Do your research by Googling 'KIA Optima reviews'. Edmunds.com - epinions.com have good reviews and I like to hear from the people who bought them. I bought an 07 and love it thus far. Ride, drives super, corners great, quiet, love the sport shifter where you can down shift or up shift gears like a regular stick shift or use auto tranny. The I4 2.7 liter is QUICK and fun to drive, I stick that bad boy and it honks! Mine has like 500 miles on it and averages 26 MPG half hiway half city driving. At this point I have no gripes and a lot of people say it looks like a Lexus, concidentially I parked beside one at Staples yesterday exact same gold color and it DOES look a lot like a Lexus.
Safetywise it is loaded with air bags side & front bot oddly enough you can't set ABS brakes on a 4 cylinder and have to go to the V6 which in round figures costs about 2 grand more. It has a five star crash test ratings and doesn't get much better n' that. I'm tall and being able to hand pump the seat up and down at full up I still have plenty of headroom. Push a button in the trunk and both rear seats lay forward for big packages or what have you. Engine compartment and trunk have pneumatic tubes to hold them up and no fear it them falling on your hand braking it or busting the kids head open.
I am fully aware the resale value on KIA's is not that good, BUT, since they first came to the USA they have come a lloonnggg way Baby and I predict in the near furure their resale valuse will increase considerably. Hyundai bought 51% of KIA and is building a 1 billion dollar KIA plant in the USA. I drove most all of the gas sippers and was most impressed with the Spectra and Optima plus the warranty can't be beat. Here's some links to help you get started with your research. Note this one from the Wall Street Journal says , "when did did these cars get so good?"
http://www.aboutshanghai.com/arts/1092-kia-rondo.php
US News has a very comprehensive review here.
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...07-Kia-Optima/
11-04-2007, 09:32 AM
