- #4 of 70
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Re: 2009 Kia Optima [backy]
by mickeyrom
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Mar 15, 2008 (12:00 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Mar 15, 2008 9:53 am)
yep...especially since I think Sonatas do have them as standard.
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- #5 of 70
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Not wild about the changes I've seen...
by dovid2
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Mar 20, 2008 (9:29 am)
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http://www.topspeed.com/cars/kia/2009-kia-optima-ar54307/picture239225-0.html
I liked the large clear taillights and the flat instrumentation. Stability package is still optional. The front looks like the late, unlamented Ford Five Hundred, the tail like the last-gen Accord.
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- #6 of 70
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Re: Not wild about the changes I've seen... [dovid2]
by backy
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Mar 20, 2008 (9:56 am)
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Replying to: dovid2 (Mar 20, 2008 9:29 am)
I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing of the 2009 Optima. The revised I4, which matches what's in the Sonata and is now on par for the class, is a nice change, but I don't see anything special here. One of the things I liked about the Optima was that it was a little smaller than most mid-sizers, including the Sonata--now it's about the same size outside as the Sonata, and probably weighs more for 2009 as a result.
190 hp for the tweaked V6?? Why bother? Why would anyone buy one, at a premium, compared to the very nice 175 hp I4? 
And ABS is still an option!! (ESC too of course) That is inexcusable for a mid-sized sedan refreshed for 2009. 
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- #7 of 70
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Re: Not wild about the changes I've seen... [backy]
by dovid2
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Mar 21, 2008 (8:39 am)
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Replying to: backy (Mar 20, 2008 9:56 am)
The more I've thought about it, the less I like it. While I had looked forward to getting one whenever I finally decide to buy, I now doubt if it will be an Optima. I've never owned a Ford product, but I really liked the Mercury Milan I saw at the car show, and if they will throw in an extended warranty, I might do it. It comes in a Premiere trim with a four and is very attractive and has good reviews.
Maybe the Optima will look better in black. I'm not in any hurry, so I'll wait and see.
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- #8 of 70
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Re: Not wild about the changes I've seen... [dovid2]
by backy
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Mar 21, 2008 (8:56 am)
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Replying to: dovid2 (Mar 21, 2008 8:39 am)
What it does is open up an opportunity for me late this year, when I will buy a car, to get one of the last 2008 Optimas (LX, with ESC/ABS and the mandatory Appearance pkg) at a big "close out" discount, maybe at the same price as a smaller car like the Elantra and less than a comparably-equipped 2009 Sonata.
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- #9 of 70
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Re: Not wild about the changes I've seen... [backy]
by dovid2
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Mar 21, 2008 (11:27 am)
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Replying to: backy (Mar 21, 2008 8:56 am)
And that's a good idea, but I know exactly what I want, and I'm not optimistic about finding it when the '08's have been picked over. That's why I think a larger company would have more selection than Kia seems to have.
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- #10 of 70
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Re: Not wild about the changes I've seen... [dovid2]
by backy
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Mar 21, 2008 (11:35 am)
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Replying to: dovid2 (Mar 21, 2008 11:27 am)
Well, I don't know that I'll find an Optima I want at that time either. At the end of last year, there were two 2007 Optima LXes with ABS/ESC in the five-state region around me. But it IS an option. Multiple options are good. And makes for a firmer negotiating position. 
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- #11 of 70
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Re: Not wild about the changes I've seen... [backy]
by dovid2
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Mar 24, 2008 (8:34 am)
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Replying to: backy (Mar 21, 2008 11:35 am)
As far as multiple options, of course I would look at competing models. And, if I found one I liked, would be sure to tell them I was looking at other brands (and that they had offered me a great deal!).
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- #12 of 70
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Re: Not wild about the changes I've seen... [dovid2]
by mickeyrom
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Mar 24, 2008 (9:36 am)
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Replying to: dovid2 (Mar 24, 2008 8:34 am)
I really do like the 2009 model better.The whole front as well as the tail lights,look much more attractive.I have not seen the interior.
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- #13 of 70
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09 Optima....eeeh..
by csandste
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Mar 24, 2008 (10:07 pm)
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Like many Hyunkia mid platform adjustments, neither bad nor good. I agree that the front clip looks a bit Ford-like. Instrument cluster looks a bit Malibu-ish. Really like my semi-electroluminescent blue on white instruments quite a bit better, including having electronic gas and termperature indicators rather than the old style needles. And that red is so Mazda-Pontiacish...
Frankly the more time that elapses, the more I prefer my Malibu Maxx to my 07 Optima. My wife on the other hand prefers the Kia.
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