Interior
reviewed by
Although it's a small car, the Aspire feels bigger inside than its exterior might suggest. there's plenty of front legroom, and the egg-shaped profile provides good headroom. Rear legroom in the coupe is tight, and rear seating requires cooperation from those up front. The 5-door Aspire is pretty good on this score - better than any of its key competitors: Toyota Tercel, Geo Metro or Hyundai Accent.
However, the Aspire's greatest advantage in roominess is its cargo volume. Both the 3-door and 5-door versions of this car have good-sized cargo holds behind the rear seats, and with those seats folded forward, both become spacious mini-station wagons.
Our test coupe was capable of swallowing 37.7 cu. ft. of assorted stuff with the rear seatbacks folded down, and the 5-door holds even more. However, a plus for the coupe is its flat load floor; the seats in the 5-door don't quite go down flush. Either way, though, extra cargo capacity is the key advantage of a hatchback versus a formal sedan with a conventional trunk.
The interior of our test car was nicely turned out with cloth upholstery, a distinct change from the vinyl that covers the seats in base models of some of the other cars in this class. The SE has a fancier grade of upholstery, but we think the basic grade is just fine, and it helps keep the entire cost of the purchase down.
The aspire's seating is well-padded and surprisingly comfortable for a car in this class. there's not much in the way of side bolstering, but then there's not much about a car like this that tempts - or allows - you to hurl it around corners.
Instrumentation falls into the bare minimum category - speedometer, fuel gauge and coolant temperature gauge. The only way you can get a tachometer is to step up to the SE version, which defeats the basic purpose of this car - reliable, no-frills transportation at the lowest possible cost.
The aspire's safety features measure up well versus its competitors. This was the first subcompact to feature standard dual airbags, although key competitors have since followed suit. Other elements include side-impact protection, child-security rear door locks on the 5-door and 5-mph bumpers. Anti-lock brakes, unfortunately, are available only as an option; this is true of almost all small cars.
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