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:
Power steering fluid
Checking the power steering fluid
level
With the vehicle on level ground, check
the fluid level in the power steering reservoir
periodically. The fluid should be
between MAX and MIN marks on th ...
Door locks
Operating door locks from outside
the vehicle
• Turn the key toward the rear of the
vehicle to unlock and toward the front
of the vehicle to lock.
• If you lock the door with a key, all veh ...
Drivetrain
The typical sedan has a larger engine than the Kia Rio. Keep in mind that
smaller engines are often cheaper to fix, but smaller engines can be stressed
more. The Kia Rio could learn a lesson or tw ...