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Wagons Kia Spectra/Spectra5 Kia Spectra5
461 messages, Last post on Dec 09, 2008 at 10:15 AM
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I'm also getting a consistent 22 mpg, though I have less than 3000 miles on my car and almost all of my driving is local stop-and-go traffic in Washington, DC. When I venture on to the highway (which is rare), I've gotten over 30 mpg. Other than that, I have no complaints. Sure, the car isn't perfect (a few small rattles, a stiff ride), but it's so fun to drive. I only wish I lived somewhere with less traffic so that I could have even more fun! Knock on wood that this car will be reliable over the long run... |
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Replying to: tmport (Aug 12, 2007 4:33 am) 
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Replying to: jcj8008 (Sep 03, 2007 9:50 am) |
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Replying to: jcj8008 (Sep 03, 2007 9:50 am) |
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I have a 2007 Spectra5 SX. I did my homework on the internet with regard to price and consumer comments. Before buying, I looked at comparable models from Toyota and Mazda and kept returning to the KIA. What brought me back was; price, warranty and the way the car was equipped for the money spent. I then shopped several KIA dealers and had some interesting experiences. I had stopped into a dealer near my home for my first hands on look and road test. This dealership had a nice easy going approach and I never felt pressured in any way. This same dealership even let me take the car home for a three day test drive with no strings attached. Two other dealers had different tactics. One dealer in particular made me feel like I was back in the 80’s with a real high pressure approach, free 32” LCD widescreen TV (with any KIA purchase) and a “buyers club” which consisted of several hundred dollars of add-on stuff which the dealer had already installed on their vehicles. The third dealer was somewhere in between the other two. When it was all said and done, I returned to the easy going dealer which I first visited and asked if the car I test drove was still available (it was). I then set down and talked price. This particular model (Spectra5 SX) has everything except a sunroof. I negotiated an out the door price of 17K (to the penny) which included everything (including sales tax, tag and title. I also made them go one step further and they switched the oil to synthetic before I took delivery. This price was thousands of dollars less than a similar equipped Mazda or Toyota and the closest any of the other local KIA dealers could come was 2,500 more than what I paid. The High Pressure dealership started out 5K higher and worked their way down in 500 dollar increments as I walked out. The closer I got to the door the more the price dropped. As I was about to leave and opened the door of my car, they got down to their lowest rock bottom price and that was still 3K more than the quote I already had. I asked the salesman if he thought the nitrogen in their tires and some add-on window shades were really worth 3K. He shook his head no and thanked me for “stopping by.” My experience so far has been one of simple joy. When driven conservatively, the car gets excellent fuel economy. I am satisfied with the pep & pick-up and more than satisfied with the overall handling and performance. I am 6’ 1” tall and my wife is 5 feet tall. Some past cars proved to be a problem when switching drivers, but not the KIA. Although a power driver’s seat would make things slightly easier, we switch back and forth with no problems or hassles. When I had about 350 miles on the car, I stopped into the selling dealership’s service center and introduced myself to the service manager. He asked if I was having any problems and I informed him that everything was fine and that I just wanted to come by and meet him prior to needing any service or repairs. It was seemingly a slow day for him and he took me on a tour of the shop, introduced me to the Service Writer (the guy who handles the initial write-up in the driveway) and even sent my car back to be washed and detailed (free of charge). It probably helped that (in my former life) I have been a line mechanic, shop foreman, service writer and service manager for foreign cars (VW, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Rolls Royce Volvo and Subaru). I came away with a more than favorable impression of the dealership’s service department. The service manager answered several candid questions which I posed about warranty and reliability issues. It is fair to say, not all dealerships are equal. I promise to make further posts after my 3K service and as I rack up more miles behind the wheel.
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a few months ago, i bought a 2005 spectra w/16k mi...it looked perfect. while i havent had any major problems, ive had some small annoying things that i feel a newish car shouldnt have (ive always had impeccable japanese cars with perfect fit & finish). for example, ive had the screws/bolts for driver's seat tightened (annoying squeaking noise), the passenger's window makes a clicking sound when rolling up, now passenger's seat is squeaking, and the hood often vibrates when engine idles (but goes away when shift to nuetral). The dealer seems to be shady: the Gaithersburg, MD King Kia dealership strongly hinted to me that if i ever required engine or transmission warranty service, it would greatly help my case if i had regular dealer-provided oil changes. i know this cant be the case, but im weary of Kia's long-term reliability, so ensuring the validity of my warranty is worth the extra $10 that the dealer charges for oil changes. also, ive had miserable gas mileage. I've gotten as low as 18mpg in the city (!!!), although the average is 22-25mpg. highway mileage ranges from about 29-33. for comparison's sake, i recently drove a nissan versa rental for 2 weeks, and i REALLY liked it, especially the ease of steering...Spectra's wheel, while a bit smaller, is stiffer & harder to turn. Versa has GREAT gas mileage...I got 30mpg in the city with a HEAVY lead foot (read: I kicked the living crap out of that rental and it still got me 30mpg in the city). the spectra has better initial acceleration, thanks to huge low-end torque, but I found the versa to be more athletic at higher speeds. the versa has an override mode, something the spectra lacks. but the spectra has a CVVT transmission, and so shifting gears is smooth and seamless, although it does not result in any better fuel economy over the vera's "standard" transmission. the versa is a bit smaller than the spectra, but its taller and the rear seats fold down, so it probably has more cargo capacity. the spectra has some nice touches, like bits of cloth on the door panels and a center-storage console/arm rest that are HUGE oversights in the versa. the spectra uses softer plastics on the console & dash, verses the versa's (ha!) hard & cheap plastics, esp on radio & air control knobs. also, the spectra has some thoughtful touches, like auto-off headlights, engine temperature gauge, illuminated ignition key switch, above-head sunglass storage apparatus, rear cup holders, ceiling and door-mounted courtesy lights, and one-touch trunk-release button. some of vera's well-thought-out features include one-touch down AND up driver's window button (why isn’t this standard on all new cars?), in-dash tire pressure warning light, and impeccable fit & finish (no rattles, squeaks, or other unusual in-cabin noise). While im not regretting my decision to buy a spectra, its clear that kia can still learn a lot from its Japanese competitors. All it takes is a bit more attention to detail, because otherwise, I believe kia can have a superior product vis-à-vis similar Japanese cars. |
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| does anyone know how to remove the mirror from the housing (passenger side view mirror)? | |
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