Owner Review: Cheap price and great handling - My 2002 Kia Spectra LS 1.6L

 ** This article is published on WapCar Community. Click the link below to enter the community for car enthusiasts in Malaysia
https://forum.wapcar.my

Basic information

Kia Spectra LS 1.6CC 2002 = RM6,800(2015)

Reasons why I bought this car

When i saw this car in the used car lot while i was working in Langkawi around New year,i knew this car should be mine someday in 2015. At first,the only cheap good looking sedan that i fell in love with was the persona SE..but too bad,at that time used pricing was around 20-30k(in 2015 lah) As i need a car to zip around town,if u guys recall the haze was quite Heavy in Langkawi by end of 2015..so,i dont have much choice with 10k in hand..haggled and voila i got a bargain from the local seller,initially it was rm9500 and then i managed to snatch it from the used car lot for rm6800!! Lo and behold,it was my firstcar nicknamed "The Grand Old Lady" by my dad haha.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of RM: 10000
• Models that I have considered include: PROTON WIRA,PERODUA KELISA,CIVIC FERIO

Reasons why I chose this car

Too many good memories i cant shake off from my mind,first few months after owning this Kia with tight salary it was quite burdening since i have to send for gearbox overhaul and regular maintenance..but nowadays,after 5-6years of proudly owning it there are no issues with maintenance..serviced only twice for regular full synthetic oil change and topup the ATF oil annually I dont mind bout oil consumption that much since my workplace to & fro is around 40km daily and i topup ron95 once a week with rm70 fulltank. If u guys have any inquiries bout the car that i own,already uploaded some of the videos in my Youtube Channel.

User experience

I have already done 140000 km.

U guys doesnt have to always listen to Scotty Kilmer u know even tho he told this car was the worst car made ever haha Im proud of owning this kimchi and our fmly mostly use korean aswell..my mom currently use Hyundai Matrix while i also just bought 2018 Tucson(that one another story la hoh) Wont settle for this one,might seek out an mpv or 7seat suv soon..kimchis may well be top of the list again(SantaFe maybe??)

Ratings

Total Score: 4
Performance: 3
Quality & Features: 4
Space: 5
Ride Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 3
Price & Cost: 5

Pros & Cons

Pros

Still great handling even with almost two decades of age,still mostly stock settings and only regular wheel balancing+alignment..suprised me it can match Preve in corners. Other than that,the fastback design unlike regular sedan makes it easy to just tumble down the backseat and put huge items..recently sliding in a stairsteps is a breeze compared to my dad's Waja hahaha.

Cons

low throttle response and this is quite difficult when getting out of T-junctions imho,other than that the low ground clearance is hurting my back sometimes haha.

Some interesting events

When i transferred from Langkawi,didnt expect the boot can lugg my TV aswell as some clothing and drove it from kuala kedah port to Port KLang alone..the best thing is,super comfy for that long distance..then once it arrive at Kuching Port from Klang,maybe due to the road condition here..i almost got into accident when it skidded in heavyrain,but Thank God the steering response was stable enough and i didnt skid too far off when driving back to Sibu.

Summary

Stable car,good enough response and quite easy to find parts even tho my area doesnt have KIA service centre within radius Go for this car if you're a student or a freshie like me in 2015 Best thing is u can lenjan this car all u want while saving up for a better car later in life!

📢📢Announcement:

After reading a countless number of Owner Review stories, are you interested in sharing your own story also? WapCar sincerely invites YOU to share the genuine feelings of your car!

You may receive special souvenirs from WapCar! Sign up now to know more! WapCar staff will contact you shortly after you sign up.