2002 Kia Spectra Full Review - Consumer Guide Automotive

Spectra is the larger and costlier of Kia's two subcompact cars. It comes as a sedan and hatchback with a 4-cyl engine, manual or automatic transmission, and optional antilock 4-wheel disc brakes. The sedan was previously called the Sephia. Exterior and interior styling is slightly revised for 2002 and a driver-side lumbar support and automatic on/off headlights are among new features. Kia also adds sound-deadening measures in an effort to reduce noise levels. Side airbags are unavailable. Kia is owned by Hyundai and carries that South Korean automaker's warranty coverage: 5-years/50,000-mi. basic, 10/100,000 powertrain, 5/unlimited roadside assistance.

Competition

A perennial favorite, the Honda Civic, is as good as 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. We also love almost everything about the Ford Focus, but 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. However, they are among the most expensive cars in this segment. Other Recommended choices include the no-frills Toyota Echo, the sporty Nissan Sentra, and the roomy Mazda Protege.

News

Spectra used to be the slightly sportier hatchback spinoff of the Sephia sedan, but Kia's larger subcompacts are all Spectras as of 2002. On a year-to-year basis, these cars dropped 4.1 percent in combined sales for the first nine months of 2001. Sephia was off 21.8 percent, which may explain why that name has been dropped. Spectra soared an amazing 126 percent, but that's misleading, as the hatchback wasn't sold for nine months in 2000.

A redesign had been rumored for '02, but that obviously hasn't happened. Just when it will is unclear, but some reports now say model-year 2006 at the earliest. Whenever it occurs, the new Spectra will be a platform cousin of parent Hyundai's next-generation Accent, also expected for '06.

2002 Kia Spectra Road Test

Pros	Cons

Fuel economy	Acceleration (automatic)

	Noise

	Rear-seat room

	Cargo room

Consumer Guide® Road Test Ratings

Acceleration

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
4	3	3.7

Pretty ordinary even for the budget league. Test sedan did 0-60 mph in 9.2 sec with manual transmission; automatic version takes about 11.2 sec and is prone to jolting downshifts.

Fuel Economy

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
6	6	6.7

Also unremarkable at 22.7 mpg, though that included performance tests and lots of city driving. Expect slightly higher mileage in more mixed driving.

Ride Quality

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
3	3	4.1

OK, but excessive tire thump detracts from comfort on corrugated freeways.

Steering/Handling/Braking

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
3	5	4.9

Generally pleasant. Quick, responsive steering. Abrupt throttle changes can induce unwanted driveline rocking, however. Braking OK without ABS, much better with; marked nosedive in hard stops, regardless.

Quietness

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
3	3	3.6

Wind noise surprisingly modest at highway speeds, but engine is mostly loud and coarse, and there's marked tire rumble except on smooth pavement.

Controls

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
6	6	5.6

Bland, but orderly and convenient, with generously sized controls. Recent test cars have been tight and rattle-free with nice-looking, well-detailed interiors.

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
5	5	4.4

Plenty of leg room and seat travel, plus good head and shoulder clearance. To some of our testers, seats are not long-haul comfortable.

Room/Comfort (rear)

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
3	3	3.2

Subcompact-normal, with just adequate leg and head room, insufficient width for three adults not to be cramped, and slightly restricted entry/exit.

Cargo Room

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
2	3	3.3

Tight, but available space is quite usable. Rear seatbacks fold to extend the load floor, but don't lock, so cargo can't be fully locked away in either body style.

Value within Class

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
2	2	4.7

Spectra is a better value in every way than Kia's Rio, at not that much more money. It's a generally competent car overall too, though Kia's customer-satisfaction ratings and resale values are quite low. Bottom line: Kia banks on its comprehensive warranty to attract buyers.

Total Score

LS sdn, man.	GSX w/ABS, auto.	Class Average
37	39	44.2

Scores for all Compact Cars

Low Score		31
Average Score		44
High Score		61

2002 Kia Spectra Prices & Equipment

Model Prices

Prices Updated: 11/27/2001

Trim Name	Retail Price	Dealer Invoice	Destination Charge

Base 4-door sedan, manual	$10,995	$9,996	$495

Base 4-door sedan, automatic	$11,970	$10,856	$495

GS 4-door hatchback, manual	$11,395	$10,396	$495

GS 4-door hatchback, automatic	$12,370	$11,256	$495

LS 4-door sedan, manual	$12,595	$11,359	$495

LS 4-door sedan, automatic	$13,570	$12,219	$495

GSX 4-door hatchback, manual	$13,595	$12,395	$495

GSX 4-door hatchback, automatic	$14,570	$13,255	$495

Pricing Key: Retail prices listed with each report are set by the vehicle's manufacturer. These figures appear on each car's federally mandated window sticker. Most price lists also include dealer-invoice prices. Dealer-invoice prices are what the dealer pays the manufacturer for the car and its factory-installed options. The destination charge is not included in the suggested-retail or dealer-invoice price and must be added to the cost of the vehicle. Car companies change prices frequently throughout the year. If the prices published do not match those on the vehicle's window sticker, the manufacturer has probably altered the price recently.

NA = price note available, NC = no charge.

Rebates and Incentives

There are no rebates or incentives at this time.

