A couple years ago my friend and I are just barely graduated from high school and looking for a little something to drive. I ended up getting a '90 Mustang GT about mid summer of '06 and late summer of '06 my friend gets a 2000 Kia Sephia (we call it Sophia).

Engine and Transmission:
The Kia Sephia comes with a 1.8L four popper that is claimed to pump out a whopping 125HP. The humble four poppers claim of 125HP sounds a little far fetched to me, although this car doesn't really have any trouble getting up to the 75MPH speed limit on the interstate it is still lacking. While passing cars it does alright but if you want to make a quick pass its not going to happen. The 1.8L engine also feels a little on the spongy side, when you put your foot down on the gas pedal the power isn't there instantly, it takes a bit of time for it to kick in, if that isn't poor throttle response I don't know what is. The Kia Sephia's 1.8L four popper is also paired with an automatic transmission. This automatic transmission has fairly smooth shifts that help make for a comfortable ride but I feel that it hinders a portion of the 1.8L engines power.

Interior:
The interior of the Kia Sephia is actually surprisingly comfortable, especially for the price paid. The seats inside the Kia Sephia are comfortable and supportive and are easy to sit in for long drives. The Kia Sephia also features a roomy interior so you have plenty of room even for people six feet and taller in the front and back seats. In between the two front seats is the center console, the center console has two cup holders that are a little on the smallish side and has a small bit of storage available for people sitting in the front and back seats. The stereo in the Kia Sephia that my friend purchased didn't work, so he opted to purchase a CD player and some speakers put in the car. The heater and A\C in this particular Sephia worked wonderfully during the first six months my friend has owned it but the A\C in the car decided that it didn't want to work all the time so it picks and chooses when it wants to work and when it doesn't, although when it does it works well. Also, on the dashboard where the two vents come up so you can defrost your windshield have oddly deformed themselves so they stick up and the plastic vent covers no longer stay in, thats a rather strange problem and it looks really goofy looking out the windshield because of it. Luckily this deformation does not disturb functionality to a noticeable extent.

Exterior and Trunk Space:
The Exterior of the Kia Sephia is not a bad looking, it has a somewhat rounded design and has a few defined lines down the car to give it some definition. The Kia Sephia also features a roomy trunk, if you want to do the mafia a favor you could probably throw a couple dead bodies in there without a problem. So whether your a mother getting groceries or your going skating with the guys the trunk is large and flexible enough for about anything.

Reliability:
In my experience the Kia Sephia has been nothing but reliable. My friend has owned the car for over a year and it has only been in the shop for routine oil changes and a set of tires. So if your looking for a car that is reliable, this one isn't a bad choice.

Economy:
This car is fantastic on fuel mileage, It normally gets 30-35MPG depending on where your driving. If your a poor college student like I am, this car would be a great pick because of its fuel mileage.
Amount Paid (US$): 2000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2000
Model and Options: automatic, CD player