Kia Optima

Kia Optima 2011 car review

The Kia Optima, now in its second decade in the midsize sedan segment, has a new design for 2011. It’s a streamlined profile the manufacturer says “conveys elegance and athletic confidence from every angle.” Designed in Frankfurt, Germany and Irvine, Calif., the 2011 Optima is slightly longer, wider and lower than its predecessor. Available in LX, EX and SX trims and as a hybrid, the gas-engine Optima offers a 200-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Like other unheralded cars, the Kia Optima is surprisingly impressive when driven, and it’s the recipient of lots of disbelief. During my week with the EX, the mid-level option, more than one friend couldn’t identify the car.

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Super Bowl commercials: Kia Optima captured by aliens

Kia Motors America is among eight auto manufacturers with ad campaigns in Super Bowl XVL, and it will feature a 60-second spot called “One Epic Ride.” In the commercial, people across space and time – from a police officer and an international villain to aliens and an ancient chief – will go to great lengths to snatch the all-new Optima from the clutches of others and put themselves behind the wheel. The Optima becomes an object of desire, and even Poseidon, the king of the sea, does his best to get his hands on the car. Created by David&Goliath, “One Epic Ride” the commercial, according to Kia, “Demonstrates the extreme measures people will go to get their hands on a

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Kia Optima tops BMW, Honda, Chevy, Nissan for Cars.com Best of 2011 award

Kia, the once not-so touted cousin of the equally once not-so lauded Hyundai, has joined its midsize brethren in the honors line. Cars.com has given the Kia Optima its “Best of 2011” award. The editors of the web site cited the Optima’s outstanding fuel economy overall driving. Hyundai, which owns Kia, has received its share of honors for its Sonata and other vehicles in the Korean manufacturer’s lineup. The editors of Cars.com said: “With its value, sharp packaging, outstanding fuel efficiency and lofty features, the Optima gives all family-car shoppers a shot at something far more compelling than the segment represents.” The BMW 5 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Volt (recently named North American Car of the Year), Honda Odyssey and

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Kia Optima (Turbo) 2011 car review

The impressive turbocharged four-cylinder engine offered for the Kia Optima Turbo turns the standard recently introduced all-new 2011 Optima into a genuinely hot model. The two-liter engine is in the $24,495 Optima EX Turbo and the $25,995 SX Turbo versions. The standard front-drive, mid-size Optima sedan has a non-turbo 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 200 horsepower. Non-turbo Optima list prices start at $18,995 with the standard 2.4 engine. While the regular engine provides good performance, the Optima Turbo engine is a pistol. It has very efficient direct fuel injection and other nifty features, such as a turbocharger with a unique twin-scroll design. It offers better combustion efficiency and more available low-end power, compared to more traditional single-scroll turbo systems. The Turbo engine

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Kia Optima, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

I recently drove a 2008 Kia Optima nearly 1,100 miles in eight days in Georgia. It’s a vastly unheralded midsize sedan. There’s little flash, no outrageous color choices, nothing so computer high-tech it’s problematic for the average driver. What the Optima provides is dependable transportation, a superior warranty and stellar crash tests results that all add up to prompt one question: Why isn’t the public giving Kia more attention? The likely answer is that it’s positioned in arguably the most competitive car segment — the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry are the “major players” in midsize sedan category. Several leading automotive publications have commented that one of the Kia’s best attributes is its ability to not stand out

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