2011 Kia Optima consumer reviews

Test drove many new cars before I purchased the Optima, Kia has come a long long way....Hopefully it will hold up. After 90 days, no problems and lots of looks

The exterior and interior design is top notch. I have received numerous compliments from friends and strangers. I have the silver exterior and grey leather interior. With the nav package and premium pkg. Glass roof, heated steering wheel and heated front and back seats were awesome this winter. Mileage is as advertised 25 city 35 highway. So many features are standard and elevate this car to a luxury vehicle without the luxury price. Good in snow and rain with included tires.

I've bought an EX with both premium and technology package recently and it took me three months to go for this car while I was deciding between this, 2011 Accord, 2011 Sonata and the Camry. The Camry got out of my list quickly because I knew the Toyota will have a complete redesign on the car for 2012, and I was not a big fan of Camry's current design both inside n out. Next step was to compare Optima with the Accord. An accord EX-L 4 cylinder with Nav package would cost $3000 more than the Optima of the same level (Both Premium and Nav Package), yet the Accord doesn't have home link mirror, rear heated seats, cooled front seats, driver memory seat settings and many other features that Optima has offered but not found in Accord. And of course I praise Optima's design way more than the Accord's. Optima has a smoother steering wheel but less responsive comparing to Accord. Here is the most important part for many of the buyers, The GDI engine that Kia and Hyundai use are louder and create more noise both at idle and highway driving. So if you are concerned about the engine noise, I would say Camry and Accord are fairly more quiet than the Optima or the Sonata. Also you might experience some rattles or shakes at the start up with the Optima. The wind noise is fairly low in Optima but you might hear a lot of road noise on highways which are due to cheap Nexen tires that come out of fatory with these cars. I was able to change the tires brand and get tires with minimal noise at no extra cost (An offer that not every dealer makes !!!). Kia Optima Vs Accord Kia wins on: Price, Options, Design, Warranty, More responsive gas pedals and better steering wheel, more front legroom Accord wins on: Better seats, more rear legroom, Lower engine noise and road noises and of course better resale value. So the final step was to decide between the Optima and the Sonata. Since I came to know that they use same drive trains and are basically same cars (Mechanic wise) I decided to choose Optima because it was 1000 dollars cheaper (Vs the Sonata with Nav Package), also because of its better European-like design which would not date very soon unlike most of the fancy Japanese or Korean designs ( Thanks to Peter Schreyer, The Former Audi Designer) and also Sonata did not have the panoramic sunroof, the passenger power seat. In fact the plastic materials used in Sonata cabin seemed kinda cheaper to me than the ones used in the Optima. Final words, the new Optima is a great car, but it's all up to you and your expectations from a car if you are deciding to but this, I hope my comment made sense enough. Kia should do something to reduce the engine noise in the next models to make it a real superior than the cars mentioned. * Please not if you are deciding to buy the Optima, make sure you test drive it and take to a highway and drive over 40 miles to check the steering does not pull to the left. Some of the new Optima just like the Sonatas have the left pulling problem. Make sure you buy the cherry and not the lemon. ;)

For all the people talking about Honda quality, there is no such thing. If you want to buy a plain car with no styling, plastic interior and less than average mpg, Honda is for you. The new optima looks great because it was designed by the same person who designed the Audis and VWs. European inspired, aggressive exterior . Decent interior with a lot of functionality. The engine is surprisingly peppy, for an inline 4 cylinder, and very economical for a 2.4 liter. So if you want to drive something bland and mediocre in all aspects, buy the competition, if not, the new Optima is the car for you. I know I love mine.

I have owned Honda's for most of my adult life, but fell in love with the idea of saving money by buying a new Kia. Never again! I still have an Accord V6 EX-L sedan and my wife's CR-V EX with Navi. Thankfully. We added a new Kia Optima when the two older teens began driving this past year. The Optima has many blind spots, terrible head room (especially in the rear) and tends to sway to the left when in drive. I see that another poster has the same problem and no solution either. My Kia is still in the shop as I write. I have had a good buying experience and the service department personnel and salesmen are friendly and most helpful, but they are uncertain how to resolve the steering issue. Gas mileage is good, not great. I do like the classiness of the interior and fancy wheels on my Optima, but even at a discount would not buy another. I plan on looking at the 2012 Civic EX-L sedan when it is introduced soon. If the dealer or Kia division happen to solve the problem we are experiencing, I will hold onto the Optima for at least a year. It is a nice looking car and I cannot take a loss as an owner of three relatively new cars and having costly house payment and a son to send off to college in the fall.

