- sedan 134,799
- 2,995 overpriced
- Spokane, WA
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- autoshopper.com
- sedan 134,799 gasoline red
2000 kia sephia review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Good gear ratios in the manual transmission and engine torque slanted to excel at lower speeds quickens the action. So the sephia really zips away from a stoplight start. It also acts forcefully at highway speeds, which builds confidence for passing. recent attention by kia's engineers to tame engine vibrations and stifle sound from entering sephia's five-passenger cabin has resulted in an enriched experience for riders and elevated the quality and tone of this car. It no longer feels or sounds like an unsubstantial tin box. Factor in the spark of sephia's powerplant and some attractive price points skewed for several thousands of dollars below japanese competitors like the honda civic and toyota corolla, and the sephia shines in a crowded field of compacts. lineupfor 2000, the sephia segments into three tiers organized by content of interior equipment: for $9,995, the base sephia is the price-leading bargain edition. sephia ls 10,995) comes with more equipment, including a tilting steering column, a split back for the folding rear seat, driver's seat cushion tilt adjustment, a day/night interior rearview mirror, and a passenger-side vanity mirror. sold as a separate model, sephia ls with power package retails for $13,325. Power package includes power windows and door locks, power for exterior mirrors, cruise control, and an audio system with cd deck and door-mounted tweeter speakers. As a result, the overall appearance of sephia seems familiar in a shape and format similar to other compacts on american roads. Side panels look flat, interrupted only by delicate bulges of soft flares ringing each wheel well. Door handles, side mirrors and various protective moldings match the body color on ls models as upscale accents. The superstructure above the doors shows more glass than sheetmetal, with a gentle arched line apparent from narrow roof pillars running front to rear across a flat roof. in back, a high trunk deck rolls over the trailing edge in blunt descent to color-keyed bumpers. A sporty decklid spoiler may be attached as an option to any trim of sephia, although it looks incongruent with the understated design. interiorsephia's interior arrangement maximizes personal space for passengers and delivers more room for heads and legs and shoulders than the class-leading competitors. Twin bucket seats appear in front separated by a center console, while the three-person rear bench in ls models has a seatback that folds to expand cargo space in the trunk. also, there are a number of comfort features and perks aboard that are usually not available in this price range. The driver gets a footrest on the left side, for example. The driver's seat cushion on the ls tilts for a better fit, as does the steering column. Front seatbelt anchors on b-pillars adjust vertically for comfort. the audio system, available as an option across the board, mounts high above the center console for better access, with control knobs and dials enlarged to fit american-size fingers. Dashboard instruments include an analog speedometer with white-on-black face, with a tachometer installed for the ls power package. sephia is nicely trimmed even at entry level. Fabric covers all seats as well as inserts in door panels, which have low map pockets. Twin sunvisors and cupholders are provided for front seats, along with two front air bags and three-point seatbelts. Windshield wipers offer two-speed intermittent operation and remote releases control the front hood, fuel door and trunk lid. some small cars skimp on safety features, but sephia matches the class leaders with air bags and adjustable three-point seatbelts. Its chassis structure features integrated front and rear crumple zones, steel bracing in each side door, a collapsible steering column, childproof rear door locks and rear infant seat restraint anchors. driving impressiontake a sephia out for a test drive and it sells itself with zippy acceleration and precise road manners. It particularly impresses with tight control for steering and the independent suspension. The suspension keeps body roll in check and maintains a relatively flat stance through a set of curves. we played with a sephia ls on winding strips of blacktop strung around granite ramparts in the pine-clad black hills of south dakota on a cold and windy day. To create its mechanical components, kia teamed with noteworthy names from around the world for subsidiary automotive systems. Kelsey-hayes devised the anti-lock brakes and bosch lh motronic did the engine's fuel system. the suspension, with macpherson struts in front and a multi-link design in back, incorporates front and rear stabilizer bars to check the body roll. Installing sway bars in this economy class of compact sedans may be unusual but they're a welcome addition because they allow sephia to handle the curves with confidence and comfort. brakes are conventional with front discs and rear drums linked to power assistance, although engine-speed variable assistance comes with the ls upgrade. Abs may be added to ls models for $800. power for sephia comes from an iron-block engine originally developed by mazda, which once owned a piece of kia. The plant, now produced by kia in korea, delivers more horsepower than civic and corolla as well as most other compacts in this class, with lively acceleration in lower gears. However, fuel economy figures for sephia's engine do not score nearly as high as the honda or toyota. a manual five-speed gearbox is the standard transmission and shifts easily through a short-throw stick. The koreans have obviously figured out how to develop and build a nice japanese-style compact sedan without the mark-up inherent with japanese pricing. The fact that these new models lock out vibrations and noise makes sephia an even better selection this year. model lineupsephia 9,995); ls 10,995). assembled inhwasung, south korea. options as testedpower package includes air conditioning, tachometer, cruise control, am/fm/cd stereo, power door locks, power windows, dual power color-keyed exterior mirrors, remote trunk release, 2-speed variable intermittent wipers; carpeted floor mats 69); alloy wheels 340). model testedsephia ls with power package 13,325). Power Windows✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Tachometer✔ Power Locks✔ Bucket Seats✔ Air Conditioning✔ Cruise Control✔ AM/FM✔ Alloy Wheels
2,995 Spokane, WASpokane, WA at autoshopper.com