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Nearly every gearhead has spent at least some time in their life pining after some sort of luxury car. There are loads of them, and nearly every country involved in automobile manufacturing offers one. Of course, the most popular luxury nameplates that come to mind are models like the BMW 7 Series, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the Lexus LS. Higher up the ladder are ultra-luxury nameplates like the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Bentley Flying Spur.

However, the large caveat with models like the ones listed above is price. Most folks can’t afford to go out and drop six figures on a brand-new luxury car, so many end up buying used. The issue with this is that these types of vehicles are so tech and feature-laden, repair bills can add up fast. But, you don’t necessarily have to spend an arm and a leg to get into luxury, especially if you don’t mind buying, say, a Kia. That’s because the Amanti, a mid-sized executive sedan, is quite cheap these days and offers a decent amount of luxury for a good price.

Luxury From An Unlikely Source

Quick Facts About The Kia Amanti

• Introduced to the US in 2004
• Known as the Kia Opirus in other markets
• Borrows some of its styling from the Mercedes-Benz C-Class
• Boasts an average used price of $3,871.34
• Axed in the US following the 2009 model year

The Kia Amanti was first shown to the world in 2002 and went on sale for the 2003 model year in select markets. Apart from being another competitive small luxury sedan, Kia planned to use the Amanti/Opirus to break into the luxury sector in several places across the globe. Outside its home country of South Korea, Kia wasn’t known for its luxury by any stretch in those days, and the automaker was bent on changing that. Once R D for the upcoming Amanti/Opirus was completed, the project cost Kia a whopping $167 million and 22 months of dedicated design time.

​​​​​​​ In order to facilitate the desired change, Kia began offering the Amanti in the US starting in 2004. The sedan was first shown to prospective US customers at the New York International Auto Show, along with the San Diego Auto Show, in 2003. The model’s main objective was to offer a similar amount of luxury as models like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Lexus GS, and Jaguar S-Type, for a smaller and more easily digestible price.

The Amanti went on sale for the first time in the US at the very end of 2003 as a 2004 model. At the time, the sedan was priced right at $24,995, about $5,000 less than the comparative Jaguar X-Type. All in all, the Amanti was KIa’s very first home-brewed premium vehicle, both domestically and internationally. While Kia had, in fact, produced luxury models for the South Korean domestic market, these previous models, such as the Enterprise, which the Amanti/Opirus replaced, were derived from other brands.

Current Pricing

The Kia Amanti was cheap when it was new, and it’s still cheap today. With the slew of used luxury cars you can buy on the market, it’s understandable to at least consider purchasing an Amanti for yourself, if you’re in the market for a relatively small, luxurious sedan that won’t empty your wallet for repairs. In the table below, we break down the Kia Amanti’s detailed average used prices for each of its six model years:

*Pricing courtesy of Kelley Blue Book

The Amanti’s Detailed Specs & Features

While several engines were available for the Amanti, the US-spec version only got a pair of V6s. Beginning in 2004, the Amanti came standard with a 3.5-liter V6 belonging to Hyundai’s Sigma engine family. Then, the 2007 model received a 3.8-liter V6 from Hyundai’s Lambda powerplant family, which increased both the small luxury car’s horsepower and torque figures.

It may not come as a surprise to learn that the Amanti did not come with a manual transmission option. Instead, a five-speed automatic was the sole gearbox option for the sedan’s entire time on the US market. All the models came with front-wheel drive. A coil-sprung, fully-independent front suspension paired with a multi-link rear setup helped the car handle bumps and offered a “Sport” setting, which firmed up the gas-pressurized shock absorbers for increased handling ability and decreased body roll during hard cornering.

We’ll lay out the Kia Amanti’s detailed engine and performance specs for both its engines in the table below:

*Specs courtesy of Kia, FuelEconomy.gov, and Kelley Blue Book

Features

Being an upscale car, Kia made sure to inject a healthy dose of luxury into the Amanti’s cabin. As standard, buyers were treated to amenities, such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel, woodgrain-effect dashboard and console trim, and steering wheel controls for both the cruise control and stereo. Dual-zone climate control, a six-speaker audio system with built-in six-disc CD changer, and even rain-sensing wipers, a feature not seen on many budget luxury models at the time.

Optionally, buyers could go for things like leather seats, a 270-watt stereo with a subwoofer courtesy of Infinity Audio, and a dash-mounted infotainment screen. Heated front and rear seats, along with adjustable pedals, were optional, as well. Thanks to its combination of standard and optional features, J.D. Power named the 2005 Kia Amanti the “Most Appealing Premium Midsize Car”.

The Amanti’s Quiet Goodbye

Following a few years of declining sales, Kia decided to ax the Amanti in the US entirely following the 2009 model year. The Amanti/Opirus as a whole continued in production until 2012, when Kia pulled the plug on the model completely. However, Kia was interested in continuing to produce a mid-sized luxury car, and so the Amanti’s replacement was named in 2009. The model was to be called the Cadenza in the US market, and would pick up where the Amanti left off.

The Cadenza offered many of the same sort of features as the Amanti, although with a much less Mercedes-Benz-like appearance to it. Emboldened by Hyundai’s success with the Genesis sedan, the Kia marque designed the Cadenza to look much more grown-up and with-the-times than the Amanti did, and its sales figures showed this improvement. In total, the Cadenza was offered in the US until 2020, when Kia ceased producing any sort of luxury models for the US market entirely.

Sources: Kia, Kelley Blue Book, FuelEconomy.gov