Spectra

2009 · EX

Resale price

$4,600

5-yr depreciation

71%

Of original value, first five years

Yearly maintenance

$452

Parts and labour beyond oil and tyres

Combined MPG

EPA combined city and highway

Trouble-free miles

98,000

Before a first repair above $500

Known issues

Camshaft position sensor faults; rust at the rear wheel arches.

Where it is made

Final assembly · Hwaseong, South Korea

Country of origin

South Korea

Home market of Kia, the brand that designs and engineers this car.

Parts from South Korea

95%

Share of the car's parts content sourced in South Korea.

Made in the USA

parts

assembly

Finished outside the US; the figure above is US-sourced parts only.

Against the Whole archive median

Measure	This vehicle	Median	Difference
Resale price	$4,600	$8,200	−$3,600
5-yr depreciation	71%	55%	+16%
Yearly maintenance	$452	$482	−$30
Combined MPG	27 mpg	30 mpg	−3 mpg
Trouble-free miles	98,000 mi	138,000 mi	−40,000 mi

Long-haul file · ten years old, half a million miles

Fun fact · 03

Hyundai Elantra · 2011 — 2016

500,000+ miles

The rideshare workhorse nobody expected

The fifth-generation Elantra is the proof that a high-mileage car does not have to be a Toyota or a Honda. Rideshare drivers took to its 1.8-litre Nu engine and six-speed automatic precisely because the service intervals are long and the parts are cheap. Several documented cars crossed 500,000 miles in urban service on the original long block, with the first transmission rebuild landing well past 300,000.

What it is

1.8-litre Nu inline-four, 148 hp
Six-speed automatic with manual gate
40 mpg highway, 10-year powertrain coverage when new
Timing chain and coil-on-plug ignition, no distributor