Overview & Reviews

People buy compact economy cars because they're affordable and fuel-efficient, but the secret to building a great econobox is to make it look, feel and drive like a more expensive car than it really is. Kia never quite managed to do that with its now-defunct Spectra, though its replacement, the Forte is considerably closer to this ideal.

The original Kia Spectra hatchback and sedan were unrefined, underpowered and cheaply constructed. They reinforced the cheap-car image Americans held at the time regarding Korean cars. But the second-generation Spectra sedan and Spectra5 four-door hatchback counterpart moved up the scale considerably in terms of style, substance and refinement. However, the Spectra was still at the bottom of the crowded economy sedan segment when it was put out to pasture after the 2009 model year. If you just need wheels on the cheap, a used Spectra could satisfy, but we'd recommend anteing up for a more sophisticated rival.

Most Recent Kia Spectra

The most recent (second-generation) Kia Spectra was sold from midway through the 2004 model year through 2009. It was a compact sedan or (as of 2005) a hatchback that could seat four comfortably and five in a pinch. Both body styles featured a 138-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that provided spirited performance around town but felt a little winded during highway passing maneuvers. A standard five-speed manual transmission routed power to the front wheels, and a four-speed automatic was optional.

The sedan was offered in three trim levels -- LX, EX and SX. The Spectra5 hatchback was available in a single SX trim. The LX was bare-bones, but the EX boasted air-conditioning, a CD stereo, full power accessories and keyless entry. The SX model added upgraded interior and exterior trim, along with firmer suspension tuning and bigger wheels and tires. The Spectra's safety features included standard front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and four-wheel disc brakes. Antilock brakes were optional.

In reviews, we generally praised the Kia Spectra for its lengthy list of standard equipment, user-friendly cabin design, decent build and materials quality, smooth ride and competent handling. Criticisms included the engine's lack of pep at high speeds, disappointing real-world fuel economy, and steering that was a tad sloppy. Those looking for a used second-generation Spectra should note that resale values are quite low, so good deals will likely be easy to find.

Past Kia Spectra Models

The first-generation Kia Spectra was launched in the 2000 model year as a four-door hatchback and was offered through the 2004 model year (with the changeover to the current model happening midyear). New to Kia's lineup, the four-door Spectra hatchback served as a more youthful and practical complement to the more pedestrian Sephia sedan, with which it shared its 124-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and major mechanicals. In 2002, Kia dropped the Sephia name altogether and began calling the sedan "Spectra" as well.

The Spectra hatchback originally came in two trim levels: GS and GSX. The base GS offered the essentials, little more than a CD player and a height- and lumbar-adjustable driver seat as standard (although air-conditioning became standard in '04). The GSX added A/C, power windows and locks, a tilt steering wheel and some body modifications intended to make it look sporty, while offering ABS, cruise control and a CD changer as options.

Once launched, the Spectra sedan carried over the Sephia's base and LS trim levels, which basically mirrored the hatchback's GS and GSX trims, respectively, in terms of features, save for the GSX hatchback's body modifications.

Editors at the time appreciated the Spectra's Lotus-tuned suspension, as it delivered decent handling and a smooth, if floaty, ride. Weak links included the brakes, tires and engine. Acceleration was sluggish at highway speeds, with a raucous engine note and unimpressive fuel economy. Inside, the Kia Spectra offered decent room for passengers, but materials quality and fit and finish were well below average. Anyone shopping for a used compact sedan or hatchback is advised to look elsewhere.

User Reviews:

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  Good and Bad - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By susiebelle - June 5 - 11:00 pm

  Car is cute, gets great gas mileage. I bought my car new. Had to change the tires by 30K Replaced brake pads and rotors twice. Replace battery. Driver side locks broken & sometimes wont unlock and I have to crawl through the passenger side. Driver side window roller broke, Alternator going out. Problem with steering system. Hatchback cover broke within a week. Rear window brake light is falling apart from sun damage (I live in Indiana & typically dont have this problem). Brake lights are a pain to change..have to remove whole back panel of car. Very lightweight car and blows around on windy day

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  Best Valued Commute Car! - 2008 Kia Spectra
  By themagicfarmer - June 5 - 6:07 pm

  Bought my 08 Spectra (with 18K on it) from an official Kia dealer about a year ago. No disappointment so far. The car has all necessary functions, basically powered everything, Air conditioning and so forth. Its built cheap but in a simple and neat fashion, plus designed with safety and accessibility in mind. Spacious, drivers seat, back seats and truck, every where. Kias service center is excellent too. They perform everything necessary, and never charge for pointless services, like mandatory car wash if serviced which many Honda dealers do. Its the type of shop you want to rely on. (my dealer is located 3 mins from where I live, Im happy!) To sum up, isnt it an ideal commute car?

