![]() Fit and finish take on an Audi-esq attitude with high quality materials and upgraded amenities. Overall the rear end stays planted nicely, and despite skinny tires, provides a quite acceptable amount of grip.Īs for braking, even if average stops of 137 feet from 60-to-0 are a little long, the standard four-wheel-disc with available ABS and electronic brake-force distribution delivered a solid performance with a fair amount of pedal feedback.Īnd speaking of fair, the Spectra offers way more room and standards than you’d expect from a value priced sedan. Save for some mild understeer, the Spectra hammers through even high speed lane changes. The Spectra arrived at 60 in 8.7 seconds, and passed the quarter mile in 16.1 seconds at 85 miles-per-hour.Īnd though competing sedans like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic have quite a reputation to follow, the front drive Spectra earned its place next to them and proved nearly as nimble and quick. Though no road warrior, acceleration numbers do fit this sedan’s purpose of daily driving. Unfortunately, we found shifter action a little flabby, with the on-off clutch equally as lax with little feel. This energetic little motor is mated to our test car’s standard 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automatic. At 138 horsepower, it surpasses the previous Spectra by 14 horses, and cranks out an elevated 136 pound-feet of torque a 17-point jump. Speed sensitive power-rack-and-pinion steering, rare in this class, also adds to a fine list of equipment.Īnd motivating that ride is the Spectra’s new 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16 valve, in-line 4 cylinder with Kia’s first variable valve timing system. Standard front and rear anti-roll bars are included, too. The Spectra rides on struts and coil springs up front, and multi-link with struts and coils out back. On that score, to match its clean-edge style, the Spectra provides an equally sharp driving experience. But while overall length is down slightly, width and track widen for more interior room and stability. Cornered by 15-inch steel rims on the LX, and alloys on this EX, the Spectra’s wheelbase stretches two-inches to 102.8. From its larger grille, gaping lower air intake, and expressive headlight housings across the front, to its deeply etched side panels and wedgie rear, the Spectra has grown in style and size from tip to tail. In fact, other than the Spectra’s name, and the borrowed platform from its cousin Hyundai Elantra, this subcompact sedan is completely redesigned and restyled. Well, we think it is indeed Kia, and all the way to the bank! That’s because the 2005 Kia Spectra now offers a serious leap in features, quality, and pure value over its predecessor. But after quantum leaps in quality, content, and performance, Korean makers like Hyundai, Kia, and Daewoo are selling us more sub-compact and compact cars than Toyota. Flushing the coolant on a regular basis removes gunk and mineral deposits from your engine, while prolonging the life of your heater core, thermostat, hoses and water pump.Korean small cars used to be a big joke. If you spill coolant when you flush your Spectra, be sure to put down cat litter to soak it up to discard it. The video above shows you where the petcock on your radiator is located, how to flush the coolant / antifreeze and how to burp the system to get the air out of your Spectra.Ĭoolant is toxic and animals are attracted to the sweet taste of coolant (antifreeze). When you flush your coolant, which is antifreeze, on your 2005, you are draining out all of the old dirty coolant and preventing costly radiator and cooling system repair down the road. Like the oil in your Spectra, coolant gets dirty over time and loses its ability to cool down your 2.0 liter engine. Turn off the engine and drain the water, fill up the radiator with antifreeze until you have a 50/50 coolant / distilled water mixture and burp the system. Fill up the radiator with distilled water and run the engine. This video shows where the radiator drain plug (petcock) is located on a 2005 Kia Spectra. Start your coolant flush by draining the coolant / antifreeze that is in your reservoir, then drain the coolant that is in your radiator by opening the petcock or removing the lower radiator hose. ![]() In addition to preventing your car from overheating, coolant / antifreeze also helps lubricate the seals in the water pump and hoses. Coolant / antifreeze also passes through the heater core under your cowl to provide heat to the cabin of your Spectra. Coolant / antifreeze circulates through Spectra radiator and engine to maintain the proper temperature. Learn how to flush the coolant (antifreeze) in your 2005 Kia Spectra.
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