2013 Kia Optima

I'm liking this car a lot!

By Florida Buyer (FL) on Friday, July 06, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 3,500

Pros: "Outstanding looks, fit is excellent, mpg is great"

Cons: "Voice activation work so so"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"We got the EX with just about everything. We wanted the navigation system everything else pretty much came along for the ride some of the creature features seemed a bit frivolous at first, but we quickly got used to the backup camera, cooled seats and the Panoramic roof. The electric fold out mirrors is a nice option as well. The sound system is fantastic, we put our entire music collection on a usb flash drive. So far so good we just did a trip from New Port Richey Florida to Cincinnati Ohio with a lot of side trips. The car has a nice ride and handles well and we were pleased with the gas mileage. It has plenty of power, we just left it in the ECO mode. Running 70 miles an hour we consistently got 34 to 35 MPG and found the trip computer to be fairly accurate within a couple miles per gallon. On one of our side trips where the speed limit was lower it was showing 40 MPG. We did notice there is a definite difference when we get out of Florida. For whatever reason we always get better gas mileage with Georgia gas. Not sure if it's less ethanol or if it's just formulated different, but this been consistent with all our vehicles on trips. On our trip up we only had to fuel up once north of Atlanta Georgia and had fuel to spare when we got into Cincinnati. There is some tire noise but not bad. I think some of that is attributed to the nitrogen and that the tires are filled to Max pressure. Our previous car was a 2009 Nissan Altima, we deftly think the Kia Optima is an improvement. Not as much engine noise and a better road feel, and the seats are so comfortable. In summary the Optima has exceeded our expectations we are a retired couple so we're not trying to burn up the road just looking for comfortable transportation from point A to point B. You can spend a lot more money and get a lot less. I have owned a lot of vehicles over the years this one rates towards the top."

40 people out of 40 found this review helpful

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Updated review

By Lovemykia (KY) on Thursday, August 02, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,000

Pros: "Price, fun"

Cons: "No small compartments"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I reviewed my new Kia in June, and wanted to give you an update. I have a little over 5000 miles on it now, and I have had the oil changed. I decided to put in synthetic oil, and one of my complaints about the steering being stiff is gone now, probably because of all the parts being new, and just needed to work in. Now for the review.... Amazing!! The more I drive this car the more I fall in love with it, after the oil change the engine sounds stronger, the steering is responsive, and overall it is a joy to drive. If your on the fence about purchasing this car...just do it, I promise you, you won't be disappointed."

26 people out of 26 found this review helpful

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Stunning to look at but oh how she drives!!!

By Atta Girl (CA) on Friday, January 20, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 4,500

Pros: "Great Price, Fun to drive and Sexy Looking!"

Cons: "None so far!"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I can honestly say over a 2 month period we looked at EVERY car on the market. The KIA was one of the last ones on the list. I immediately loved the look of the car, then we entered the luxury of the Turbo SX and I was sold! We hadn’t even test drove it yet! We took it for a spin but it spun us!!! Wow, it drives like it is attached to the pavement and is so smooth and FAST! I couldn’t pay for it quickly enough! KIA has done some amazing work on this car. There are small details everywhere that are done well. My favorite is that the ugly trunk hinges are encased and actually look nice, and that there is an inside grab to close the trunk so you don’t have fingerprints all over your paint. Love the glovebox cooler too!"

19 people out of 19 found this review helpful

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Wow.. Love this car!

By LuvMyOptimaEX (NC) on Friday, March 30, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,000

Pros: "Looks, features, price, driving dynamics"

Cons: "none"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Every time I drive the car I love it more. It is amazing! Great Power, Good Fuel Economy, Quiet, Comfortable, Reliable and the features for the money blow me away. The seats are not only heated front AND rear, the front seats are even cooled! Panoramic sunroof, amazing audio system... i could go on and on. Do not let the past reputation of Kia bias you, the cars they produce now are worlds different from the old models. If you are in the market for a mid size car you will do yourself a disservice if you do not look at this amazing car. Oh and did I mention it’s absolutely gorgeous as well!"

18 people out of 18 found this review helpful

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Best car I've owned ...

By Dwight (WI) on Tuesday, February 07, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 9,500

Pros: "Good value, knockout styling, economical"

Cons: "Not made in USA"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"... and I've owned at least 15 in my time on earth. I'm one of those that mostly looks at vehicles as transportation, as opposed to a status symbol or "a statement about who I am." If that were not the case, I suspect I wouldn't consider the Kia brand name; it isn't necessarily associated with the rich and famous, but rather the value conscious. Having said that, I am VERY impressed with this vehicle, and I can understand why someone might be driven (no pun intended) to say they loved this car. I have both the Technology and Premium packages, so my Optima EX has many features of higher end vehicles: heated/cooled seats, voice recognition for controlling navigation and media, an entertainment system that will play conventional CDs or MP3 CDs (or MP3s off a flash drive plugged into the USB port) as well as streaming audio via Bluetooth, a sunroof over both front and back seats, a spot to keep beverages cool in the glove compartment, backup camera (something I really miss in our other car now that I'm spoiled); all without the high price. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I realize, but there are some vehicles I would be embarrassed to drive. Not this one. Some designer should get paid double for the 2011 Optima ... IMHO this car is a knockout. The four cylinder has plenty of pep for me, but I must admit when it comes to engines, reliability and economy are much higher priorities for me than horsepower. So far so good in that regard. I do a mix of highway and city driving, and routinely average 31-32 MPG. When someone likes a car this much, it is easy to overlook little grievances, but I should point out that it isn't up to Lexus or Cadillac standards when it comes to interior noise while driving; there is moderate road noise. On the other hand, the windows and doors are nice and tight so there is no "wind whistle" (at least not yet ... my car is about five months old). If you're trying to fit something large into the trunk, you probably should try the back seat instead, because the trunk opening is quite small (in fairness this has a lot to do with the sporty styling of the car ... if you routinely have big things to carry, you're probably shopping for an SUV anyway). So, other than having to arm wrestle with my wife over who gets to drive, I have no substantive complaints, and I would buy another one exactly like it in a heartbeat."

14 people out of 14 found this review helpful

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