- New Kia Optima Review
- 2019 Kia Optima – Review & Road Test
- Kia Optima Sportswagon 2017 Review – The Sexiest Family Estate On Sale? – Car Keys
- Kia Optima saloon review – CarBuyer
- Kia Optima 2016 review – Car Keys
- Kia Optima saloon in-depth review – Carbuyer
- 2016 Kia Optima – Review and Road Test
New Kia Optima Review
Although the 2016 Kia Optima looks similar to the previous model, it is in fact almost,an entirely new car, such are the changes the company has made to it.,For a start, it’s now both wider and longer, complete with bulging wheel-arches and the,company’s tiger nose grille that’s filled with an appealing ‘star field’ design.,This is flanked by new larger headlights that include an automatic high-beam assist function,on some models, although it’s a shame they’re not LED units, however these are joined by,LED fog-lights that look like something out of War of the Worlds, giving the car a rather,intimidating signature at night. Alloy wheels are up to 18-inches in diameter,,and the rear styling has been tweaked with a boot lid with a more aerodynamic trailing,edge, a redesigned lower bumper section, and an oval-tipped exhaust pipe.,As with the headlights, the tail-lights now wrap around the body edges, and their LED,illumination gives a funky light signature. Space in the cabin is truly vast. Thanks to,the increase in wheelbase and overall width, there’s even more of it on offer than there,was before. To give you some idea of just how much space there is, I’m 6ft4, and I,had to move the driver’s seat forward – that almost never happens.,For this year, Kia have angled everything towards the driver, upgraded the quality of,the materials, and given the dashboard a more horizontal layout.,The instruments have an appealing simple clarity to them, and this is matched by the high-res,central display that can show anything from your speed, navigation instructions, lane,guidance, economy and maintenance information, and a huge range of customisation options.,The display for the media system comes in two sizes depending on model, but all come,with navigation as standard, plus DAB digital radio and Bluetooth streaming, while mid-range,and above models come with a 590 Watt Harmon Kardon set-up that remains remarkably distortion-free,even at high volumes, although I personally found the sound a touch heavy in the mid-range,for my tastes. One small annoyance is that the system doesn’t,remember your last volume setting, instead when you turn the ignition on, it reverts,to whatever you set the start-up volume to, and you can’t set this to zero.,Space for rear-seat passengers is equally generous – there’s tons of legroom, shoulder-room,has been increased over the old model, and there’s plenty of headroom despite the sloping,roof-line. You could easily get three six-footers back here, even if you have someone like me,,at 6ft4, sitting in the front. In fact, short of something like a long-wheelbase Mercedes,,I can’t think of another car with this much interior space.,There’s even a huge boot to go along with it. It’s slightly larger than before, now,at 510 litres, and you can still fold the rear seats forward if you need even more space.,Probably about the only thing about the Optima that’s small, is the engine. At the moment,,here in the UK it’s only available with a 1.7-litre turbodiesel with 139hp, although,there are plans to introduce a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit with 245hp as part of a new GT,model, and we can’t wait to test that. Towards the end of this year, there’ll also,be a plug-in hybrid model that’s expected to offer a 33-mile electric-only range.,For now, though, the diesel is hardly lacking in green credentials, and in manual form it,emits just 110 g/km of CO2, and records up to 67.3 mpg on the official tests, while we,averaged just over 50 mpg during our time with it.,It’s quite punchy through the gears, with peak torque arriving at just 1,750 rpm, and,the six-speed box has a light yet positive action that makes it a real pleasure to use.,The Optima is also available with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that, although we,haven’t tested it yet, I think it probably suits the Kia’s character a little better.,Kia have made substantial changes to the suspension for this new model, and the result is a much,smoother ride. What impressed us most, however, was how well the suspension isolated the cabin,from what was going on underneath, so that even large bumps and ridges in the tarmac,transmit very little noise into the body, something that’s true for both wind- and,road-noise, too. The new set-up also does an excellent job,of containing body-roll, and this helps give the Optima a surprising feeling of agility,,particularly for what is actually quite a big car.,What we will say, though, is that despite improvements to the steering, there is still,a slight over-eagerness either side of the straight-ahead position, and although it still,feels stable at speed on a motorway, when turning-in to a larger radius it can feel,a little inconsistent. We also wouldn’t