2006 Kia Spectra Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
Kia has come a long way over the years, improving its quality and refinement, while boosting safety features and retaining the overall...
Kia has come a long way over the years, improving its quality and refinement, while boosting safety features and retaining the overall economic value of its cars. The 2006 Kia Spectra is a popular compact economy car for its combination of great fuel economy, surprising roominess, and perky handling around city streets. There are minor changes for 2006, including a redesigned auto tran and standard cruise control on the sporty SX sedan and Spectra5 wagon.
The 2006 Kia Spectra comes as either a sedan (LX, EX, and SX) or Spectra5 hatchback. All have a 2.0-liter, 138-hp I4 engine. A 5-speed manual is standard across the line, and a 4-speed automatic is offered on all but the LX. As the base model, the 2006 Spectra LX comes with few standard features beyond air conditioning, cloth seats, and a tilt steering wheel. The EX greatly expands its feature set, offering full power accessories, keyless entry, a CD player, and heated mirrors. Both the SX sedan and the Spectra5 wagon are more sports-oriented, with a stiffer suspension, sport seats, bigger 16-inch wheels, front and rear spoilers, leather steering wheel, blacked-out grille, and foglights. A sunroof and ABS brakes are optional only on these two trims.
All of the 2006 Spectra models come with split-fold rear seats and six cupholders. Dual front-side and side-curtain airbags are standard for all trims. The Spectra5 folds down to offer up to 52.8 cubic feet of space. Though the 2.0-liter engine is noisy when revving up to high speeds on the highway, the overall handling is light and sporty, making it a zippy city car. At 25/34 mpg, it's also an economical car too. Drivers of the 2006 Spectra overwhelmingly love the cheaper trips to the gas station. They also like the price tag of the Spectra and the generous legroom. Criticisms point out the underpowered engine (especially for the sporty SX) and unhelpful dealers.
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 2006 Kia Spectra find it to be a reliable and economical choice for everyday driving. They appreciate the good handling, fuel efficiency, and comfortable interior. However, many drivers expressed a desire for more power and a more stylish design. The car is seen as a solid starter option but lacks excitement in performance after initial acceleration."
fun to drive looks great , grate gas mileage, comfortable interior, easy to maintain cheap to insure good tires alluminum wheels four cylinder engines are much cheaper to maintain than six cylinders 2.0 liter is large enough to have power but small enough to get good gas mileage
August 14, 2014really good car, good handling, performance are good for a 140 bhp. really good vision sight for night driving, braking is perfect with the 4 disc braking system. Please take it on a curly road to test the handling and good acceleration between 50Km/h to 125 Km/h
July 3, 2009this is a great car for day to day driving! Drove my 7000 kilometers in two weeks. The only fault i have with this car needs more power. I have driven all the cars in this class and they all suffer from this problem. Gas mileage was good , handling was good, interior noise was good. This car and every one in this class suffers from blaw designs! Make a sporty compact with a knock out design you would rule this market!
January 18, 2008What owners say
fun to drive looks great , grate gas mileage, comfortable interior, easy to maintain cheap to insure good tires alluminum wheels four cylinder engines are much cheaper to maintain than six cylinders 2.0 liter is large enough to have power but small enough to get good gas mileage
August 14, 2014really good car, good handling, performance are good for a 140 bhp. really good vision sight for night driving, braking is perfect with the 4 disc braking system. Please take it on a curly road to test the handling and good acceleration between 50Km/h to 125 Km/h
July 3, 2009this is a great car for day to day driving! Drove my 7000 kilometers in two weeks. The only fault i have with this car needs more power. I have driven all the cars in this class and they all suffer from this problem. Gas mileage was good , handling was good, interior noise was good. This car and every one in this class suffers from blaw designs! Make a sporty compact with a knock out design you would rule this market!
January 18, 2008Handling is perfect, great sound insulation. MPG could be better, but maybe it's my driving style. Good breaks. Shifter could be shorter. Seats are comfortable. Great for in town comute. I wish it has a more powerful engine and 6 speed transmission as on Tiburon.
April 21, 20152006 Kia Spectra5 purchased new currently mileage 35K. All options available including anti-lock brakes and moonroof. Acceleration is adequate for the size of engine even fully loaded. Gas mileage 30 average city/hwy. Stylish compared to European BMW 1 Series (5-door).Fun to drive no regrets.
December 25, 2008its a good starter car. has potential if you want to put money into it i would just sell it then buy a better car. for a thrill factor its fun for the first three gears then it bogs down but a turbo would help get it through the other two gears.
February 11, 2010This car is a good choice for an inexpensive, reliable, fuel-efficiant new car. It's not the hottest or the fastest thing on the market, but it gets the job done.
March 6, 2008Trims & specs
Base MSRP $16,575 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 138 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 12.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 26 | Drivetrain FWD |
Base MSRP $16,575 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 138 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 18.3 cu ft |
Combined MPG 26 | Drivetrain FWD |
Base MSRP $15,275 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 138 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 12.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 26 | Drivetrain FWD |
Base MSRP $12,895 | Seating 5 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 12.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
