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Sedans Kia Optima Kia Optima 2006.5-2008
855 messages, Last post on Sep 14, 2009 at 9:43 AM
You are in the Kia Optima Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: clarencehollow (Apr 13, 2006 7:17 pm) He now has decent transportation at a very low price. And now you can't even tell that it had hail damage. |
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Edmunds.com has a very positive review of the new Optima: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=109941 |
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Replying to: backy (Apr 14, 2006 7:36 pm) 
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Replying to: jtz (Apr 15, 2006 6:31 am) |
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What's the scoop on Edmund's stating that this does not share a platform with the Sonata? Is it a stretched new Elantra? Is the new Elantra an updated Spectra? It's interesting that they are beginning to differentiate the cars rather than just simply putting on different end clips. I think Kia made a good move in trying to emphasize 4 cylinder engines. This will further differentiate it in the market from the Sonata.
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Replying to: csandste (Apr 16, 2006 1:17 pm) |
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from Autobytel road test: They liked the handling and that's about it. The front seats don’t travel back far enough in the track for taller people, and they feel a size too small – narrow, with short cushions. Making matters worse, they offer virtually no bolstering, a shame given the Optima’s capable suspension, steering, braking, and optional 17-inch tires. Finally, the driver’s seat height adjusts, but the higher it goes, the flatter the bottom cushion gets, removing what little thigh support there is to begin with. Kia definitely needs to go back to the drawing board with these seats, though it must be noted that a female companion for the drive back to Los Angeles from San Francisco had no complaints about seat comfort. Whether the driver or front passenger, I just couldn’t get comfortable. Bigger seats with better thigh support and more seat track travel are a must-have, in my book. Kia might be positioning the new Optima as a sporty four-cylinder value proposition, but this V6 has got to go. It’s adequate at best, and stands out as the lame duck mechanically. Getting a 2006.5 Optima four-cylinder with a stick and the 17-inch wheels would make for a fun, affordable sedan, but Kia doesn’t offer that combination. Those interested in a softer ride and a quieter interior should check out the standard 16-inch wheels and tires, which deliver on both counts but not at the expense of the Optima’s capable handling characteristics and road feel. As a long distance road tripper, the 2006.5 Kia Optima needs work. The front seats don’t leave occupants refreshed, there’s wind noise at speeds above 70 mph, and while the Optima was quiet on the grooved and sectioned concrete of L.A’s network of freeways, traveling the various surfaces of Interstate 5 through California’s central valley showed that the cabin is hushed only on the smoothest blacktop. Plus, we didn’t get near the fuel economy the EPA says we should have on this trip. |
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Replying to: njerald (Apr 17, 2006 2:40 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Apr 17, 2006 4:15 pm) I was going to print the Autobytel report out for her but she called and said she preferred the Sonata because the Optima (w/power seat) seat cushions felt too short. She liked the Optima interior better. She noticed it and she knows nothing about cars except she compared two vehicles. Bought her the Sonata LX which was $2,200 less ($2,000 rebate + below invoice) than the Optima would have been. |
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Replying to: njerald (Apr 17, 2006 2:40 pm) Anyone know what the alleged mechanical issues with the prior generation V6 are?
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