THE VERDICT
Just a few years ago, the Kia Optima would have been a genuine competitor to the American sedans in the family car category. Unfortunately for Kia, companies like Ford and General Motors have made tremendous strides in recent years with cars like the Fusion and Malibu. As a result, the Optima suffers from being too little, too late.
POSITVE
Solid new design
Quiet and comfy ride
Fully-loaded for the price of a base-model competitor
NEGATIVE
Sloppy ride quality
Poor interior design and materials
Less than the sum of its parts
We would, however still consider it an option if your list of potential cars includes the Mitsubishi Gallant, Chrysler Sebring or Pontiac G6. After all, it’s not all bad, remember, power and fuel economy (with the four-cylinder) are on par with the competition.
What may make the Optima attractive to certain buyers is that you can purchase the well-equipped automatic four-cylinder LX model for $18,950 – thousands less than an Accord, Camry or Malibu that has fewer options. In short, it’s a car for someone who wants all the bells and whistles but can’t (or doesn’t want to) afford the same package on another vehicle.
See also:
Wiper blades
Wiper blade maintenance
Commercial hot waxes applied by
automatic car washes have been
known to make the windshield difficult
to clean.
Contamination of either the windshield
or the wiper blad ...
Keys
The key code number is stamped on the
plate attached to the key set. Should you
lose your keys, this number will enable
an authorized Kia dealer to duplicate the
keys easily. Remove the plate an ...
Instrument panel overview
1. Driver's Front Air Bag .......................3-33
2. Light Control / Turn Signals..............4-47
3. Instrument Cluster............................4-32
4. Wiper/Washer...................... ...