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:

    Fuel requirements
    Gasoline engine (unleaded) Your new Kia vehicle is designed to use only unleaded fuel with a minimum Octane Rating of 87 Anti-Knock Index (AKI). NOTICE NEVER USE LEADED FUEL. The use of leaded ...

    Powertrains and Performance
    All Sorento trim levels come standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 175 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque. The base model has a six-speed manual transmission, while the othe ...

    Defroster
    The defroster heats the window to remove frost, fog and thin ice from the interior and exterior of the rear window, while engine is running. NOTICE • To prevent damage to the conductors bond ...