Rear seats aren't as contoured as the front, but occupants enjoy good legroom and headroom. Rear headroom is above most of the class, there's a lot more hip room, and legroom is on par, though a couple of inches short of the roomy Focus. One problem with the Spectra's rear seat is the proximity of the rear wheel well to the door opening; inattention when climbing out can leave traces of road dust and dirt on slacks or skirt.
Trunk space is not the Spectra's best feature. At 12.2 cubic feet, the Spectra sedan is at the low end of the class, though the differences are not dramatic. The trunk floor and sides are finished, but grocery shoppers will learn to beware the gooseneck hinges that can crush items when packed too tightly. The Spectra5's hatchback body expands cargo space to 18.3 cubic feet.
The Kia Spectra is not a hot rod, but its performance is respectable. Power output is generally well above the competition's. Acceleration is good, better with the manual than with the automatic, of course, but the automatic offers more than adequate power even for high-speed, long-distance cruising. (Models with automatic transmissions sold in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont offers slightly less power due to those states' stricter emission standards; on the other hand, they qualify as Super Low Emissions Vehicles.)
Downshifts with the automatic transmission could be smoother, however. Also, we found it too easy to select 3rd gear instead of Drive when shifting out of Park or Reverse.
The Spectra is an economy car with a four-cylinder engine, so occupants are going to hear engine buzz under hard acceleration in the lower gears (with both the manual and automatic transmissions). Only while cruising in the top gears do things truly quiet down. Which they do, and quite well, as road noise and other mechanical sounds are remarkably mute, in the base LX as well as in the up-level models. For the most part, wind noise is minimal, too, except for an occasional low moan from the front passenger's side window in strong, left-to-right crosswinds.
Ride quality is solid, not too firm. We found a daylong 400-mile drive wasn't unusually tiring.
Handling and steering are good in the LX and EX, considering the car's height and its tallish tires. Put another way, the alloy wheels deliver more in looks than performance. When pushed, the car eases into understeer (plowing), which is common for front-wheel-drive economy cars.
We haven't tried the Spectra5 or the sporty SX sedan. Both come with a strut-tower brace to stiffen the unit-body, and heavier-duty springs and shocks biased more for handling and less for ride comfort. If nothing else, these sporty models' P205/50R16 tires (compared P195/60R15 for the LX and EX) should sharpen steering response and pump up cornering power.
The brake pedal in the test car was a bit mushy, but not enough to cause concern.
The 2005 Kia Spectra is a good representation of just how far South Korea's car makers have come in terms of design, quality and technology since the days of the infamous Hyundai Excel. Fit and finish in this economy car is on a par with the best in the class. Styling is sharp and distinctive. Power and economy mesh well. Comfort and convenience are fully featured. We could drive one of these every day and be happy. The new Spectra SX promises a sportier driving experience, while the Spectra5 delivers the added utility of a hatchback.
New Car Test Drive correspondent Tom Lankard reports from Northern California; with nctd.com editor Mitch McCullough in Southern California.
