2001 Kia Sephia/Spectra: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Larger and costlier than Kia's Rio, these subcompacts share a basic 4-dr design and 1.8-liter 4-cyl engine. Sephia comes in base and fancier LS sedans, Spectra in GS and uplevel GSX hatchbacks with slightly different styling and equipment. Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes are optional for Sephia LS and Spectra GSX. All models get larger front disc brakes for 2001, and Sephias add front seatbelt pretensioners, rear child-seat anchors, and in-trunk emergency release. Kia's Long Haul Warranty duplicates the Hyundai Advantage program. Kia is owned by Hyundai. Coverage is 5 years/60,000 mi. basic, 10/100,000 powertrain, and 5/100,000 against corrosion, with 5 years/unlimited mi. roadside assistance.

COMPETITION

A perennial favorite, the Honda Civic, is new and better than ever. We love the wide range of bodystyles, engines, and equipment. Civic is a solid car that has good performance, a nice ride, and a high degree of civility. New last year was the Ford Focus. Though we loved almost everything about the Focus, we were reluctant to rank it a Best Buy because it was new from the ground up. After a year of living with a ZTS model, we can say that the reliability is good. Focus ranks a notch below Civic in some areas but costs less. Topping the crowded Recommended list are the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta. They easily could be Best Buys as they are better than the Civic in many ways. However, they are also the most expensive cars in this segment. Other Recommended choices include the no-frills Dodge Neon and Toyota Echo, the slightly-upscale Nissan Sentra, and the roomy Mazda Protege. If you are looking for a budget buy, the Hyundai Accent offers a lot for your dollar, however, it's not as refined as more-expensive competitors.