2011 Kia Optima Review

The previous generation Kia Optima was a vehicle struggling to keep up with the times, having emerged on the scene as a lackluster model masquerading as a value proposition, when in reality it was just plain cheap. And the market responded with even Kia Motor America VP of Sales Tom Loveless describing the brand’s presence in the hugely important mid-size sedan segment as, “way down near the bottom.”

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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 ...

Manual Transaxle
Manual transaxle operation The manual transaxle has 6 forward gears. This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized in all forward gears so shifting to e ...

On the Road
During our seat time in and around Seattle, we test drove an EX with the Fuel Economy Package and an SX version. We found the EX's 5-speed automatic a bit annoying in its rush to get into fifth ...