The Spectra GSX is not blindingly fast, but if the driver is willing to rev the engine, it delivers spunky acceleration with the five-speed manual transmission. The engine revs with abandon and seems happy to do so.The gearshift lever has a rubbery feel, but we never missed a shift. Clutch take-up is smooth and light. We suspect the optional automatic transmission would sap a good deal of the engine's vigor; comparing the ratios of both transmissions confirms that impression. Anyone at all interested in acceleration in a Spectra should learn how to drive a stick.
The automatic compensates somewhat with a taller overdrive ratio (0.70:1). Not only does that mean quieter cruising at freeway speeds, but also a better EPA highway mileage rating: 31 mpg for the autobox, compared to 30 mpg with the five-speed. The manual edges the automatic in city mileage, however, at 25 mpg vs. 22 mpg.
In cornering, the Spectra offers good balance, as one would expect from Lotus Engineering. Like most front-wheel-drive cars, its handling is predisposed to understeer (the front tires begin losing grip before the rear tires do). Turn-in for corners is a little sluggish: Our impression was that there's something rubbery between the steering wheel and the pavement, with a squishiness that has to be taken up before the Spectra begins to turn. This is particularly noticeable in fast, slalom-type directional changes.