out arguement and gets up and goes like a propper little sprinter. I unexpectedly fell in love with the little bugger, and I expect the romance to continue on for awhile.
2005 Kia Spectra for sale near you
Showing 3 of 9 listings
- LX SedanMSRP: $2,498271 mi away
- Spectra5 WagonMSRP: $4,777312 mi away
- LX SedanMSRP: $32,640389 mi away
See all 9 listings
2005 Kia Spectra
finngirl, 04/12/2013
2005 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
19 of 22 people found this review helpful
I bought the car with 44,000 in 2007, and at 85,000 the engine became completely clogged with oil despite regular oil changes every 3,000-5,000 miles. The manual recommends changing the oil every 7,500. A Kia dealership just said to change the oil every 1,000 miles, to clear the clog but that didn't work, and I had to replace the engine. After the replacement, I've since learned this has been a problem with this particular engine, and Kia has stopped making it.
great car
dparent, 10/13/2011
2005 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I had my 2005 kia spectra for 5 years, the car had 148,000 miles on it and it had never let me down. 2 weeks ago my wife and I and our 2 sons were rearended buy a fullsize suv we were waiting to turn into a drive way and we were hit. The driver of the suv didnt even try to stop he hit us at at least 55 mph. my 9 yr old son and my 6 year old son were in the back seat. and even with the impact we all walked away without injurys. after the accident the car still runs great. I will find a new body to the motor into.
Works for me
Rich, 09/17/2010
2005 Kia Spectra EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought this 2005 Spectra EX new and now have 60,000 miles on it. I change the oil every 3-4K miles. My front tires wore out after about 25,000 because I never rotated them, so I put new ones on just the front. At 60,000 I should probably just change all 4 now. I haven't had so much as a head lamp go out on this car. Original battery and this car has never failed to start or run smoothly. Granted I maintain it well and keep it garaged, but still it has exceeded my expectation for an economical car. Comfort is not bad considering I over 6ft tall and the upholstery has no tears, cracks, or worn spots.