Reader Review of the Week: 2007 Kia Spectra
Sometimes we see a reader review that is so spot on we wonder if we wrote it ourselves. After having the 2007 Kia Spectra in the Cars.com fleet recently, we pretty much agree with everything Idaho Guy from Boise, Idaho — shocker — is saying. Of course, we didn’t have as much real-world driving time and mileage figures. Nor do we usually name our test vehicles. Here’s to Phil, the winner of our no-prize attached Reader Review of the Week:
We’ve owned this new Spectra EX — named Phil — with a manual transmission for just over a month and have put on over 2500 miles — half of that being a week-long road trip. I am amazed by the standard features of this car: tire pressure monitoring, heated mirrors, six airbags, great stock stereo, four-wheel independent suspension with disc brakes on each corner.
Our mileage goal was 30+. Our best tank was 35.1 mpg and our worst was 29.7 mpg. With the 14.5 gallon tank we have an over-400-mile cruising range per tank. Mission accomplished.
My expectations were low for a car that cost us under $14K. How good could it be? In a word, great. This car is solid with no creaks or groans, peppy with the standard transmission (easily holds 75 mph uphill) and has really surprised me with the value that it offers.
Five years ago I would not have considered a Kia when reliability was questionable at best. But hats off to Kia; it has made great strides to improve the overall quality of its cars, and judging by our limited Spectra experience, it’s hit the mark.
Nits:
1) With all the standard features in the EX, it was surprising that cruise control was not one of them. Make cruise a standard feature, Kia.
2) I rated handling as average. This car exhibits a considerable amount of roll during relatively high-speed cornering. This is a drawback of a plush ride, which it is under normal driving conditions.
3) Resale value. We knew this one going in. Resale value of Kia automobiles is not good. But we do not plan to sell this car within the five-year/100,000-mile warranty period. We bought this car as a high mpg commuter with a commitment to keep it for a long time.
Overall:
I have no problem recommending this car to others. Phil is a solid five-star value.
