1994 Kia Sephia GS review from North America

Repeated problems with CV joint ($100-$200 per incident).

Repeated problems with alignment.

Brakes failed at about 80k miles. $250 to replace, and this was a bargain. I worked for a car dealer who cut me a deal. Anywhere else, likely to cost $400 or more.

Transmission shifted hard - had to ease off gas to allow it to shift from one gear into or another or it would shift with enough force to feel like the transmission was being damaged. Dealer advised this is normal.

I purchased this Kia on impulse and under pressure. This is not a good way to buy any car, but it worked out.

Caveat emptor - any Kia should be bought with the intention of keeping it for the length of the loan. It depreciates quickly and you will likely be upside down if you still owe money at trade-in time.

That said, this car was a hidden gem. I worked this car hard - moving 60 miles on the hottest day of the summer, driving 1000 miles across the desert in 18 hours, daily stop-and-go driving - and this car took everything I could throw at it.

I would have liked a little more power, particularly when this Coloradan was driving into the mountains with the pedal on the floor and the speedometer barely topping 20.

Also, you do have to baby this car a bit. My ex bought the car from me. She drives a car very hard - floors the gas from a stop, drives a little too fast for the prevailing conditions, did not do regular oil changes, etc., and she had a few more maintenance issues than I did.

Overall, I loved this car and would buy another given the opportunity.