2012 Kia Optima consumer reviews

I've had my 2012 Kia Optima LX for about 2.5 years now (13K miles, 23.7 MPG). Bought it new after looking at some other brands in the same class. The looks are phenomenal and the acceleration is impressive but my 20 minute test drive was obviously not enough to get a real feel for the car. PRO - Cost - Styling - Pickup - Sport shifting - Bluetooth capability - USB port - Love it! (I have many music CDs on a USB stick.) Never listen to radio, CD player, or Sirius. CON - OEM Nexen tires are, by far, the very worse tires I have ever had! Even wrote the manufacturer looking for replacements. Of course, I never got a response. - No spare tire! Bought one online for $180 shipped. (Hey car designers! If you're not going to put in a spare, make all that wasted empty trunk space easily accessible!). - Way too much road noise. - Voice control for Bluetooth is problematic but maybe I talk too loud to it! ;-) - Passenger seat is too low with no up/down adjustment. Aftermarket risers are available but dealer will not install these "not-KIA" parts. Wife hates riding in the car. - A poorly fitting driver's door that never should have passed quality control; adjustments at the dealer still could not get it right. - Poor clearcoat/paint quality. - Electronic steering that, while responsive, constantly needs to be corrected making for a tiring drive. - Even with the lumbar support, I don't find the driver's seat all that comfortable. - Blind spots (that's what you get with a sloping roof line). A backup camera is a must and should be offered as a separate item. (This gets resolved in 2016 when backup cameras are mandatory by law.) - Interior materials are inferior. Unlike every other car I've owned over the years, this one is just not keeping me smiling. I still find myself looking for that next new drive. Recommended with caveats. Old adage: You get what you pay for.

The Optima is superb. I've owned many cars, probably around 50, and frequently rent cars in my travels. I've owned sports cars from MGs to Porches and Vettes, sedans from Simcas to Rolls-Royce, including two Mercedes currently in my garage. You might be surprised to hear that the Optima is my all-around favorite. I have found only one fault with the car, and that I will reveal at the end. Price and value: I bought new, dealer offered a discount and I got several KIA discounts. My depreciation has averaged less than $100 a month for 30 months of ownership so far. Warranty: Everyone who follows cars already knows that KIA and sister-company Hyundai offer the best warranty in the business. Looks: Aggressive, masculine design which I believe will wear well for the 10 years I plan to keep the car. My opinion is that compared to the 2012 Sonata, for example, the Optima starts out better and will resist looking dated much better. Economy: The EPA numbers understate what the car is capable of getting. It gets 42 -46 mpg cruising on the highway doing 60 mph, plus or minus 5 mph. On most fill ups I average about 37 mph overall. Performance: I chose the 4-cyl. standard engine, which is rated at 200 hp. I seldom ask for quick acceleration; however, if you put the pedal down at highway speeds, be prepared to be amazed. It jumps from cruising to passing speeds, say 60 to 80, in a few quick seconds. Comfort: I have driven some 700 mile days in the Optima, and been comfortable all through the drive. The one fault the car has is that the front passenger seat is a couple of inches too low, and has no height adjustment. Rear seat knee room is surprisingly generous. The Optima beats the competition in interior volume. Conclusion: I couldn't be more pleased or impressed. This car has made me a big believer in GDI. The performance and economy are testament to this efficiency. The Optima beats the Cam-Acc-Alt competition hands down, and could compete with the Lex ES class and the Avalon.

I have owned the 2012 Kia Optima SX for about a year now, and i have had to take it in for engine issues 4 different times. I'm very disappointed in my experience, all issues with the power train, all engine related. I'm currently looking for a different vehicle.

I currently own a 2012 Kia Optima SX. I purchased this vehicle new and I can honestly say that it is the most comfortable vehicle I have ever driven. This is coming from a person who has driven five other vehicles in the past. The gas mileage for this type of vehicle is pretty good, the performance is nice, and it has plenty of room which is important for people who are over six feet tall. My only issues were the front driver seat mesh became loose but the dealership replaced it for free and sometimes the engine hesitates, which I read online is because of the transmission fluid warming up. Once the fluid is warm this issue goes away and to add to this, this only happens once in a blue moon. I highly recommend this vehicle!!!

We leased a 2012 KIA optima, 28,000 miles later in 2014 we are having to put on new tires because KIA choose to put on 30,000 mile tires. I guess I don't believe that I should have to put new tires on a leased car!! What are your thoughts? This leads me to my next question. What else did KIA decide to install that is sub par? Will the engine fall out on the highway at 50,000 miles? Guess I have experienced my first and last ever KIA car!!

I've had this car for about 14 months and wanted to give a nice long run before I reviewed. I love this car and am still excited to drive it. It has beautiful styling, handles great, is peppy to drive. Comfortably accommodates 4 large adults and still feels comfortable after driving all day (considered a midsize but just as roomy inside as my old Taurus). I was very impressed that through the notorious nasty winter of '13-'14 this car never once left me stranded, never slid or stalled driving on winter roads, and never failed to start even in the -25 degree winter mornings. I have put on 30,000 miles in the time I've had it and regularly get 36 mpg--in a roomy comfortable car! Bottom line, I did tons of research before settling on this as the best combination of style, reliability, consumer satisfaction ratings, efficiency and price and have been very happy!

My first foreign car, wow this car is great. Gas mileage has been upper 20's for city & hwy driving. Great pick up to take off or pass on the hwy. Inside is comfortable, cooled seats are outstanding. dash board could have been designed a little better. Still a little confusing after 30 days. Overall I am very happy with my purchase so far.

Bought this used a couple months back, and got an incredible deal - well below market. Have not regretted the decision once. Pretty good pickup for an I-4, presumably from the direct fuel injection. Fuel economy has been better than expected. Add to that the great looks both inside and out and you can't help but like it.

I have owned this car for 61,000KMs. It has impressive exterior and interior styling and above average performance. Reliability has not been an issue at all. I would say that comments about seats being too firm are true, but not a deal breaker. MPG isnt quiet as good as advertised unless you are driving in ECO mode and being very gentle with the throttle. If you want to really feel the turbo kick in and experience the cars impressive performance you will pay a price in gas milege. This however is not a 2012 Kia Optima problem this would apply to most cars on the market. I highly recommend this car if you want an above average car at a below average price.

I bought the car in December 2012 and have put 12000 miles on it after one year. The ride is smooth and the power of the turbo is great. The features are very good but I wish it had the blind spot monitoring system built into the side mirrors. I wasn't sure about buying a KIA because I never heard much about the company and I was worried about reliability. As of one year and 12000 miles I have had no problems. Pros: Great looks, good acceleration, reliability, warranty. Cons: No spare tire, gas mileage is not as good as was advertised. I would recommend this car to a friend.