- 2009
2008 Kia Spectra5
- Used Kia Spectra5
Exterior - What the Auto Press Says
The Spectra5's sleeker appearance should appeal to younger drivers, but its design also hits some low notes. As the Detroit News writes, the hatchback is "not a dog in the looks department … but the Spectra5 isn't a purebred either."
Several reviewers report the Spectra5's appearance is reminiscent of other compact wagons. Cars.com says the hatch is "equal to Vibe and Matrix in fashionable styling," while the Detroit News notes the Spectra5 "looks sporty without being ostentatious."
Another Detroit News reviewer is not as impressed. "The Koreans went overboard in throwing just about everything they could think of on it," they note, "it reminds me of the old fashion advice that you should get dressed and then remove one item. Kia should have done that." Edmunds agrees that Kia could have left off a specific design element in favor of practicality -- because the "super-low" front spoiler is easy to damage. "We know how to work around them … take the ramps at the appropriate angle and don't rip the spoiler off," they write. "Unfortunately, this is a lesson that hasn't translated to the Spectra5. Its spoiler has suffered not one, but three casualties at our merciless hands."
