#1 Cochran Automotive

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Walk Around

The Kia Spectra makes a styling statement, not a busy, fussy one, but one that's clean, with sculpted character lines and interesting surface planes that set the car apart from the look-alike, safely conservative econo-box class.

The EX model's fog lights are round, adding perceived height to the front end. Headlight housings taper upward at the outer edges, drawing the eye more naturally into the hood's increased slope. The sporty EX and Spectra5 are distinguished by a more assertive front end highlighted by a black mesh grille, blacked-out headlight surrounds and a deeper front spoiler.

A sharp groove etched into the side accentuates Spectra's wedge shape. Embedding the door handles in the groove reduces clutter. Clearly defined fender blisters add sportiness to the wheel openings. One stylistic hiccup is the rear fender blister, which isn't as well proportioned to the surrounding body panel as is the front blister and leaves the rear wheel looking undersized. Badging is minimal, confined to a Kia logo centered in the grille and above the rear license plate.

On the sedan, the arched roof flows gently into the deck via a soft, flowing sail panel. Then the back end draws all the various geometrics into a pleasing departure. The backlight (rear windscreen) is more steeply sloped, flowing more smoothly into a shorter deck. The deck lid ends in a sharp crease filling the arc between the large, angular taillights, from which it drops almost vertically from a slight indentation to the fully integrated rear bumper fascia. A large depression scooped out of the vertical trunk panel houses the rear license plate.

The Spectra5 makes a bolder statement. It's nearly six inches shorter than the sedan, and exactly the same height, but its roof extends almost to its rear bumper, falling gently in height as it does, and visually separating from the more rapidly declining tops of the windows. The roof terminates in a bulky spoiler that looks as if it could actually enhance fuel economy while keeping the rear window clean. There are no quarter windows behind the rear door glass, although on the Spectra5 a black plastic panel visually extends the door windows into the sail panel. The result, in our eyes, is less than aesthetically pleasing, with neither the distinctive identity of the Golf, the breezy style of the Mazda3, nor the sexy sass of the Elantra hatchback offered by Hyundai a few years ago. But Kia says the shape maximizes interior volume.

Interior

2007 Kia Spectra

The Kia Spectra proves that interiors can be stylish and user friendly without being expensive. Its cabin features an organic design that's pleasant to look at. It feels like a compact, but doesn't feel cheap. Everything is easy to operate with no awkward or annoying traits.

Large expanses of textured materials give the Spectra's dash a quality look. The same large expanses make for fewer seams and joints that inevitably will come to squeak as they work against each other, and this, plus good sound deadening, promises quiet times for people riding in the Spectra. Even over rough pavement, only the sounds of tires against road penetrate the cabin. The look is quality, too, with a dark color over a lighter shade, giving the cabin an open feeling while minimizing reflected dash-top glare in the windshield. Door panels are finished with textured plastic panels and soft fabric insets that add to the openness. Splashes of metal-finish trim, including aluminum-trimmed pedals, brighten the interiors of the SX sedan and Spectra5.

The instruments, large, round speedometer and tachometer and smaller fuel and water temperature gauges, fill a deep-set pod easily viewed through the four-spoke steering wheel. The rim of the steering wheel is thick and easy to grip.

The radio sits high in the center stack, below two large adjustable vents separated by an intuitively positioned hazard warning button, above which are positioned two smallish screens with digital clock and seatbelt warning displays. Stereo controls are easy to read and use, save for the tuning function, a large rocker switch that scrolls at a fixed, agonizingly slow rate up or down through the frequencies.

In the LX, two storage bins sit beneath the stereo; in the EX, SX, and Spectra5, the smaller of the two bins is replaced by a row of sizable buttons, only one of which does anything, namely, turning the rear window defogger on or off. Across the lower area of the center stack are the climate control knobs: large, round and basic, with tactile feel surprisingly consistent for an economy car. At the left end of the lower dash panel are readily accessible switches for opening the trunk and adjusting the dash lights above yet another storage bin.

The center console houses two cupholders and a bin forward of the shift lever fitted with a grippy pad. Two more cupholders fold out of the rear of the center console for use by rear-seat occupants. Molded map pockets run the length of the front door bottoms; in all but the LX, these have cup-sized rounds molded into the front portion. The EX, SX, and Spectra5 also get magazine nets on the back of the front seats.

Seats are generally comfortable and covered in a quality fabric; they have adjustable head restraints, save for the rear center position. Front seat bottoms could be deeper, however, with more thigh support. The center console armrest is high enough for elbows but too far rearward. The Spectra is roomier than most cars in the class. Headroom and hip room are better than the primary competition: the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus. Other than in rear-seat headroom, passenger dimensions in the Spectra sedan and Spectra5 are the same.

Visibility out front is good, thanks in part to the height-adjustable driver's seat; from the front passenger seat, the hood slopes down steeply enough to disappear from sight. To the sides and rear, the sedan's tall glass house and slim sails ease parking and quick maneuvers in traffic. We haven't tried the Spectra5, but we have to suspect that it has a blind spot in its rear quarters.

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

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