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So I was out to supper with some of my friends, and of course the conversation turned to the Car of the Week. Honestly, I never mentioned anything about cars the entire dinner (I was quite surprised, myself). It wasn’t until we hit the parking lot after a large mile high chocolate ice-cream cake did they ask, “How do you like the Magentis?”
I wasn’t sure what to say; the mood was light, so I blurted out: “It’s magentic.” Okay, corny joke, but whatever, the Magentis is actually very nice — full stop.
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Not “nice for a Kia”, or “nice for the price;” just overall very well done. The ride is smooth and quiet, and although calling it sporty would be a stretch, it handles fairly reasonably as well.
Bumps and holes in the road are soaked up without a fuss, and the fit-and-finish is up to my expectations of a modern vehicle for basic transportation. I can’t help myself but compare the Magentis with the Corolla. Read that any way you wish, but I see it as comfortable basic transportation and so far, it seems to be rather thrifty as well.
My tester is equipped with the 2.4-litre four mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. The transmission is a little quick to upshift to save fuel, and the engine does sound a little coarse if you are trying to get out of your own way in a hurry. The ECO light in the dash — which lets you know when you are driving economically — looks like a gimmick (well, it is, actually) but it works: just like the shift light in the Cobalt I had a few weeks back, the ECO light turns driving into a game of “try to keep it lit.”
Seems to be working; according to the on-board computer, I am achieving some good fuel economy so far.
