2004 Kia Spectra Review (continued)
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Walkaround

Bland is out. The new 2004 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, safe, conservative econo-box class.

The Spectra's face is more open, with a larger grille and lower air intake, the latter also split by one vertical divider, instead of the busier two of the previous generation. The EX's fog lights are now 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.

A sharp groove etched into the Spectra's side and running from directly over the front wheel well all the way to the hindmost portions of the rear quarter panel accentuates the wedge shape. Embedding the door handles in the groove reduces clutter. The added two inches of wheelbase appear to have been dedicated to widening the rear door opening. Clearly defined fender blisters add sportiness to the wheel openings. The beltline beneath the nicely arched side windows grows out of the front fender blister and runs past the rear side window where it draws a distinct line between the car's lower and upper body beneath a softer flowing sail. An understated rocker panel flares outward beneath the doors, visually pulling the car's body closer to the ground. 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.

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.

Badging is minimal, confined to a Kia logo centered in the grille and above the rear license plate.

Interior Features

Interiors, too, can be stylish and user friendly, and without being expensive.

Large expanses of textured materials give the new 2004 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 new Spectra, a promise the car delivers. Even over rough pavement, only the sounds of tires against pavement penetrated 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.

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 wheel rim is thick and easy to grip. The optional cruise control is managed by a multi-function stalk fixed to the wheel between the left spokes.

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, one large and one smaller storage bins sit beneath the stereo; in the EX, replacing the smaller bin is 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.

Seats are generally comfortable and covered in a quality fabric with 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. Rear seats aren't as contoured as the front but occupants enjoy an added inch of legroom over the previous model. Headroom front and rear is up an inch or two from the previous Spectra and equally above the primary competition, the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus; the last, though, bests the Spectra by a half inch in rear-seat headroom. Rear-seat legroom is on a par with competitors. One problem with the rear seat is the proximity of the rear wheel well to the door opening; inattention when climbing out can leave traces of road dust and dirt on slacks or skirt. In hip room, the Spectra gives front-seat occupants between an inch and four inches more than the competition and between four inches and seven inches in the back seat.

Only in trunk space does the new Spectra come in last, giving up between a half a cubic foot to slightly more than 1.5 cubic feet; it does, however, better its immediate predecessor by almost two cubic feet. The trunk floor and sides are finished, but grocery shoppers should beware of the gooseneck hinges that can crush items packed too tightly.

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 the EX, these have cup-sized rounds molded into the front portion. The EX also gets magazine nets on the back of the front seats.