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:

    Vehicle weight glossary
    This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loadin ...

    Driving your vehicle
    Ignition switch Starting the engine Manual transaxle Automatic transaxle Four wheel drive (4WD) Brake system Steering wheel Cruise control system Electronic stability control Instrument clust ...

    Instrument cluster
    1. Tachometer 2. Turn signal indicators 3. Speedometer 4. Engine temperature gauge 5.Warning and indicator lights 6. Shift position indicator* (Automatic transaxle only) 7. Odometer/Tripmeter ...