Used 2009 Kia Spectra Consumer Reviews
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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.
- Spectra5 SX WagonMSRP: $2,995192 mi away
- EX SedanMSRP: $6,995233 mi away
- EX SedanMSRP: $4,900284 mi away
Great Value
I purchased this vehicle this past June so wanted to give it time before passing judgement. The peace of mind of having such a great warranty is priceless, and the added value of such a good MPG vehicle (getting 29 to 34) was an important factor. The controls are in easy reach, and the vehicle drives very comfortably. The interior is spacious and overall very pleasant to drive. I purchased the gold color with black and tan interior which gives off a mature but stylish feel to the vehicle. I never thought I would say this but so far this vehicle from Kia is a pleasure to drive.
Best for the money
I get 30 plus mpg around town, and got 37 mpg on a 1000 mile trip of hiway and city,and that's with automatic transmission. Bad stuff: Not the best paint job. Paint surface is rough down near and on the rocker panels, and the paint chips easily; ABS, floor mats are not standard. Good stuff: Peppy performance, great gas mileage; cool, intuitive dashboard controls; comfy seats (easy on my sciatica); solid warranty; roomy trunk; stylish, at least to my eyes. The Spectra is, I think, the best value out there. To get anything even slightly better, you'd have to pay lots more. I love my Spectra!
Bad Spectra
This is the worst car I have ever owned. I have an intermittent (has happened about 25 times) problem when the brake pedal will go soft while braking and the car takes a greater distance to stop. The dealer cannot replicate, this time they drove car 53 miles. KIA national does nothing to help me with this problem. I have had to pay for a rental car. The car is going to hurt someone, probably me. I will never buy another KIA. You get what you pay for.
First but not last Kia
I have waited to write this for a few months because everyone loves their new car in the first couple of weeks. Four months later still finding that I love to drive this car. The styling of the Spectra 5 sticks out from others. Very affordable to operate and the features for the money are great. Never looked at a KIA before this purchase but will look there first for the next one.