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:
First Drive: 2010 Kia Forte
The Forte is technically the successor to the Spectra, but it is really so
much more than that. This time, Kia decided to leave the help of the rocked-out
Soul hamsters behind and instead concentr ...
Safety-Minded
As with the rest of the Kia line-up, the 2009 Kia Optima is equipped with
many safety features as standard equipment. This includes six airbags (dual
advanced front and front-seat mounted side as ...
Theft-alarm system
Theft alarm system will not operate when
the ignition key is in the ignition switch.
If the lock button on the transmitter is
pressed when the key is not in the ignition
and any vehicle door or ...