Overview & Reviews

A five-door hatchback model dubbed the Spectra5 joins the lineup, along with a sporty SX sedan. Both models come with a front spoiler, black mesh grille, black headlight bezels, upgraded tires, 16-inch alloys, side sills, rear valance panel and rear spoiler. Inside, there is leather wrapping for the steering wheel and shift knob, gray sport cloth upholstery, metallic trim pieces and metal pedals. A sport-tuned suspension is also included, and models with a manual transmission get a front strut tower bar as well.

• Low price, spunky engine, well-finished interior, standard side-curtain airbags, excellent warranty.

• Obtrusive engine noise at high speeds, ABS not available on LX model.

User Reviews:

Showing 21 through 30 of 132.00

• 

  More Pros than Cons - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By miandyv - January 10 - 5:33 pm

  Owned for 6 years, 88,298 mls. Purchased for $14,750. Pros: negotiated a very good deal with dealer, inexpensive maintenance, excellent in snow, excellent maneuverability on city streets and highway, spacious interior (my husband is 6 ft 5 in and my son is 6 ft 7 in) both can sit comfortably inside the car (we rode trip alot in the Kia). Now, here are the Cons: poor quality on interior and exterior components - paint peeling and chipping at less than 24,000 mls. Dealership does not want to remedy the problem, glove compartment fell off its hinges (barely ever opened), Kia logos have unexpectedly fell off, steering wheel tilt handle fell off, hoods props came apart, trunk hooks fell off

• 

  Awesome Price - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By DA_MAXX - August 18 - 4:10 am

  Had a 1996 Kia Sephia. Not impressed. Car shook bad when hit 70 mph. Ive had 02 Honda Civic. This car is as fun and best bang for the buck. Have all the features. EX with A/C, keyless entry, CD, power doors, power windows, etc. Used as commuter 80 miles daily. Fun to drive. Havent seen the advertised highway mileage of 34. Averaging 31. This might be because I drive 75MPH. Great car for the price.

• 

  KIA Spec V - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By KIA Spectra 5 - July 21 - 5:40 am

  First, this car has been great to drive. Ive had one big issue with the car and its due to the ground effects on the vehicle. The ground effects are too low for my area in Wyoming. I only have 1200 miles and Im going to have to replace the ground effects. Ive contacted KIA and the regional manager wont replace the part which is going to cost 365. I think they should reconsider this because the car hasnt been driven abusively or in any manner of the performance range of this type of vehicle. Ive owned many cars and truly take car of them explicitly. This is the first KIA Ive owned and I hate that a cosmetic part of the car is taking away from the experience of owning this KIA.

• 

  Major paint issues - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By princessmeliss - April 24 - 11:00 pm

  My Kia Spec5 was awesome for the first 8 months until the paint started chipping off. Kia refuses to take responsibility for it and Ive seen 2 others with the same problem. Kias rep told me that his is doing the same thing, but its not a quality issue. Have since found other Spec5s with the same thing and found feedback on the web from owners experiencing the exact same issue. Kia isnt interested in hearing about it and has lost a customer as a result.

• 

  Nguyenny - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By nguyen - November 24 - 11:33 pm

  I bought this car to replace my 2002 Kia Spectra hatchback, plus I needed something a little newer. I travel alot and use of my car on the road is a must for everday usage. It ride an d handle very good, excellent fuel mileage, getting somewhere around 26 in the city and 35 on the highway. I have this car for almost one year and already have close to 24,000 miles on it already. Check engine light came on one time, took to dealer and they replace the sensor for me, but I did not break down anywhere. Check engine light will come on if you try to top this car off, I did this twice already. I have no bab say about it, I go to D.C. and Baltimore area almost every other week with no problem.

• 

  Happy Spectrater - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By jacob - November 2 - 12:30 am

  Bought the EX version on July 5th. Price $12,200 with alloy wheels and floor mats. Overall I am pleased with it. Things I don’t like are fuel mileage. Not very good for a small car. Average around 25 combined and 27 highway only. Front seats are tiring for a long drive as there is no thigh support. Plus if you are tall or have long feet this is not your car. Interior is pleasant and quiet. Engine is mostly smooth once you are up speed. Tire noise is noticeable. The seats are comfy -- thigh support. Keyless entry is a great option and the remote trunk is great. Haven’t had any mechanical problems then again I had only for 3 weeks.

• 

  Okay car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Probe - May 13 - 11:06 pm

  This is 4th year of my owner ship of kia Spectra5. Car seems to be ok , other than the fuel efficiency and service expenses.I keep my service schedule and I am not a agressive driver I get 21 MPG with in city ( got 24400 miles on car) and 28 -30 MPG on highway. Which is far lower than Japanese brands. I had to change my front brakes at 22000 miles I guess brakes should lost more. Good Year tires on this car lasted for 24400 miles and I guess they should last more. Bottom line is this car needs more maintenance in long run, that defeats the purpose of saving 2000 - 4000 bucks you save on this car when compared with other brands.

• 

  My Spectra Wagon - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By John Parish - June 20 - 4:03 pm

  I bought my Spectra wagon because they were having a sales drive here in Dallas. The car was far more than I expected. The fit and finish were flawless and the attention to detail in assembly were very good (none of the electrical was taped, but encased in tubing). I drive 80 miles to and from work 6 days a week and the car is fun and comfortable to drive. The ergonomics are good (I weigh 240# and am 5 8" tall and the car fits me just fine). All and all, I am very pleased with my purchase!

• 

  Great Car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By wben838 - December 9 - 10:40 pm

  I paid $7000 used for this car. It is the most reliable car I have ever had. I have owned 4 VWs 1 Subaru, 1 Mazda, and 1 Saab. It is made for people on a budget. When you get the coupons, the dealer only charges $10.00 for an oil change. The only annoying thing about this car is that it is a little slow and the engine makes noise at around 4Krpm.

• 

  Not bad for a cheap car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Cheap Car - May 7 - 12:36 pm

  Bought it used for my wife to commute in with 44K on it. It now has 86K on it and is still running strong.That pesky check engine light goes on and off when it feels like it.It must be something minor because it has no effect on performance or gas mileage.Other than normal maintenance I have had no problems with it. I did notice that in hot, hot weather the speedo and tack go wacky for a while. I have changed the transmission oil twice and have had no problems with it after reading about transmission problems other owners have had. I must have got a descent one because I do not have all the problems that other Kia owners have.