I still enjoy driving the Mazda Protege5 I bought two years ago every time I get in it. But eventually I'm going to want something new, and the Protege5 was replaced by the more upscale Mazda3 soon after I bought my car.

Halfway through the 2004 model year Kia introduced a new Spectra based on the Hyundai Elantra. As with a Protege, the five-door was only offered in sport trim and named "Spectra5." Review have been positive, and quite often have compared Kia's five-door to my car. The exterior and interior dimensions are nearly identical. A similarly-sized engine kicks out just a few more horsepower. And Kia even copied Mazda's use of the "5" to distinguish a sportier five-door hatch from a more prosaic sedan.

I took a 2006 Spectra5 for a test drive to find out if it is, in fact, a viable replacement for my Mazda and to see how it compares to the Mazda3.

Styling

Right off the bat the Kia is at a disadvantage: it's not nearly as attractive as my car, which I still enjoy walking up to each time, or even the clunkier but more avant-garde Mazda3 hatch. The Spectra5's styling is artlessly chunky and awkward. The bodysides are a mess of character lines. I especially don't car for the one running up around the front wheel opening before sweeping back along the base of the windows. The rocker panel appears bowed up in the middle. With such poor sheetmetal to work with, it should come as no surprise that the standard body kit doesn't do much to pique my interest.

The near total lack of style continues inside. Nothing about the instrument and door panels suggests a sporty mission for the car. Instead, you're always aware that you're driving a tarted-up econobox. The dash does not flow into the console, and both are covered in cheap-looking, hard-to-the-touch light gray plastic.

To distinguish the Spectra5 from regular Spectras, the seats are upholstered in dark gray cloth, the steering wheel rim is wrapped with leather, and the pedals have metal covers. I like the dark gray cloth. It feels durable and looks sporty. If similar cloth had been standard on my Mazda I'd have been much less inclined to buy the optional leather. (Leather isn't available with the Kia, but is standard on its sibling, the generally more attractive Hyundai Elantra GT.) The leather on the steering wheel is less successful; it is so slick that I had trouble maintaining a firm grip.

Accommodations

Like most compacts these days, the Spectra5 is roomier inside than most people suspect. Rear seat room is similar to that in my car, meaning it's roomier than that in the Mazda3. The driving position is closer to that in the newer Mazda, so the view forward is open but not unusually expansive.

The front seats are moderately bolstered and the cloth upholstery is grippy, so in aggressive driving I stayed in place better than in my leather-trimmed Mazda. The seats' comfort is just adequate; the seats in either Mazda are more comfortable. Unlike in my car, but like in the Mazda3, the seat is manually adjustable for height but not tilt.

As in any hatch, the rear seat folds to enlarge the cargo area. On paper the Spectra5 has a little less cargo volume than my car, but the squarer rear body should enable it to carry slightly larger objects with the hatch closed.

On the Road

The Spectra5's engine is a bit more powerful than that in my Protege5, but the car at 2900 pounds is about 160 pounds heavier. Add in a salesman that I don't have in my car and the Kia felt less spirited. And a Protege5 is hardly a quick-feeling car. The slightly weaker engine in my Mazda at least feels eager and responsive, especially in the midrange. The Kia's engine is like many recent four-cylinder designs, much smoother than mine but also almost entirely lacking in character. It revs reasonably well, but never comes "on cam" and lacks that certain "zing" that can make even a weak engine entertaining.

The thoroughly average shifter doesn't help. With moderately long throws and a slightly imprecise feel, it doesn't encourage frequent use. Plenty good for econocar duty, it needs shorter throws and a tighter feel to befit a driver's car. An aftermarket short-throw shifter like the one I have installed in my own car could work wonders.

Steering and handling, while better than those in the average compact, aren't up to Mazda levels. Compared to the related Hyundai, the steering feels sharper, the body leans less in turns, and the chassis generally feels more balanced and tied down. It probably helps that the Kia comes with low-profile 16-inch Goodyear Eagle RS-A performance tires, while the Hyundai is shod with less sporting 15-inch Michelins. But either Mazda feels considerably more sporty and is more entertaining to drive. Instead, the Kia is roughly a match for a Honda Civic, though I enjoyed the quicker steering in the latest Civic more as well. In short, for a Korean car the Spectra5 handles sportily, but that's not saying much.

You see, Korean companies tend to favor soft suspensions. The roads must be awful in that country. Whatever the reason, the Spectra5 does ride much more smoothly and quietly than my car, and has a bit of an edge over the Mazda3 is these areas as well.

Kia Spectra5 Price Comparisons and Pricing

A Hyundai Elantra GT is about $1,000 less expensive than the Spectra5. Everything else is more expensive. A similarly-equipped Mazda3 s hatch is about $1,800 more expensive, but also includes about $400 worth of additional features. You want to spend the extra money.

Especially since the Mazda will be less expensive in the long run. The sales manager offered to sell a slightly used 2005 Spectra5 for $12,500. This offer was unprompted, so I suspect I could have actually bought the car for between eleven and twelve thousand. Good luck finding a 2005 Mazda3s anywhere near that price.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Spectra and Spectra5:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Spectra.php

Last Words

I've read so many positive reviews of the Spectra5 that compared it to my Protege5 that I fully expected to enjoy driving the car. Yet I did not. As Korean cars go it's the sportiest yet with a second pair or doors, but both my Mazda and the Mazda3 that replaced it are considerably more fun to drive. I'd also much rather drive a Ford Focus ZX4 ST.

Maybe if the Kia was especially nice to look at there'd be a reasont to recommend it. But the design both inside and out is thoroughly uninspired, even artless. Even the related Hyundai is a considerably more attractive car.

The interior is fairly roomy, but then so are the interiors in most compacts these days.

In the end all the Kia has going for it is a low price, and the price isn't even that low.

A Note on Kia Spectra5 Reliability (also Kia Spectra Reliability)

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Spectra or Spectra5 rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Kia Spectra5 reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Spectra5--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. For non-participants, this access will cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

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Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Chevrolet Cobalt review
Ford Focus review
Honda Civic review
Hyundai Elantra GT review
Mazda Protege5 review
Mazda3 review
Nissan Sentra SE-R review
Pontiac Vibe GT review
Toyota Corolla XRS review