object to little more bite,from the brakes. The power is there, it’s just that it requires a little more pedal,pressure than you initially think, although it is something you soon adjust to.,Nit-picking aside, the Optima is an incredibly relaxing place to be while tackling a long,journey, yet it still feels agile enough to have a bit of fun when you’re on your favourite,back-roads. It’s also incredibly safe, with top-spec,models boasting both short- and long-range radar systems to detect obstacles and apply,the brakes if necessary, together with an adaptive cruise control function, while mid-range,models get a new Lane Keep Assist system that can even steer the vehicle within its lane,entirely automatically – although it’s not something I’m about to rely on any time,soon. The fact all of this can be yours for just,£21,495 is, frankly, remarkable. Plus it comes with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.,I think what really impressed us about the Optima, though, is just how far it punches,above its weight. The last time I drove a car that rode this,well and offered this much interior space, it was something with a cat on the bonnet,and a price tag at least three times that of the Kia.,I know, I can hardly believe I’m saying it myself.,Admittedly, the diesel engine is probably a bit of a let-down considering the quality,of the rest of it, but that only makes us more excited to see what the forthcoming GT,and hybrid versions will be like. Plus there’s an estate version on the horizon in the form,of the new Sportwagon.,It doesn’t seem that long ago that Kia was busy making beige cars for beige people.,Somewhere along the line, though, it seems the entire company got out of bed one day,and collectively said “no, we’re going to make cars that are awesome.”,While the Optima probably isn’t quite there yet, it’s definitely the most surprising,car I’ve driven in a long time. And for all the best reasons.
2019 Kia Optima – Review & Road Test
Kia is turning out some great product these days with the sporty Stinger and a,smaller, zippy Forte. Sitting right between those two wunderkinds is this,,the Kia Optima. Now, its not a new model this is a mid-cycle refresh but you know,what that means. Okay maybe its time that our mid-cycle refresh graphic got a,refresh! Exterior changes require a keen eye, which means they are subtle. So the,Optima now has these Stinger-inspired LED day running headlights and on the SX,it gets this black gloss sport grille, but the real changes arent on the,outside.,Its the addition of Kias advanced drivers assistance system. Thats their,suite of safety features which now comes standard across all trims. That package,includes a forward collision warning system and driver attention warning,which provides visual and sound alerts if it senses the drivers attention,level is lacking. Other good stuff to stop bad things from happening include,lane keep assist and lane departure warning ,forward collision avoidance,comes standard on the EX trim and above as does smart cruise control with a stop,and go feature. The top-end SX has the option of including a 360-,degree surround view system for a starting price of just under $24,000 for,the base model LX. Thats a lot of safety. The interior is actually pretty,luxurious for a car at this price point. The seats are nice and comfortable, and,yes, this is the highest SX trim, but theyre really handsome, and oh, the,headrests are nice and cushy. There are some nice soft touch points here in,addition to the sort of expected hard plastics and a nice balance between,physical buttons and touchscreen. Overall I think its a really well put together,package. So this latest Optima actually gets Kias updated UVO infotainment,system. Now its great. I think its simple. Its very easy to use. best part,Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both come standard. Now we have had a couple of,issues in the past with a Stinger and a G70, which has the same system, in that,there was some crackling when we got on the phone. However on this latest update,we dont seem to be having that problem, so, if there was an issue it seems like,Kia may have addressed it. Passenger space back here is good. Middle seat, its,tolerable, but even behind daddy-longlegs Tims comfortable position I have plenty,of room. As for cargo space, well it doesnt do too badly either.,It comes about mid pack in the competitive set, and oh what a,competitive set that is. The midsize passenger car segment is as brutal as a,Walmart on Black Friday. The Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, which the,Kia shares a platform with, and the Nissan Altima are all vying for,dwindling consumer dollars in a struggling segment. the playing field has,to be leveled somehow, so the sedan with the most extras might get a leg up. Base,LX and higher S models are now powered by Kias naturally aspirated 2.4-liter,inline four, which are both mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The LX is,previously optional turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four now is only