Impressive Warranty

Hyundai is Kia's corporate parent, so the Optima gets Hyundai's impressive warranty; it includes 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain protection and 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance.

Kia is putting more marketing muscle behind the new Optima. Its predecessor received little marketing support, and most folks wanting a Kia sedan brushed past it in showrooms and headed for the automaker's Spectra model.

The front-wheel-drive Optima has quick steering and a decent ride, but the softness of an older Buick and thus just average handling. The brake pedal has a linear action to help provide smooth stops.

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    Electronic stability control
    The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) monitors information from various vehicle sensors and then compares the driver's commands with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If an unstable conditi ...

    Maintenance services
    You should exercise the utmost care to prevent damage to your vehicle and injury to yourself whenever performing any maintenance or inspection procedures. Should you have any doubts concerning th ...

    DRIVING
    You know what? It drives pretty well. On winding and hilly roads, the car’s comparatively wide stance makes it feel solid, with little body roll. I drove the “+”, “!”, and “sport” tr ...