Used 2009 Kia Spectra Consumer Reviews
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MY NEW "BABY"'S FIRST YEAR
This was my first ever new off the show room floor car. in years past I averaged only 9,000 miles a year driving. I've put over 15,000 on my Kia in its first year. the Mileage is great1 i'm getting from 28 to 30MPG combined city and freeway. I commute 15 miles each way to work, mostly freeway. good power, great profile in the looks dept. interior is well thought out and the engine compartment is not all crowded and packed. you can see where everything is! I will drive this car when I'm on call for work on the weekends rather than one of our beat up company vehicles.
really impressed so far
Haven't owned it long, but so far more impressive than expected. Plenty of pep and super-quiet for the mondo freeway driving I do. Amazing fuel economy. Forget the EPA rating, I get 34mpg in mixed driving with the AC on most of the time! Picked it up for less than $11,000, with AC, CD and auto included. Lots of room, both front and back seats. Yes, the exterior and interior are simple, plain vanilla. I like that; pragmatism rules. And I'll agree that this is less solidly made than a Toyota. But for $5,000 less, well worth it! The lack of ABS, though, is shameful. All cars should have ABS standard these days; law should require it. CU gives good reliability ratings.
Kia Spectra Rocks!
Our son crashed the family Ford Explorer. Used cars were high-priced. We decided to buy a Kia Spectra EX 4 door sedan for about $1500 more than it would have cost to get a 2005 used Explorer. Of course, we got a red one! I'm a car buff and this is one nice vehicle. Great gas mileage (averages over 28 mpg in mixed driving), peppy pick up, smooth ride, plenty of cupholders. The car came loaded with options - AC, automatic headlights, extra 12 volt chargers,and even an iPod port. Safety ratings on this car rival those of Toyota and Honda, and exceed those of the Ford Focus. All for about $14000, including delivery, tax and license fees. I love it!
Can't Stand This Car
I have owned several cars in my driving years and I can look back fondly on various aspects of pretty much all of them. This car is an unfortunate exception. I absolutley loathe this car. It is very easy to oversteer and difficult to get back on track if you need to make a sudden swerve. The mileage is substandard. It gets about 26mpg highway. (My Sedona mini-van gets 22-23.) Please note I am not a leadfoot driver and I don't make hard accelerations. I'm pretty easy on my cars. Also, the driver's seat is worse that sitting on a wagon bench. At least a covered wagon doesn't have two bars right in line with my anatomy. And no, I'm not a very large or old person.
Spectra 2009 EX Sedan
Car was bought used on lease return to dealer. Low mileage and "like new." Used primarily to commute to work and local/light out-of-town job travel. So far averages about 28 MPG. Vehicle handles well, very responsive, and perky. No problem merging into fast freway traffic or running 2-3 hours at turnpike speeds. Haven't tried it in snow but it is okay in torrential rains. Looked at same year Civics, Sentras, and Focuses (I like sub- compacts). Spectra offered best balance of price, features, and low mileage.
Great Car
I bought my Kia Spectra Ex Sedan (4) days ago and I really like it. I haven't had it very long and I haven't taken it for a long drive yet. I feel that the car was a great buy.
Drastic change puts it in perspective
I traded in a Suburban for a Spectra, so the shock value alone took some getting used to. Overall, this is a great little car. Mechanically engineered well, great gas mileage (I averaged 34mpg the first weekend, 300 miles of mixed use), looks pretty decent parked next to a Nissan or Toyota. The "carpet" is more like some sort of fuzzy cardboard, we'll see how the rest of the interior holds up over the next 3-4 years. Overall, for the price I don't think you can beat this car in terms of warranty, safety, features, and performance. Sticker on mine was $17,250 - drove away for $10K after trading in a 1996 Suburban with 230K miles. Yeah, I keep them for a long time!
great quality and great mpg for money
I was skeptical at first and concerned that i might not get 30 mpg. Have only had short time but first fill up 29.5 mpg and second fill up 32.2 mpg in mixed driving. Drives very smooth and handles well and looking forward to great mpg once it breaks in.
Impulse Purchase
This car handles the curves on the road very well. The gas mileage is excellent. I think it's even better than the Ford Focus. I like the fact that it has a sporty look. The spoiler is a great addition. I needed a car, check out the dealership and price and rode off into the sunset with a brand new vehicle.
The new hot hatch
I have personally been watching this car for 3 years. I'm glad I waited to buy after the 2008 model year. Kia has improved the styling tremendously by getting rid of a lot of the plastic skirting. This car has a clean appearance. The five spoke wheels are a plus over the old eight spoke alloys. This car is a hoot to drive, especially with the stick. The engine has good low end torque. Regardless of what you read or hear about this car, I say if you're interested go test drive one. Personally I see me driving this car for more than 100,000 miles.