After three, two year Nissan Altima leases, I went with the Optima EX. With a OTD target of $25,000, I compared the KIA Optima EX with it's OEM sibling, the Hyundai Sonata, venerable Toyota Camry and the Nissan Altima. I even test drove the Lexus IS 250 and felt that, feature for feature, the Optima was a MUCH better value. Here's why: The Optima I purchased has a fully adjustable double glass panel sun-roof (with pop-up bug deflector), the others didn't offer one. The Optima has heated/cooling front and heated rear leather seats. Another KIA only option. I like the side view mirror turn signal lights, which I'm pretty sure was only available on the turbo Sonata. As a matter of fact, there was not comparable Sonata. The features are mixed and matched between three Sonata packages, whereas the KIA has incorporated them in the Optima (the roof, side mirror signal indicators were my must have items). The cabin accommodates 5 full size adults; rear seating provides ample head and leg room. The technology is impressive and surprisingly intuitive. Keyless entry/Start with concierge feature lights the cabin when key holder approaches AND the warning chime SHUTS OFF after 7-10 dings (YES!). Voice activated Blue Tooth is flawless, simple to set up with exceptional clarity. Instrumentation and Steering wheel controls are convenient and well placed. Safety features include electronic tire pressure monitoring, air bags everywhere, ABS and a warranty the best in class. Mileage is terrific. It's got an ECO mode that has me getting 29 MPG in CA stop N' go, bumper to bumper driving. Handling is sharp and precise. I was recently forced to make an emergency lane change at speed to avoid texting trucker. The Optima snapped over without a wobble; Solid. I'm in sales and I use this vehicle for business (..and no, I don't sell KIA'S). Without exception, every person that's been in my Optima EX has been amazed by the quality of this car. The trunk is huge, the ride is quiet, the separate rear climate controls and with all of the features it's always just a matter of time before they ask "How Much?". But that would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it? And it's a nice surprise.

pros: love it or hate it styling; price before opts.; leather interior availability; nice dash; pleasant enough interior feel. cons: rattles after first 500 miles; price fully optioned; tachy cloth seats (plurge for leather); painfully low back seat; idiot lights go on for no apparent reason; harsh ride; lacks honda quality. summary: "had to have it" styling; bought it on an impulse; nothing even close to honda's quality, feel, refinement, comfort, ride and handling; okay for a first car; feels like it's aging too quick (loses new car feeling fast); do like it, but will return to Honda for getting my money's worth.

Driving Optima EX with Tech and Premium packages for 1 month now. Previously drove luxury sedans from Infiniti and Acura; that is to say, I'm accustomed to quality vehicles. Did very careful and detailed research before purchasing the Optima. I am amazed by quantity and quality of features Kia managed to get onto this car at its price point. Handling, acceleration, sound levels all very good. Almost no wind noise, just tires. Features, technology, and appearance are outstanding. While Infiniti G35 provided somewhat better ride characteristics, I have to say for 95% of driving situations Optima is similar, and a comparably equipped Infiniti or Acura TL would cost 30% more. The value proposition on Optima is striking. Also compared Optima closely to Sonata Limited. While Sonata possesses many of the same attributes of Optima, Optima comes with more features at same (or even slightly lower) price. In many ways, it comes down to personal taste. If your taste for look and drive quality are a bit sportier/Acura/youthful, go with Optima. If you are inclined to a bit softer/luxury/Lexus-like look and drive, go with Sonata. Only weakness is standard issue tires that are sold with Optima. They don't grip terribly well in snow, but various safety features (traction, stability control and ABS brakes) always kept me on a straight path. If I bought rather than leased this car, I would have invested in snow tires or superior quality all season tires with better traction and noise characteristics. Again, for what I saved in price of this car, I would still come out ahead even if I bought 4 new tires and pitched the factory tires. Have not driven car long enough to comment on reliability. However, with 5 year warrantee and 3 year lease, I'm not terribly concerned.

Driving Optima EX with Tech and Premium packages for 1 month now. Previously drove luxury sedans from Infiniti and Acura; that is to say, I'm accustomed to quality vehicles. Did very careful and detailed research before purchasing the Optima. I am amazed by quantity and quality of features Kia managed to get onto this car at its price point. Handling, acceleration, sound levels all very good. Almost no wind noise, just tires. Features, technology, and appearance are outstanding. While Infiniti G35 provided somewhat better ride characteristics, I have to say for 95% of driving situations Optima is similar, and a comparably equipped Infiniti or Acura TL would cost 30% more. The value proposition on Optima is striking. Also compared Optima closely to Sonata Limited. While Sonata possesses many of the same attributes of Optima, Optima comes with more features at same (or even slightly lower) price. In many ways, it comes down to personal taste. If your taste for look and drive quality are a bit sportier/Acura/youthful, go with Optima. If you are inclined to a bit softer/luxury/Lexus-like look and drive, go with Sonata. Only weakness is standard issue tires that are sold with Optima. They don't grip terribly well in snow, but various safety features (traction, stability control and ABS brakes) always kept me on a straight path. If I bought rather than leased this car, I would have invested in snow tires or superior quality all season tires with better traction and noise characteristics. Again, for what I saved in price of this car, I would still come out ahead even if I bought 4 new tires and pitched the factory tires.

There are more features for the money on this vehicle than ANY of its competitors. Great seat heat + cooling. Solid pickup for the 4 cyl. engine. One tiny negative - it costs $199 to update the maps in the navigation system.