Over all this car was an excellent choice . Had it for a year now .We were looking for something roomy with great gas milege .We found it in this car . Handles Great as everyone else says .Its tough to pack for a trip in the small trunk ,maybe we will add a roof rack . I love the way the seats hug you and it handles quick turns like a whip! Fits a family of four very comfortably . Very happy with our choice .

The 2008 Kia Spectra5 is absolutely the best value on the market for a compact hatchback. I have primarily been a Ford and Toyota owner over the years and recently decided to trade in my 2 door 2005 Focus hatchback for a hatchback with 4 doors. I looked at the Mazda3, Toyota Matrix and the sub-compact offerings from Honda and Nissan. The sub-compacts were immediately ruled out because I am over 6' tall. The Toyota Matrix is a well made car, but I was not too keen on the exterior styling and it's pricey with the options I want. In my opinion the Mazda 3 has been the best in class hatchback for several years. It is beautifilly styled, has a refined interior and is a nice little performer. My only issue with the Mazda was, again, the price for the features that I wanted.

Frustrated by the high sticker prices, I was about to give up when I saw that the Kia Spectra5 had a great rebate on it (2K dollars). I then noticed one in a parking lot the next day and was surprised by how nice it looked...very much a nod to the Mazda3. Still skeptical of the brand name and it' reputation, I did some research online and saw some positive reviews. Why not give one a test drive?

I test drove one the following day and was completely blown away. The 2008 Kia Spectra5 is a very well made car, it's super styish and has standard features that cost a fortune when compared to the competition, especially with the leather trimmings, tilt wheel, added airbags, etc.. The first thing I noticed on the highways is that it is a LOT quieter than my 2005 Focus. My Focus picked up so much road noise that it even made cell phone calls dificult at times, especially using a bluetooth headset...seriously.

My only complaint after am onth of riving my new Spectra5 is the A/C. Once you get on the highway, it's great...even to the point that I have to turn it down on 100+ degree Texas days. The issue is at initial startup. It takes several minutes for it to cool down on a hot day. I basically have to get from my office to the freeway before it starts cooling sufficiently. The Focus would blow ice cold air within a few seconds. This is still a very minor complaint and probably somewhat unfair since we're in the middle of a serious heatwave in North Texas right now.

Overall, this is the best value on the market in terms of price, warranty (the dealer where I bought mine even extends the 10/100K warranty to lifetime powertrain!), standard features and quality. With the current rebates, it's an absolute no-brainer if you're in the market for a versatile hatchback.

I have had this car for nearly 3 months now and have put about 8000 miles on it. I call it the 'Zippy-Mobile' because it handles so well and has a lot more pep than its 4cyl would suggest. I drive mostly highway and have been getting 30-36mpg depending on traffic conditions. My husband has done some home renovations and the car has swallowed up cases of tile, lumber, and still had room for a few passengers.

2007 Spectra5 when compared to other hatches with comparable equipment is one of the best all around. While other reviewers comment negatively on the sound system, I mostly listed to CD's (6 CD Changer w/MP3 aux jack) and I find the sound is quite good with no improvement needed. Driving on Interstate at about 67MPH (using cruise control) produces around 35MPG, and road noise is non existent. Aluminum wheels standard vs hubcaps were plus, as was cruise control. Added Whethertech window visors for less than $100, easy to install yourself. Helps to keep car vented when parked outside on hot days (or for smokers which I am not). Overall a great little car (hatchback) with enough standard features and warranty for my needs. Love the sunny orange paint job.

Car handles excellent. Was the only vehicle i could find which was the combination of all the things i needed in a car with the price i could afford. The only "waggon" i felt comfortable in right away without having any obvious blind spots or feeling like the back window was a million miles away. This is the only car i have ever driven where i can see perfectly out of both side mirriors. It had all the features i was looking for and hopefully i will never need the warranty but it appears to be one of the best in the business.

This is my second Kia. I first had a Sedona minivan, which I loved. However, the minivan was not great on gas, and times called for me to "downgrade" and get a more fuel efficient vehicle. I made a good choice. Although I miss the space of my minivan (I took the middle bench out to have extra room for my dogs), and the power (that minivan could GO), I don't miss the frequent trips to the pumps. I can get three Labs in my little Spectra 5 with no problem, plus put groceries in the back. This car definitely meets my needs. I liked the Spectra 5 wagon much better than the Spectra sedan. I had no problems with my Sedona. The Kia's are good cars.

THIS IS THE BEST HANDLING CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN.LOTS OF PEP.FUEL MILEAGE IS GOOD.A GREAT WARRANTY.I THINK WE GOT A GREAT DEAL,AND SO FAR MY WIFE AND I LOVE THIS CAR.

I just bought a 2008 model. I had to drive it home over 200 miles on the highway and handled great. At higher speeds for almost 2 hours I found that the noise was very tolerable. I got 34 mpg on the first tank, which was mostly highway. Now driving to work and such has been mostly city driving and I got 27 mpg. That's a lot more than what I was getting in my 2004 Jeep Liberty. The radio I got is the 6 disc MP3 built in changer. Nice radio, easy to use. Now being a musician, I'm kind of picky about the sound. Even after adjusting the bass and what not, speakers still sound rather hollow. I do have an Aux input that came with it and my mp3 player does make it sound better. So that tells me that the sounds that the radio produces doesn't do the job. The only downside I see outside of the radio would be the transmission. I think that the auto transmission needs to have the shiftable add on to it. My wife just bought the Kia Sedona and it has it, so why not all the models? Other than that, great car, great price, really enjoy it.

You would think based on the engine, weight and overall size of this auto the fuel economy would be closer to 28 to 36 mpg instead of an average rating of 23 to 30 mpgTurning radius is superb. I drove this car on a trip to Florida and averaged 26 mpg on all interstate. I expected much better. Overall this auto is a great bargain based on what you get and the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty on the drive train. When a company stands behind their product such as that I feel safe making the purchase. I would like to see many items such as rain guards and bug deflectors offered by auto parts houses other than KIA dealerships. You pay much more for those through the dealer. I have been very fortunate in my area because we have an outstanding service department where I purchased my Spectra5. I am very satisfied with this car other than gas mileage. Still a good bargain for the price.

I just made my second payment and have already put almost 5000mi. on it and I absolutely love this car. It really makes my 80mi round trip commute to work a pleasure. And it looks cool too.just wish they put better spekers in it but that is a small price to pay for the exceptional value of this car.If you are looking at a car in this class take a real hard look at this one.This is my second spectra by the way. I bought my wife an '04.5 to drive to detroit every day for class.It has 95000 on it now and besides a shift cable have not had any maintenace issues.