Large Trunk

The large trunk has a low, wide opening and a lid that raises easily on gas struts. Rear seatbacks can be flipped forward for more cargo space, but they don't sit entirely flat. The pass-through area between the trunk and rear-seat area is only moderately large.

The seatbacks have trunk releases that were hard to use on my test car, but prevent thieves from gaining entry to the trunk from the back seat.

Kia hopes the redesigned Optima will help it reach its goal of 500,000 annual U.S. sales by 2010. It's looking for at least 50,000 annual sales here of the Optima, or about 10,000 more than it annually has been selling in recent years.

Optima buyers shouldn't expect Toyota or Honda resale values, but neither can owners of most family sedans.

    See also:

    Air cleaner
    Element replacement Have the air cleaner element checked and replaced in accordance with the maintenance schedule. NOTICE Do not drive with the air cleaner removed; this will result in excessi ...

    Seats
    Front seat (1) Forward and backward (2) Seatback angle (3) Seat cushion height (Driver’s seat) (4) Lumbar support (Driver’s seat)* (5) Seat heater* (6) Headrest 2nd row seat (7) Seatback ...

    Windshield defrosting and defogging
    WARNING - Windshield heating Do not use the or position during cooling operation in extremely humid weather. The difference between the temperature of the outside air and the windshield could c ...