available,as standard on the EX trim and thats equipped with a 7-speed dual-clutch,automatic transmission. For those looking for more power in their Optima, the SX,that comes equipped with the turbocharged 2-liter inline four is the,only way to get it, and get it you will. This 2.0-liter turbo is quick accelerating,onto a freeway or getting out of trouble shouldnt be any problem, although there,is a little bit of turbo lag, the 6-speed automatic transmission is a little bit,sluggish, but if you put it into sport mode or manual and use the paddle,shifters then that eliminates that problem significantly.,The Optima turns proficiently though without tremendous feel or,feedback and the brakes do their job. So overall Kia turns out yet another,pleasing driving experience with spirit. But what are its other cool features I,hear you say? Well this Optima SX actually comes with a panoramic sunroof,and this gorgeous two-tone leather, oh thats opening all the way. The only,other up charge that we had was our exterior paint color and all that for,$33,315, which is only about $500,more than the base price SX.,For a more middle-of-the-road trim like the Optima S, which now comes standard,with a proximity key and push-button start, youre looking at closer to,$26,000. The S trim also comes with exterior extras such as LED tail lights,,black trim side sill extensions, a black grille, and 18-inch wheels. All Optimas,come with a 10-year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. While this isnt,exactly the mini me of Stingers Kia is injecting a lot of great design thought,and tons of tech into their entire passenger car lineup. If theres a black,sheep in the Kia family the Optima aint it.,
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Kia Optima saloon review – CarBuyer
haha,its a tough draw the large family car,segment people are increasingly leaving,their forwards and voxels in favor of,more desirable models from Audi and BMW,so youd imagine that a brand such as,Kia would really struggle still that,hasnt stopped them entering the fray,the new Optima fortunately kiss stylists,have done a fantastic job because,theyve created a car which looks a lot,more expensive than it actually is,in fact from certain angles the Optima,play is more than a passing resemblance,to certain premium models you see this,vent here on the wing it kind of reminds,me of that on the BMW m5 and if I was to,take this and stick it here and it would,look too out of place apart from the,fact of course its made out of paper,anyway lets crack on because this,Optima has a very big boot it can,swallow much larger suitcases than that,and because the aperture is nice and,wide you can easily put the very largest,golf bags in there lets get feels nice,and spacious here in the back whats,especially good is the amount of knee,room youve got and look at that theres,loads of space between me and the seat,in front theres also loads of space in,the footwell as well because I mean look,at that I could I could get away with,wearing crown shoes,Ill admit that this centre seating is,only really good for kids so most thats,all youre going to do is just fall down,the center armrest and use those handy,cupholders here in the front of the,Optima its really easy to get comfy it,doesnt matter if youre big or small,because what theres just so much,adjustment in the drivers seat and I,have to say the actual driving position,itself,I mean its spot-on as is the amount of,equipment you get as standard on this,guy even the entry-level car gets air,conditioning cruise control USB for your,iPhone this ESC anti-skid control and,bluetooth for your mobile phone which is,very easy to set up and,have great fan quality 3c,this car is actually only available with,a one point seven liter diesel but dont,worry because the engine is actually,very good it returned 57 miles per,gallon and what its not the fastest,thing of the mark once youre up to,speed its got more than enough,performance to suit most peoples needs,the clutch its nice and light and this,plus brakes which are very progressive,means you dont shunt along in,stop-start traffic or is it just me that,does that the Optima also holds its own,out in the open road admit the,suspension is a little bit on the firm,side but its never uncomfortable on the,trade-off is the fact this car goes,around corners very well indeed its all,any body roll it loads of reassuring,grip that said if youre on the best,handling family car you probably going,to be better off with a Ford Mondeo and,that brings me on to this cars downsides,one of them is the fact that a higher,speeds it can get a little bit noisy in,the cabin rear visibility isnt great,because of the small back window and the,thin and high window ledge means that,theres nowhere really to rest your,elbow which was a bit annoying,the biggest problem with the Optima,however is that while it looks great on,the outside inside its rather,uninspiring in fact the dash design,seems to be modeled on an old Volvo,storage space isnt great either as the,center cubby and side door bins were,rather