Kia Spectra reviews

2000 Kia Spectra Walkaround

The Spectra's styling is pleasant. It looks vaguely derivative. The front end seems to owe a lot to the Ford Taurus, with elliptical headlamps and a central grille opening with a crossbar; a red Kia badge substitutes for Ford's blue oval. Between the clear-lens headlamps and the grille sit round high beams. Bulges in the sheetmetal that sweep back across the hood trail the high beam bezels. The front bumper is integrated into the body profile, its plastic cover encircling the cosmetic grille above the bumper and the larger, functional radiator opening below it. Bumpers and mirrors are body color, an upscale feature for a car in this price range. The Spectra's profile won't upset anyone. The windshield has an average rake, and the greenhouse comes out of the designer's standard playbook. A fine crease at door-handle height keeps the side from being too plain. Blacked-out B-pillars create the impression that the Spectra is coupe rather than a four-door sedan.

A winglet attached to the rear of the GSX suits the overall shape of the car, and a rear wiper/washer is optional on both the GS and GSX. The GSX gets front and rear air dams, door-sill extensions and spoked 6x14-inch alloy wheels with P185/65R14 Kumho radials.

The rear hatch is invisible from behind the car. On close inspection, the gap around the sides and top of the backlight is visible, but it's the only clue that the whole rear of the car opens up for access to a spacious cargo area.

Spectra's twin-cam 16-valve four-cylinder engine sits crosswise in the engine bay. It produces 125 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 108 foot-pounds of torque at 4500 rpm. That's less than the optional engine in some of Spectra's primary rivals, but considerably more than the competition's base engines.

The Spectra's suspension is impressive for this class of car. MacPherson struts are used up front while a multi-link arrangement is in place of the usual twist-beam rear axle in back. Front and rear anti-roll bars are standard. Lotus Engineering, creator of exotic, world-class sports cars, tuned the Spectra's suspension to optimize handling and ride quality. Rack-and-pinion steering is standard; power assist varies with engine-speed to firm up the steering at higher speeds. Both the GS and GSX feature vented disc brakes in front with drum brakes in the rear. Four-channel ABS is optional, but only on the GSX.