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  Good and cheap to fix if you Know - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By Antonio Colon - May 22 - 2:00 am

  We have it since new and i am a drummer and have to travel a lot in PR the only problem that i had with it was the window that broke the power window cable and a small damage on the material of the seats that is weak.but for the rest is ok.

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  Just a piece of my mind - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By Omy - May 18 - 2:00 am

  While the car is beautiful in the outside and all I had to rate it low on performance because since I got the car, which by the way I bought it with only 21 miles on it, it has been giving me problems with the drivers side door window. The car has power everything and so the window opens by itself and many times while driving in the Highway, which scares me half to death.

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  A solid bargain - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By BobM - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Best car for the value, by far. On par with the Mitsubishi Gallant S I trade in for it. The warranty is a big plus. The ride is great, sound system superior to what I had with the Gallant. A pleasure to drive.

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  Small fun & reliable car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Julian - May 9 - 5:46 pm

  I own this car since 4/2/05 I just stop at the dealer looking for a different type of car and I saw this car and it got my attention.Im happy with the car great handling cool looks but I think it needs a better stereo and the engine is fast and peppy but it seems like needs more power.

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  A Great car for the price! - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By Joey P - May 9 - 12:06 am

  I did a lot of comparing to other cars when I went into the world of compact cars (I was seriously looking at cars like Corolla, Mazda 3, Focus, Civic, etc.). For the price of this car and what you get, I find that the Kia Spectra was the best choice for me. I was looking for an all around fuel effecient, comfortable, reliable get around town type of a car. The cabin is very comfortable, the style is nice and the car performs great! It has all the power options, a CD player, and even great tires! Im very happy with the Spectra. Im 6 tall and the driving is comfortable and the console is very user friendly. If youre looking, test drive a Spectra!

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  I bought a Lemon - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By Garcia - April 27 - 9:06 pm

  This would have been great, especially for the price. Unfortunately, I bought a lemon. The car needed an alignment when we test drove it. That should have been a sign. But we liked the car and what it had to offer compared to the other compact cars. So that was the first thing wrong with this car. The O-2 sensor has gone out twice in the car. The odometer messed up so the whole dash had to be replaced. Countless times the check engine light has come on supposedly because the gas cap was not closed right. When youd think wed learn the by the second time how to put on a gas cap. Now to top it off right now our car is in the shop because the transmission needs to be replaced. LEMON!

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  Excellent car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Rachel - April 27 - 5:23 pm

  This is a nice car for the money. We are very happy with ours. It seems like a very safe clean car - we love it.

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  Love this car! - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By Landon Stauffer - April 24 - 1:39 am

  I absolutely love the 2007 Kia Spectra LX. I bought it as my first car, and was absolutely amazed. It has a good amount of pep, and handles extremely well. Drives well at high speeds, accelerates pretty quickly, and is fun to drive. I am 58" and when i sat in it I felt like a hand in a glove, perfect fit. Great gas mileage, and very reliable. I had the car for two years, from 88,000 to 107,000 miles. I replaced the timing belt when I bought it, but other than that all I had to do was oil changes. I would have loved to keep the car forever, but the LX version does not have air conditioning, and I am soon moving to a hotter climate. Mine was manual, and I did have some problems down shifting into second, as it would grind, and I dont know if that was standard among this model or not. I had to slow down a lot more than normal standards in order to shift into second gear smoothly. Overall this car was amazing and after buying, I was extremely impressed with Kia, and this Spectra. From some other Kias that I have been in and this one, I see that Kia does a great job at making comfortable vehicles. Very reliable, comfortable, cost efficient, and just an overall great car!