2010 Kia Optima consumer reviews

First Kia Product I ever purchased and it was a good choice.Bought a used 2010 Optima with 42k in Nov 2011.Clean car fax and good paint.Found out after purchase that it was alot of glass in the trunk under the trunk mat.The rear bumper had been replaced and painted.I've driven the car for 7000 miles and the transmission has started to give a hard jerk when coming to a stop it does this once in awhile not all the time.I thought it was the brakes and I had all 4 rotors turned and new brakes placed on the rear but it continued.hopefully the warranty will cover this repair.

This has been a good car. I like it. But........How are people getting 35 mpg or more? I drive 30 miles a day. About 1 mile of that would be city with a few stop lights and low speeds. 29 miles of it is interstate highway, very flat, no hills. I drive the speed limit and am easy with my right foot. I can't get better than 26mpg. Yes I have a 2.4l 4cyl engine. My consistent average is 24mpg. In the times I have done lots of city driving it drops to the high teens. I had a 7 passenger GMC Envoy with 4.2 inline 6cyl that could get 27mpg cruising and 16-17mpg in the city. The minivan I own gets better gas mileage than this Kia. I don't get it? Mid size sedan with a 4cyl and it eats more gas than a big 'gas guzzler' SUV.

It needs maintenance sooner than expected. By 40,000 miles the tranny fluid is brown, and it needed new spark plugs. The transmission computer is wacky. The transmission itself is fine, but it downshifts hard at certain times. Hard enough to jerk you forward in the seat. Kia said they have a tech bulletin to fix the software on the computer because it is a very common complaint. Everytime they fix it, the problem goes away for a week and comes back. I don't drive in an agressive way, which is what I am told is causing the car to do this. The ride is good. I have some squeaking from the front struts. The paint scracthes easily. Especially the door handles. I maintain my vehicle well and am not a 'buy cheap and trash it out' Kia owner. I hope this car makes it 2018. (I replace every 7 years +/-)

It seems there are a slew of 2010 Optima's for sale. Everyone must want the slick 2011 model. I got my 2010 used in good shape for a great price. Here is my impression: The 2.4L 4-cylinder has good horsepower and torque numbers, and is actually a pretty smooth running engine. The gearing of the drivetrain is a bit on the highway side. The engine feels like it has the power, but the transaxle seems more fuel mileage and cruise geared, rather than for acceleration. The car feels sluggish in the city. My drive is mainly highway, so I appreciate the high gearing. The ride is very good, a little on the 'floaty' side though. I find the ride to be smooth and damped very well, and not much road noise. The car doesn't feel too sporty. It feels more like a Mercury Grand Marquis rather than a Nissan Altima or Mazda6. Again, a good cruiser. Interior space is very good. I got two rear facing car seats in with little trouble and had still had leg room up front. The interior is functional and clean. The instruments can be hard to see in direct sunlight due to their backlighting. I do like that it has a cabin air filter. The air conditioning takes a few minutes to cool the car down in 100* heat, but after that it freezes me out! Visibility is good, the whole hood can be seen and it is easy to judge where the fenders are. The B-pillar is a bit close to the drivers head, so over the shoulder lane changes require more use of the mirrors. I dislike that the windows do not come factory tinted. They are as clear as day. This bothers me as I live in a hot bright Southwestern climate. The plastics are decent, but the vinyl covered sun visors are too cheap and not glued together very well. The exterior is clean and I like the "Tiger Nose" front end styling. The trunk is spacious and on par with other midsize vehicles. Overall this has been a good car so far. It is a great cruiser with good fuel mileage. I get around 30mpg give or take 1-2mpg. It is certainly a worthy alternative to the Altima, Mazda6, Sonata (which is the same car as the Optima!) and Gallant. In my opinion I like the Optima over the Camry. As far as American hardware, I have not driven any of the American mid-size offerings to compare against.

I got my car new and right away reported that it pulls to the right the dealer tried to be helpful and sided with me that the car should not pull but a KIA rep said it is correct. I can make a turn without even touching the wheel. I chose this car for it's safety record with plans on turning it over to my 15 year old daughter next year but know I won't even teach her to drive in this car. My plan is to trade it in for a Hyundai next year for her.

Camry. Not what it used to be. Accord. more money less options. Nissan. Mr. plastic. You can over spend if you want to but the Optima is one of best values for the money! Throw in 5yr/60,000 bumper to bumper and a 10yr/100,000 powertrain warranty. Lets see Toyota, Honda and any one else but Hyundia give you all that for the money. I won't even get started with the " 2011 " model.

Purchased at the end of 2010. Have driven the car 3500 miles. Has not missed a beat. Ride quality is rated as ok because washboard roads the struts produce a odd noise. Other than that the ride is quite good. Many say the exterior is mundane and looks like a Honda or Camry. I don't see it in the front end but the tail lights look like other cars on the road. I do not find the exterior mundane. It is quite sporty. The V6 is ok but an extra 50 horses would be nice. The navigation system from Infinity is excellent. Has been a great help. The leather seats are comfortable. I have had better but in cars twice the price. Interior design is pleasant to me. I would have liked the fan/blower switch on the driver side as this switch to operate the fan is used more than temp adjustment. Overall, value for the money is right on the money. I feel the car will be very reliable. I have no worries with the excellent warranty. I would not hesitate to purchase another KIA product.

Bought this car in Jan '11 and I could not be happier with my purchase. It has all the gadgets to play with and rides like a dream. I am a rather heavy man and it is very comfortable. Bought it at Dorschel Kia in Rochester, NY Great Folks. Wouldln't hesitate to get another one for my wife or daughter.

I've had the car for a couple of months. I bought it new. It performs well with a very good weight to power ratio while being economical. It has many luxury features standard which you would pay a lot more for on other vehicles. What else can I say..... I did a lot of research before buying and I was not disappointed. I love it!

I purchased my Kia Optima almost 3 months ago and absolutely love it. I have not had even a minor problem with the car. So far it is better than expected. I am receiving better gas milage than expected. It is rated at 34 MPG on the highway and I have gotten as high as 38. I would absolutely purchase this car again and strongly recommend it to anyone that is looking for a great car at a great price. For cars in the price range of a KIA Optima, I strongly doubt that there is a better value. The car is perfect for my needs!