Kia Sephia 1994-97

     This budget sedan is very inexpensive, and offers many of the amenities of higher priced cars, but in lesser quality versions.  Engines are none too powerful, but the Sephia is light and this is not as much a handicap as it might have been if it weight as much as competing models.  These engines are also laboring hard, affecting their fuel mileage somewhat.  The Sephia is a noisy car, inside and out.  Ride quality is adequate, but bumps can be a problem.  Their interior space, however, is superior to similar sized sedans, and trunk space is likewise good.  The dashboard and controls are well laid out, except the stereo, which is mounted low and has small controls.

Kia Sportage 1995-00

    This is Kia's SUV, meant to compete with smaller SUVs such as Honda's CRV or Toyota's RAV-4.  Due to its much lower RL price (even when new), it did this very successfully.    Despite its small size, it has a very wide wheel track, and has excellent grip in turns and stability off-road.  The ride is somewhere between a car and a truck.  The big problems with the Sportage are its low power engines, as neither choice offered is a good one, and passing, quick pull-outs, and towing are not good.  The Sportage has excellent interior room, with front-seat occupants able to stretch out, and rear seat occupants nearly so.  The doors are large and the step up to the interior low.  The 2-door version is a convertible, while the 4-door version is a hardtop.  Towing capacity is 990 kg with the 94-horsepower engine, and 1.1 tons with the 130-horsepower engine.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle was produced in South Korea until at least February 2001, when the factory was destroyed not by combat action, but rioters that were looking for the supposed mounds of rations stored there.

*For 2WD models, reduce off-road speeds by 25%, but reduce price by $125.