Originally Posted by LAMRONH
Today I drove the Elantra's almost-twin, the Kia (sorry about that nasty acronym, even worse than Hyundai Automotive Group's HAG) Spectra.
There are three sedan models and one hatch/station wagon, known as the 5SX.
The sedans come in LX, EX, and SX. To me, the significant differences are the LX comes with front disc/rear drum, the EX disc/disc, and the S(e)X and 5SX have available ABS with their four shiny frisbees.
The two lesser Honda-model-name-copycats, the LX and EX, come with 195.60.15 tires with steel wheels (hopefully from Pittsburg), while the SX/5 and SX get 205.50.16s separating the alloy wheels from ground contact.
The SX and 5SX get "sport-tuned suspension," which will take some time at Kia websites to dope out the exact meaning.
Mechanically identical (except no CAI at the top/front of the engine bay) to the Hyundaiii! Elantra with its 2 liter 138 HP @ 6000/ 136 TQ @ 4500 inline four-potter, the EX automatic I drove displayed good pep. At 60 MPH it was ticking over at about 2200 RPM, and it was smooth and quiet. It had sufficient punch to move right up to 70+, and the ride seemed snubbed down tighter than cousin Elantra.
Both lines have available a SULEV version posting 132 HP and 133 TQ figures at the same RPMs.
During evasive maneouveurs on surface streets, there was little lean and this car placed between the previously-driven Suzuki SX4 sedan and the Elantra regarding overall suspension behavior. Sort of the threesome's Baby Bear, with the Suzuki being Pappa Bear and the Elantra filling Mamma Bear's role. Sounds like something out of Hogan's Heroes secret radio transmissions, what?
Power heated mirrors, supportive manual 6-way seats, power windows and locks with remote, the EX comes with all the typical amenities expected in today's finer motor carriages.
While I have a fast rule against buying anything without ABS, the way these 4Wdiscs felt could give me cause to consider breaking that rule. A country road session getting the machinery up to smelling speed should tell me how well they are dialed in as far as one-for-all and all-for-one status.
The local Kia dealers have 1500 cash on the Spectras, and fire sale ads are everywhere. And with a little fudging with the model's spelling, you have Spectre, which is either a group of organized ne'er-do-wells located in the late Ian Fleming's imagination, or the fearsome AC-130 Hercules gunships which proved their mettle in the last war run by idiots in neckties.
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