Adding a fifth door doesn't slow down the Kia Spectra.
A review of the Korean compact last fall on this page noted the sedan's peppy performance. The same holds true for the hatchback version — the Kia Spectra5.
The 2-liter four-cylinder engine generates 138 horsepower, and while that won't snap your head back, it's enough, when combined with the sharp, short throws of the five-speed stick shift, to make heading to the grocery store lots of fun.
Throw in the sport-tuned suspension and strut tower bar found in the SX model line and you have a poor man's version of the Mazdaspeed3.
The look of the Spectra5 also recalls the Mazda.
A black mesh grille, fog lights, rear spoiler and 16-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels make this a car a 17-year-old boy would be happy to been seen driving.
The car is also packed with practical features including full-length side curtain air bags.
The hatchback gives you access to more than 18 cubic feet of cargo room.
Fold down the seats and you have 52 cubic feet of space.
And there is the always-practical 27 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.
The base sticker price of the Spectra5 is less than $16,000.
Toss in the shouldn't-be-optional option of anti-lock brakes and a six-disc CD changer and the drive-off price is still less than $18,000.