small and then as the weird,noises the car constantly makes some of,which are just plain odd however these,arent as annoying as the almost useless,fold down boot hatch which is bad even,by saloon standards finally theres the,price because the Optima isnt quite as,cheap as youd expect from ok in fact,its similar money to the European stuff,and dont expect a discount from a,dealer like you can get on a Vauxhall,Insignia which incidentally comes with a,lifetime warranty that said the Kier,7-year one is still very impressive and,it kind of sums up this car you see,because its not going to take the large,family car market by storm but its,definitely a viable alternative to the,mainstream and in my opinion the looks,also good enough to take on some of the,premium models too
Kia Optima 2016 review – Car Keys
Kia has done an amazing job of making a name for itself in almost every segment in the,UK – there’s the likes of the Picanto city car, the Rio supermini, the cee’d hatchback,and of course the Sportage crossover.,But what about this, the Kia Optima saloon, well…,Alan Partridge drove one, and apart from that it has flown very much under the radar, but,Kia hopes that will change with a new fourth-generation Optima for 2016, which is longer, wider and,has a new grille.,The question is, can Kia replicate its rapidly improving formula with its saloon?,Well it’s going to have to if it wants to compete with the likes of the Ford Mondeo,and Skoda Superb.,Well, first things first, the Optima definitely feels like an upmarket saloon inside, with,this smart-looking fascia spliced into distinctive, easy to digest sections.,The leading feature though is this touchscreen system, which comes in 7-inch as well as a,new 8-inch size – and as with many other Kias, this system is snappy and incredibly,responsive.,Standard kit is impressive across the range with reversing sensors and camera, sat-nav,and dual automatic air-con all thrown in – you’ve also got business driver favourites like cruise,control and Bluetooth.,On the quality front the Optima is well screwed together, has a comfortable driving position,with plenty of seating adjustment and the materials used all-around are nice to the,touch and look the part as well.,Practicality in the rear is one of the Optima’s trump cards as there is loads of leg room,and plenty of head room – reminds me a lot of the Superb actually.,There’s also a convenient arm rest with cup holders in the middle.,Boot practicality is a bit different though.,Now usually you fold the seats down manually with a lever or pull a handle in the boot,and they fall down.,The Optima however requires both, which okay is only a small thing, but you do notice it.,And although boot space stands at over 500 litres, the actual boot opening is quite narrow.,The first thing I look for when driving a Kia is steering feel – because it used to,be the case that this was underwhelming and let its cars down a bit.,Thankfully though Kia has improved its steering across its range.,The Optima’s steering doesn’t feel quite as natural as the new Sportage, but its speed-sensitive,power steering responds fairly well and weights up when you pick-up speed and head into a,corner, although it is a little too light when plodding around the city.,A 1.7-litre 139bhp diesel is the sole engine option which delivers a fairly nippy zero,to 60 sprint time of 9.7 seconds and has 340Nm of torque on tap for swift motorway overtaking.,As part of its new-generation comes a huge improvement in CO2 emissions, which now stands,at 110g/km for this six-speed manual and 116g for the seven-speed twin-clutch.,And fuel economy is quoted at an average of 67.3mpg – expect around 50mpg in day-to-day,driving though.,From a composure point of view, Kia has actually retuned the chassis in order to improve handling,and ride quality.,Now, the Optima is comfy enough, even over pot holes in fact, but in terms of offering,the fun-factor, you’ll want to look elsewhere.,Now this bit may shock you.,Price wise the Optima is more expensive than the Vauxhall Insignia, Skoda Superb, Hyundai,i40 and Ford Mondeo, starting from £21,895.,But let’s not get too carried away, Kia are well known for its well-equipped interiors,and the quality of kit you get in the standard Optima could cost you a few hundred or even,a few thousand pound more in one of its competitors.,Plus the Optima looks totally unique to anything on the market and it comes with a seven-year,warranty.,In terms of offering a comfy, gadget-packed saloon cruiser, you couldn’t really ask,for much more…,okay a fun drive would be nice, but hopefully that will come with time.,And there’s actually an estate and hybrid version of the Optima on its way too, so you,might want to keep your eyes peeled for that.,But what do you think of the Optima?,Let us know in the comments section below and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube,channel.,Click on the enquire button to find out more details about this car or for any other models,,visit Carkeys.co.uk.,And to watch more reviews, click one of the links on screen now.
