Midsize league’s most improved player

With the 2008/09 NFL playoffs just getting heated up, it was nigh inevitable that this car review for the Kia Magentis would contain a football analogy. Without further ado:

The new Kia Magentis is a lot like the 2008 Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins tied a National Football League record for the biggest single-season turnaround, and even made the playoffs - something only 12 teams out of 32 manage to do each year in the NFL.

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Despite a lot of positives to take from its comeback year, Miami still lost in the first round, not coming anywhere close to winning the Super Bowl.

The Magentis, meanwhile, sits in the uber-competitive midsize-sedan category, along with the likes of the Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Toyota Camry and Mazda6, to name but a few. It has been redesigned for the 2009 model year and certainly improves in a lot of ways, but it’s still no champion of its segment.

That’s not to say it’s bad though - far from it. Our tester specifically uses a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine that Kia says improves fuel economy without sacrificing too much pep. For a four-cylinder, it’s impressive indeed, as it produces 175-horsepower (up from 162 in 2008) and 169 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. That’s (slightly) more horsepower than Malibu, Camry, Mazda6, and many other competitors. It also has more torque than those entrants and Honda’s outstanding Accord. It’s also notably lighter than the other guys, which can’t hurt when it comes to acceleration and fuel economy.

Truthfully, Magentis doesn’t feel light years ahead of competitors in terms of power, but it’s just as capable as any of them in terms of highway passing, and it never feels like its struggling with a car full of passengers.

Like many Kias, the Magentis actually gives off a surprisingly sporty feel when you’re sitting behind the wheel. Its steering feels tighter than that of a lot of competitors and besides some expected body roll around corners, it’s more fun than Camry and Malibu.

Exterior styling changes can’t exactly be described as dramatic, but this new Magentis does look a little more like its attractive Hyundai Sonata sibling thanks to longer horizontal headlamps, while its tail lights are no longer round, giving it a slightly more updated look. Its length also gets stretched by almost three inches, giving it a slightly sportier, more low-slung appearance. That being said, not a single car enthusiast, passenger or random pedestrian had anything to say - positive or negative - about the Magentis. The Accord and Malibu redesigns, meanwhile, were met with constant oohs and aahs.

Another addition to the ‘09 Magentis is an Eco-Driving feature that’s meant to help the person behind the wheel drive more efficiently. All it really consists of is a small green light that pops up within the speedometer when the driver is behaving with more of a focus on fuel-efficiency - problem is the darn thing hardly ever turns off! As long as you’re not slamming the gas pedal to the floor when a traffic light turns green or pumping the brakes repeatedly, the eco-light will illuminate. It’ll give you a warm fuzzy feeling for a day or two as you think you’re really helping the environment and your wallet, until you come to the realization that it’s actually more difficult to get the light to go off.

The interior is about as nondescript as a vehicle interior can get. Controls are easy enough to read and reach, quality is satisfactory, seats are comfortable and supportive and there’s the usual room for four adults (or five in a pinch). There’s simply nothing that allows it to stand out.

What the Magentis offers above all else is a great price for anyone who needs a vehicle for a growing family but can’t afford something at the $30,000+ mark. If you couldn’t care less about wowing the neighbours or getting double-takes while being passed on the highways, the Magentis is a perfectly fine choice.