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Large car; Built in South Korea
  • 4-door sedan
  • transverse front-engine/front-wheel drive
Good condition price range: $4,800 – $14,700*


2004 Kia Amanti


2004 Kia Amanti


2004 Kia Amanti

Pros:
  • Quietness
  • Ride
Cons:
  • Steering feel

Amanti’s soft, floaty ride and roomy, quiet cabin might appeal to some, though few are likely to appreciate its wallowy handling. Amanti was slow seller, so it’s a relative unknown on the used-car circuit. That means finding one-and perhaps finding parts-could be a challenge. Kia’s new-car warranty coverage was 5 years/50,000-mi. bumper-to-bumper and 10/100,000 powertrain, but note that only the bumper-to-bumper warranty is transferable to a second owner.

Overview

Kia’s first large sedan shared its engine with corporate-parent Hyundai’s XG350, but had different styling, a 2-inch-longer wheelbase, 4-inch-longer body, and some 350 lb more curb weight. It had a 3.5-liter V6 and 5-speed automatic transmission with manual shift gate. Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes, front and rear side airbags, and curtain side airbags were standard. So were dual-zone climate control, CD/cassette audio, keyless entry, and power front seats. Options included traction/antiskid control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, in-dash CD changer, and driver-seat memory system.

Yearly Updates

2005 Amanti
No significant changes.
2006 Amanti
Kia’s largest car gets additional standard features for 2006. Dual-zone climate control and power front seats are standard and are joined for ’06 by leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a sunroof.
2007 Amanti
More power and freshened looks highlight Kia’s largest car for 2007. Amanti returned in a single trim level with a V6 engine, but replaced a 200-hp 3.5-liter with a 264-hp 3.8. Power-adjustable pedals were newly available in a freshened interior with a redesigned dashboard. Exterior styling was also revised, as was the suspension. Leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a sunroof were optional; they had previously been standard.
2008 Amanti
The 2008 Kia Amanti was largely unchanged.
2009 Amanti
A new audio system included a USB port, an auxiliary jack, and satellite radio.

Engines

transverse front-engine/front-wheel drive

The only powertrain offered was a 3.5-liter V6 with a 5-speed automatic transmission. For 2004, the V6 made 195 hp and 217 lb-ft of torque. For ’05, it was rated at 200 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque. For 2007, the 200-hp 3.5-liter V6 is replaced with a 264-hp 3.8-liter V6.

dohc V6
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 3.5/212
Engine HP 198
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 219
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
5-speed automatic

 17/25

 17.5
dohc V6
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 3.8/231
Engine HP 264
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 260
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
5-speed automatic

 19/26

Road Test

Amanti felt much like big American cars of old, with a smooth if buoyant ride, soggy handling, and good power. A test model clocked 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds but felt quicker thanks to strong throttle response. Unusually soft springs and shock absorbers smothered most bumps, but allowed copious float and bounce over larger ones. They also resulted in marked cornering lean and noseplow in even mildly aggressive cornering, along with a sleepy reaction to steering inputs. Brakes felt strong, but one test example exhibited overly long brake-pedal travel. Noise isolation was impressive, being on par with many luxury cars.

The interior also echoed those of older American cars with a conservative design trimmed in shiny, woodgrain plastic, though other surfaces were covered in unusually high-grade materials. Gauges were easy to see, while most controls were large, simple, and easy to reach. There was plenty of head and leg room for adults on comfortable seats both front and rear, and entry/exit was simplified by large door openings. A number of interior storage bins and a large trunk with noninvasive strut-type hinges combined for good cargo space.

Ratings

Model Tested: 2005 Kia Amanti

Ratings values are on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best. With the exception of Value, these numbers reflect how the vehicle compares against the universe of vehicles, not just against rivals in its class.

Performance

Acceleration - 5
50%
Fuel Economy - 4
40%
Ride Quality - 6
60%
Steering/Handling - 5
50%
Quietness - 8
80%

Accommodations

Controls/Materials - 8
80%
Room/Comfort Front - 8
80%
Room/Comfort Rear - 7
70%
Cargo Room - 4
40%

Other

Value - 5
50%

Total: 60

Specifications

4-door sedan
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
110.2 196.0 72.8 58.5
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
15.5 18.5 5
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
40.0 38.4 43.7 37.2
Safety Ratings

Model Tested: N/A

NHTSA

(5 is the highest rating)

Front Impact Test

Driver Injury - N/A
N/A0%
Front Passenger Injury - N/A
N/A0%

Side Impact Test

Driver Injury - N/A
N/A0%
Rear Passenger Injury - N/A
N/A0%

HLDI

(A score of 100 is average. Lower is better)

Collision N/A
Injury N/A
Theft N/A

Trouble Spots

Alarm system
Description: The antitheft system may not arm (lights don’t flash when lock is pressed on remote) and the problem may be the main power window switch. (2004-05)
Cold-starting problems
Description: Stumble and/or hesitation when accelerating with cold engine requires reprogramming the powertrain control module. (2005-06)
Dashboard lights
Description: The “distance to empty” display may not always reset after refueling requiring the system to be reset by holding the reset button for five seconds or briefly removing the fuse. (2005-06)
Engine noise
Description: Whistling or hissing noises from the engine compartment have been blamed on some aftermarket oil filters. (2004-06)
Suspension noise
Description: Knocking noise from front suspension may be due to upper strut mounting nuts working loose. (2004-06)
Timing belt
Description: If timing chain noise does not go away after a few seconds when starting a cold engine, the timing chain tensioners are bad. (2006-07)
Check-engine light
Description: The engine may run rough or hesitate, and the check engine light may illuminate due to faulty oxygen sensor(s). (2006-07)

Recall History

2007
Description: The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction and cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A stop lamp switch malfunction may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission shifter would not be able to be shifted out of the park position. Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge.

Equipment Lists

Equipment lists are only viewable on larger screen sizes.

Pricing

Used-car pricing varies widely depending on local market conditions. Therefore, we recommend visiting websites that list used cars for sale to get a better idea of what a specific model is selling for in your area.

More about Tom Appel
Written by: Tom Appel on July 18, 2014.
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