Kia Optima saloon in-depth review – Carbuyer
keya have been quietly carving out quite,a reputation for themselves over recent,years making great-looking SUVs and,quite stylish super minis but success in,Europe in the saloon market has evaded,them and theyre hoping to change all,that with this the Skoda Superb Ford,Mondeo rivaling Optima buyers in this,corner of the market are spoilt for,choice and the car needs to be pretty,special to woo them away from the class,leaders so the Optima has its work cut,out for it when it comes to how it looks,well its off to a positive start with,strong lines and that distinctive Keir,nose helping it to stand out but things,do take a bit of a nosedive at once you,get inside look theres no denying the,fact that this is solid its well built,theres good adjustment in the seat and,in the steering wheel but its just a,really uninspiring place to be it feels,quite dated and it is dominated by black,its just everywhere and you know that,is such a shame because buyers in this,corner of the market spend a lot of time,sat in here driving and they just,deserve a nicer place to sit than this,one thing they wont complain about,though is the amount of equipment that,you get Kia helpfully label the trim,levels on their cars from one through,two for entry level on the Optima is a,two and comes with 17 inch alloy wheels,air conditioning a 7-inch touchscreen,sat-nav electronic stability control,Hill Start assistance a Bluetooth,connection with voice recognition LED,daytime running lights and rear fog,lights all fitted as standard while this,model the Optima 3 gets an upgraded,stereo Lane Assist a larger touchscreen,and chunkier alloy wheels you know life,is not about compromise isnt it and,its a real trade-off in here ok its,not the most inspiring place to be but,you get lots of things that other,manufacturers would charge you extra for,and its also pretty practical as well,youve got an excellent sized glove box,which is also called central cubby,holder underneath the armrest a couple,of storage areas two cupholders if Im,being really picky I would say that the,cupholders are a little bit small,and theres not much room down here in,the door bins but overall in terms of,practicality it absolutely hits the mark,when it comes to space both front and,back seat passengers have got stacks of,it theres good Headroom back here,plenty of legroom you also get two,all-important ISOFIX child seat points,and a couple of storage areas here on,the back of the seat the door bins in,the back like the ones in the front,theyre a little bit small but overall,its a comfortable place to be and the,boot is a good size too,out on the road its a fairly relaxing,and comfortable drive the Optima comes,with just one engine at one point seven,liter diesel although a sporty 2-liter,turbo petrol version does arrive later,in 2016 the Optima 3 which this comes,with a choice of 6-speed manual or,7-speed automatic box Ive got the,manual which obviously means better fuel,economy Kia claimed it will do around 67,months the gallon although Ive been,averaging just 47 theres plenty of,power available right throughout the,gears even in six and it handles well,its got good grip minimal body roll,through the corners but my biggest gripe,is the steering its just too light and,while thats fine driving around town,and in fact be honest it makes parking,really easy it begins to feel a little,vague at higher speeds,another issue for me is noise its a,rattly diesel engine particularly when,you get your foot down can theres also,a bit too much vibration coming through,the steering wheel for my liking and it,does something else that I find slightly,irritating probably quite unreasonably,so every time you turn it on or off,get a little accompaniment now whilst,Im having a moan let me talk about the,price I just dont think its,competitive enough this cost more than a,Skoda Superb,and whilst it does come with Kias,amazing seven-year warranty Im not sure,that the Optima is special enough to woo,buyers away from the competition if,youre in the market for a saloon car,like the Kia Optima then check out our,review of the Ford Mondeo by clicking,the video window on the left or on the,right youll find the Skoda Superb click,the play icon for our latest video and,dont forget to subscribe to our Channel,you
2016 Kia Optima – Review and Road Test
