First Glance
It isn't always love at first sight. When I initially spotted an Amanti driving towards me (and not knowing what it was) I thought the car was ugly. It was that big grille that put me off, just as it does on the Chrysler 300. What is it with the auto industry today that makes it determined to thrust massive grilles in our faces along with those claustrophobic windows and boxy shapes? Whatever happened to elegance?
During my two weeks with the Amanti, however, I grew accustomed to its face and even the uninspired but handsome shape. Of course, the lovely white paint job helped, as did the quiet ride and sumptuous interior. Mind you, in spite of my endless preaching in favor of simple, economical autos, I'm easily swayed when presented with the pleasures of comfort and convenience.
The Amanti is not, however, a barrel of fun to drive. That it could be must never have entered the minds of Kia's product development people, who were clearly aiming it at oversize males who smoke big cigars and feel at ease behind the wheel of a Buick Park Avenue or Lincoln Town Car. With the Amanti, however, those males will get similar luxury for a lot less cash plus a better chance the marque will still be around in the future.
In the Driver's Seat
The Amanti's a car you can enter and exit gracefully, and that's something in an era of coupe-like door openings. At least it is for anyone 6-feet tall or over. Don't laugh! I count accessibility as a major factor in judging a car. Once inside, the Amanti oozes luxury, though some of it is fake. "Woodgrain" trim, for example, is not the same as real wood.
Headroom is ample, even with the sunroof which, by the way, allows air to flow in without buffeting. The driver's seat is comfortable and adjusts eight ways, but four of those ways were lost when Kia fitted the passenger seat. A friend who is fussy about seat comfort found it not to his liking and was annoyed at the lack of vertical adjustment. I was annoyed because the handbrake in this car is a foot brake, the oversize armrest and storage bin allowing no room for a proper brake handle. "Oversize" also applies to the gear lever and the steering wheel rim.
Those complaints aside, there's plenty of storage space, an attractive console not cluttered with knobs and buttons, individually-controlled seat warmers and dual-zone air-conditioning, 8 airbags, side curtains, and, of course, power-assisted everything. The base model has cloth upholstery. Don't be cheap. Go for the leather.
On the Road
Consumer Reports said "the Amanti is the worst-handling passenger car we've recently tested." Well I wouldn't go so far as to say that, although handling is definitely not one of its virtues. The ride is cushy and the car floats along in classic, uh, Buick Park Avenue/Lincoln Town Car fashion. Steering is numb, offering almost no feedback from the road. However the magazine balanced its remarks by admitting that "the Amanti's optional ESC (electronic security control) keeps it secure at its handling limits." Reason enough to order it and Kia includes that lush leather with the option.
The 3.2 V-6 is a modern design but with 200 hp it doesn't provide rousing performance. My car had a habit of accelerating gradually, then hitting me in the back with a brief burst of torque around 3000 rpm, requiring extra care to avoid leaping forward at unwanted moments. Fuel economy is only average in spite of the automatic having five forward speeds.
The Steptronic clutch-less manual sport mode feature operates stiffly but you'll probably ignore it anyway; totally out of place in this car. Those who value a soft, quiet ride more than agility and give little thought to performance will be pleased; I almost got used to it myself. Almost.
Journey's End
As you will have judged by now, I was somewhat ambivalent about the Kia Amanti. On the one hand, it finally won me over with its styling and I began to appreciate the combination of comfortable ride and luxurious interior fittings. The drive from my home in Sidney to downtown Victoria, about 20 miles and not always a pleasant experience because of off-loading ferry traffic and an almost complete lack of curves, became enjoyable.
On the other hand that numbed-down feeling removed any desire to drive in a sporting fashion, even causing my attention to wander on occasion. With a few twisties along the way, I'd have been less happy. But let's say you're accustomed to cars that ride and handle like that and the phrase "sports sedan" has little meaning to you. And let's say you're looking for for luxury plus a full slate of safety and convenience features, yet you don't have the big bucks the Amanti's competitors ask.
Then I would say to you, "take a close look at the Kia Amanti and be sure to perform a proper test drive." It just may be the best value on the road when luxury, quality, and a low price are factored in. And if the styling doesn't immediately excite you, remember, love at first sight is often an illusion.
