Kia Houston – 2006 Kia Amanti – Review and Picture

Kia Houston – The 2006 Kia Amanti

If you have been looking around my site you are probably aware of the fact that I really like the 2006 line up from Kia Motors, and the granddaddy of the line is the 2006 Amanti. Now before you say anything negative….cuz I know you are thinking that of Korean made Kia Motors, let me be the first to tell you how awesome this car really is.

First off, let me tell you that I bought my wife a 2004 Kia Sedona mini van, and we love it. Yes, I bought it originally because it was so cheap, but we have really fallen in love with it. It is loaded to the hilt and a third of the price of its competition. So, the 2006 Amanti – a mini van it is NOT, far from it actually. This car is Kia’s luxury sedan and a luxury car it is.

At first glance you will notice a large grill on the hood, which looks strikingly close to the Jaguar, but maybe a little larger than the Jaguar…and larger than my personal preference. The headlights are also very similar to the Mercedes, which I happen to like and which happen to make the Amanti look sophisticated and somewhat European.

The Interior

Nice – very nice. I felt as though I just sat down in a top of the line Lincoln Town Car. The wood grain dash trim and the leather 8 way power seats were done very nicely. The layout of the instruments was ok, the location and access to the a/c and heater controls as well as radio control was very easy. The cabin is also very quiet; you can barely hear the road noise at 70MPH.

There is tons of leg room in both front and rear seating areas, and the bolstering of the seats is also done very well much like a Mercedes. The seats are sturdy but comfortable. The Amanti is not a huge car like the Town Car, but you do not feel like you are cramped or need more room.

Trunk Space

Amazingly they have made the trunk space HUGE, but from the outside the car does not look like it is all trunk. Rear seats split 60/40 also which makes the trunk space even larger when you can utilize some of the rear seat as well as the trunk.

Features include:

Powerful 3.5 Liter DOHC – 24 valve 200 HP engine
5 speed Sportmatic transmission which allows you to shift like a manual shift transmission for more power
Speed sensing electronic power steering – gives more resistance at higher speeds for better performance.
Traction control system (TCS) to increase performance and safety
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) to increase performance and safety and prevent skids
Electronic Brake Force Distribution – senses vehicle load and weight distribution for even emergency braking
Brake Assist – another emergency braking feature helps determine the braking pressure
Heated front seats
Dual advanced air bags
Front and rear seat mounted air bags
Full length side curtain air bags
16″ tires for smoother ride and performance
Fuel economy 17 MPG city and 25 MPG highway
2005 “Most appealing premium midsize car” — J.D. Power and Associates

If you are in the market for a luxury car, or just want to buy a car with luxury features along with these great safety features I highly recommend taking a test drive in the 2006 Kia Motors Amanti .

Retail prices start around $29,000 nicely equipped