the Kia Optima has cultivated a,reputation for style and exceptional,bang for the buck so instead of,reinventing a proven formula here refine,the Optima into a car they can compete,and in many cases win against the,category is finest,whereas previous iteration shined in,certain categories but struggled in,others latest optima is a complete,package and it all starts with design,although it takes a keen eye to,distinguish the third-generation model,from the forth the overall look,apart from these ebay motors inspired,fender adornments still modern plus,unlike some of its over style,competitors its a look that will likely,age well the same goes for the interior,which charms in a broadly appealing way,with help from useful touches like a,long through a steering wheel convenient,storage nooks good materials in most,areas in a standard multi-information,display although we wish the touchscreen,were located a bit closer to the driver,keys UVO infotainment Center is an,absolute joy to use regardless of your,technical inclinations in addition to,its already rapid response times clean,layout and sharp graphics UVO now offers,Android auto and apple carplay,integration something that cant be said,for its Mazda Toyota and Nissan,competitors Outback theres more than,enough legroom to accommodate those with,long dancers legs along with decent,Headroom in the outboard positions the,middle position however is a different,story,bringing up the rear is one of the,largest trunks in the segment thats,beset by a comparatively narrow pass,through that said the Optima gives up,virtually nothing or it matters most,since it was introduced in the early,2000s the Kia Optima excelled in a,number of areas although driving,dynamics was never one of them,ah what a difference 15 or so years,makes because this driving experience is,on point in nearly every regard the,cabin is well isolated from road and,wind noise the driving position is,excellent and the ride is smooth without,feeling overly floaty which is quite a,feat for a car of this size,regarding the Optimas longstanding,Achilles heel,steering calibration is actually just,fine and actually quite good and SX,bottles,even better in SX models is a 2-liter,turbocharged engine that turns out 245,horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque,standard on bass and mid tier e^x models,is a retuned version of the former 2.4,liter 4 cylinder which delivers chests,enough power for passing and merging and,chests enough buzzing at low speeds to,annoy you both engines are mated,exclusively to a well-behaved 6-speed,automatic transmission while only lower,spec LX models employ and often,misbehaved 7-speed dual-clutch automatic,hit with a 1.6 liter turbocharged,four-cylinder our 2.4 liter tester,average 28.4 mpg over a mix of city and,highway driving with the 1.6 liter,besting that score by just over 2 mpg a,23 mpg combined average was all we could,eke out of the 2-liter turbo an,underwhelming score considering it,yields a middling 0 to 60 time of about,7 and a half seconds for perspective a,v6 equipped Camry or Accord and do the,dash and roughly 6 seconds flat while,returning similar fuel economy so if you,want a fuel-efficient fully loaded,Optima you can stomach a $3,000 premium,theres a hybrid model with your name on,it but not literally if thats not green,enough theres a plug-in variant capable,of traveling up to 27 miles on,electricity alone before the gasoline,engine kicks in Plus once you factor in,federal and local tax rebates the,plug-in costs about the same or less,than the standard hybrid depending on,your state conventionally driven models,begin to shy of $23,000 and top out,right around $37,000 37 long for a,lesser-known midsize sedan but that,chunk of change lands you in near luxury,interior outfitted with high-end goodies,like a 12 way power driver seat with,four-way lumbar support and memory,settings quilted nappa leather seating,surfaces the heated steering wheel,heated and ventilated front seats,hands-free trunk and,McMullan roof a great-sounding,10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system,360-degree camera system as well as,active safety tech such as adaptive,cruise control pre-collision braking and,lane departure warning,apart from rain-sensing windshield,wipers the Optima can be equipped with,virtually everything offered on luxury,sedans costing nearly twice as much but,even in base form the Optima includes,expected niceties like an eight way,drivers seat seven airbags including a,drivers knee airbag automatic headlight,control and a six speaker entertainment,center clink to a backup camera along,with better than average residual values,every model is backed by Kias,industry-leading 5 year 60,000 mile,basic warranty and 10 year 100,000 mile,powertrain warranty in the end there,really isnt a whole lot not to like,about the Optima it offers pretty much,everything a buyer in this segment could,ever want or need then again there,really isnt a whole lot not to like,about any of todays mid-size sedans,you