Overview & Reviews

The base LX sedan has been dropped, and the EX no longer features foglamps or rear disc brakes. On the plus side, all models now come with floor mats and a cabin air filter, while the SX and Spectra5 gain standard cruise control. The optional four-speed automatic transmission has been redesigned this year for greater durability and smoothness (although models with SULEV emissions still use last year's unit).

• Low price, large backseat, comfortable ride, lots of storage and cupholders, standard side curtain airbags, excellent warranty.

• Engine is weak and buzzy at higher rpm, soft handling on EX model.

User Reviews:

Showing 21 through 30 of 107.00

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  Id buy another one! - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Jonny - June 26 - 11:43 am

  I love this car and would buy another one. Great car for customizing and modding. Gas mileage is 30 MPG. Im 58 yrs old and have owned Jags, MGs, Triumphs, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Austin Healey 2+2, Piper GT to name a few and this car is just as much fun to drive as any of those. But you dont have the high maintenance on it. Just get in and drive the Kia. Most reliable car I have ever had. I recommend Kias to everybody I meet. And it will outrun some of the Hondas, Mazdas, Toyotas, and Nissans.

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  Pleasantly surprised - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By ktown - June 9 - 1:26 pm

  I bought this car nearly 2 years ago. I traded my 2005 Amanti due to gas mileage. It was a bit of an adjustment at first but this has been a great car. I have performed all of the maintenance up to the 24,000 miles that are on it and I havent had any trouble out of it which is a shock compared to my previous 2005 Chevy Malibu and 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix which were both in the shop all the time. I will definitely continue to buy Kia.

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  Rollerskate - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Great Car - March 20 - 6:36 am

  32K and runs like a charm. My commuter car, comfortable, reliable (no squeaks, rattles, repairs). Great value. Would buy another Kia in a second.

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  Economy Does Have To Be Uncomfortable - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By goldenauragirl - December 19 - 7:53 am

  I was used to a 6 cylinder and expected the car to be a lot less peppy. I was pleasantly surprised. I drove the 2 smallest cars from every Japanese and Korean automaker before I settled on this car. I found the interior of the Kia to be very comfortable.

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  surprising comfort and value - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By N. Bowles - October 31 - 3:46 am

  Bought this for my job in sales as my Range Rover and F-150 were gas guzzlers. I own or have owned many nice vehicles including an 04 Range Rover, 04 Mercedes E-320 and 00 Corvette convertible. I expected to "tolerate" this for the sake of efficiency. How wrong I was. My initial drive left me speechless at the refinement,velvety switchgear, and quiet cabin at cruise. Engine thrashes a bit at 4K rpm but not excessively for a 4 cylinder. Once at highway speed, noise is nicely quelled and a pleasure to drive. Ergonomics are excellent and visibility is great. Peppy engine, great brakes, and agile handling make this a sleeper. You will not find more bang for the buck than this car.

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  Its money in your wallet - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Blackstealth - October 25 - 7:53 pm

  I bought a 2006 Kia Spectra manual, ABS, sunroof, black. For a foreign car its great. Of course it is small but everything else is great. This car is the greatest on turns buta little slow on the go. The dealer though ripped me off!

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  Love My Spectra 5 - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By david - October 9 - 12:33 pm

  Hello. I bought my 2006 Spectra 5 brand new. I never owned a Korean made core but I am sold on them now. As long as they are made in Korea I would buy another Kia at the drop of a hat. If its made in USA I would have to give it some serious thought about purchasing it. I still dont think I would buy one if manufactured in USA sorry to say that but I just dont think the build quality will be the same. Look at Toyota its a nightmare. As for my Kia its never been back once to the dealer for any problems what so ever. I got the sunroof and its a five speed. I paid just about 15k and it was worth every penny. Love this car to death. If youre a single person it will work well for you!

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  fun to drive, excellent rear headroom - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Tim - September 30 - 1:50 am

  With the manual transmission, the Spectra5 is a fun car to drive, with decent acceleration & handling. (I thought the automatic was a little underpowered; maybe it just needed to be shifted into Low sometimes. But isnt the point of an automatic to do that automatically?) I ended up with power windows/locks (std), side air bags (std), ABS (opt), and sunroof (opt) for $1000 less than Id have gotten another car for -- without those features. Its amazing how many cars I ruled out because of too little rear headroom (my son & I are both >6); we both easily fit in the back of the Spectra5. (The headroom in the Spectra is the same, but I wanted something other than a basic 4-door sedan).

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  Excellent car - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Shahed - September 5 - 3:03 am

  Better than any of its class. Warranty is best. Why worry if you are backed by KIA. Lot better than Corolla or Honda. Low price compared to options you are getting. Nowhere can you find the safety or this class.

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  My Kia - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Mark - July 28 - 10:33 pm

  I have had this Spectra 2 weeks now and have my ideas down. This is a very well built vehicle, but being a stockier guy, the seats seem kind of narrow. If I am not sitting exactly square in the seat, it feels small. The car has enough pep for around town driving and runs well at highway speeds. Not much in the way of passing speeds, but it holds 70+ easily on the road. I am slightly concerned about the texture of the paint on the sides, it looks like maybe it has orange peel, but the dealership is going to check it out. Also having issues with the passenger seat airbag switch not always turning the airbag on.