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.
See also:
Starting the engine
CAUTION
Always wear appropriate shoes when
operating your vehicle. Unsuitable
shoes (high heels, ski boots,etc.) may
interfere with your ability to use the
brake and accelerator pedal, and the
c ...
Luggage net
To keep items from shifting in the
cargo area, you can use the four
rings located in the cargo area to
attach the luggage net.
NOTICE
Do not put fragile, bulky or an
excessive quantity of item ...
THE VERDICT
Kia won’t release pricing for the Optima for another few weeks, but we’re
assured it will come in at under $20,000 to start and we expect it to undercut
(slightly) the Sonata, which starts at ...