We had a limited amount of money and wanted to get a new car if we could. I did some general research including here on epinions.com and I
was curious about the Kia. It seemed a decent machine in general and it fit the bill as far as cost. Test drive was ok, and it had decent room and was nicely set up, with a good wheelbase, suspension and handled like a dream.

So we took the plunge and I am very glad we did. The 125 h.p. engine and 5 speed manual transmission perform well and it is fun to drive. The Kia will keep up with any traffic and has surprising get up and go. On our first trip in the car we were on the interstate and I was looking up some feature or other in the owner's manual when I noticed an increase in noise. I looked up, thinking a semi was passing us - - - then I noticed the smile on my wife's face and realized that the change in sound was because she had just punched it up to 75!

The optional fold down rear seats add nicely to a surprisingly large trunk. There are child safety locks for the back doors and state of the art attachments for the next generation of infant seats. Back seat room is good and a lot of thought has gone into designing the front seat area and they have made the most of the space. The Sephia is an honest basic machine and I like that. The fact that it performs well and delivers excellent gas mileage in pretty nice too.

The Kia has a nice throaty snarl as you accelerate through the gears and it has plenty of get up and go. If you have to have a hot V-8, then forget it, but, if you want a good performing, economical, comfortable car that also comes with a good warranty and roadside service, then buy the Kia. But, you cannot have Sophie - - - she's ours!