Consumer Guide®'s Rebates and Incentives represent a summary of national manufacturer programs available. Regional restrictions may apply, and offerings may vary by model. For a complete list of Rebate & Incentive programs click here.

Standard Equipment

Base/GS

Powertrain

1.8-liter dohc 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.

Safety

Dual front airbags.

Comfort and Convenience Features

Power steering, cloth upholstery, front bucket seats, driver-seat height and lumbar adjustment, center console, cupholders, split folding rear seat, AM/FM/cassette, rear defogger, visor mirrors, map lights, remote fuel-door/decklid release, intermittent wipers, automatic headlights.

Appearance and Miscellaneous

185/65R14 tires, wheel covers.

LS adds to Base/GS:

Comfort and Convenience Features

Air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, power windows, power door locks, upgraded sound system, tachometer.

Appearance and Miscellaneous

Fog lights.

GSX adds to LS:

Comfort and Convenience Features

Tilt leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated power mirrors.

Appearance and Miscellaneous

Rear spoiler, alloy wheels.

Optional Equipment

Major Packages	Retail Price	Invoice Price
Cruise Pkg.
LS, GSX	$275	$225
Cruise control, variable-intermittent wipers.

Safety
Antilock brakes
LS, GSX	$800	$745
Includes 4-wheel disc brakes.

Comfort and Convenience Features
Air conditioning
Base, GS	$960	$805


AM/FM/CD player
GS, LS, GSX	$295	$245


CD changer
LS, GSX	$335	$270
Requires AM/FM/CD player.

Rear wiper/washer
GS, GSX	$125	$95


Floormats
Base/GS, GSX, LS	$79	$60


Appearance and Miscellaneous
Rear spoiler
Base, GS, LS	$200	$160


Bodyside moldings
Base, GS	$85	$60
Std. LS, GSX.

Alloy wheels
LS	$360	$294

2002 Kia Spectra Specs & Safety

Vehicle Dimensions

Specification	Kia Spectra 4-door sedan	Kia Spectra 4-door hatchback

Wheelbase, in.	100.8	100.8

Overall Length, in.	177.6	178.1

Overall Width, in.	67.9	67.9

Overall Height, in.	56.1	56.1

Curb Weight, lbs.	2661	2686

Cargo Volume, cu. ft.	10.4	11.6

Standard Payload, lbs.	--	--

Fuel Capacity, gals.	13.2	13.2

Seating Capacity	5	5

Front Head Room, in.	39.6	39.6

Max. Front Leg Room, in.	43.1	43.1

Rear Head Room, in.	37.6	36.6

Max. Rear Leg Room, in.	34.4	34.4

Specifications Key: NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.

Engines

	dohc I4

Size, liters/cu. in.	1.8 /109

Horsepower @ rpm.	126 @ 6000

Torque (lb-ft) @ rpm.	108 @ 4500

Availability	Standard

EPA City / highway mpg

5-speed manual	24/32

4-speed automatic	22/30

Engine Key: l/cu in. = liters/cubic inches; ohv = overhead valve; ohc = overhead camshaft; dohc = dual overhead camshaft; I = inline cylinders; H = horizonally opposed cylinders; V = cylinders in a V configuration; W = cylinders in a W configuration; rpm = revolutions per minute; CVT = continuously variable (automatic) transmission; NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.

Safety Features

Antilock Brakes

Traction Control

Antiskid System

Front Side Airbags

Curtain Side Airbags

Rear Side Airbags

NHTSA Crash-Test Results

Test	Kia Spectra 4-door sedan	Kia Spectra 4-door hatchback

Front Impact, Driver	4	NA

Front Impact, Passenger	4	NA

Rollover Resistance	4	NA

Side Impact, Driver	3	NA

Side Impact, Rear Passenger	3	NA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a vehicle's worthiness in front- and side-impact collisions and rates its resistance to rollovers. Front-impact crash-test numbers indicate the chance of serious injury: 5 = 10% or less; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-35%; 2 = 35-45%; 1 = More than 45%. Side-impact crash-test numbers indicate: 5 = 5% or less; 4 = 6-10%; 3 = 11-20%; 2 = 21-25%; 1 = More than 26%. Rollover resistance numbers indicate the chance for rollover when the vehicle leaves the roadway: 5 = Less than 10%; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-30%; 2 = 30-40%; 1 = More than 40%.

Manufacturer's Warranty

Class	Years/Miles	Comments

Powertrain	10/100,000	--

Bumper-to-bumper	5/60,000	--

Corrosion	5/100,000	--

Free roadside assistance	5/unlimited	--

Free scheduled maintenance	None/--	--

Manufacturers may periodically offer additional coverage as a purchase incentive. There offers are not reflected on this chart. The federal government requires two other warranties. The Exhaust Emission Warranty covers corrosion-related parts for 2 years/24,000 miles, plus 8 years/80,000 miles on the catalytic converter and any on-board diagnostic device. The Passenger Restraint Warranty covers seat belts and airbags for 5 years/50,000 miles.

Built in: South Korea

Drivewheels: front-wheel drive

< 2002 Kia Spectra Photos

Also in the 2002 Kia Spectra Review:

Kia Spectra

Kia Spectra Road Test

Kia Spectra Prices & Equipment

Kia Spectra Specs & Safety

Kia Spectra Photos

Kia Spectra Full Review

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