Used 2020 Kia Optima

#4 in Best Midsize Cars of 2020

The 2020 Kia Optima carries on as an attractive midsize sedan offering good fuel economy, technology, value and everyday ease of use. It’s also available as a 45-mpg Optima Hybrid or an Optima PHEV that can run up to 28 miles on electricity alone before the gasoline engine is needed. For 2020, the Hybrid and PHEV models have received many of the updates that the standard Optima received for 2019.

Most significantly, this includes a standard suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) with Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, which automatically applies the brakes to prevent frontal collisions or minimize the severity of an impact.

As with all Kia models, the Optima boasts a superb 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, which far exceeds the warranties of rivals such as the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.

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Most people don’t think of the Kia Optima as a sports sedan, but the turbocharged SX comes close. Although several modern sedans benefit from as many as nine gear ratios, the Optima’s 6-speed automatic transmission — with paddles mounted behind the flat-bottom steering wheel — works just fine. The transmission shifts smoothly and quickly, especially in Sport, one of the Optima’s four electronic driving modes.

In spite of the SX’s sport-tuned suspension and low-profile P235/45-18 tires, the ride quality is neither firm nor floaty, and it’s complemented by electric-assist steering with a light but natural feel.

In LX and S guise, Kia’s midsize Optima is geared more toward comfort, and the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower is adequate for most drivers. The Optima EX, with its turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, ups the torque quotient while returning 37 mpg on the highway, aided by a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that lacks the refinement of the conventional 6-speed automatic.

If excellent fuel efficiency is a high priority, 2020 Kia Optima Hybrid and Kia Optima PHEV deliver. Although the Optima Hybrid is not quite as efficient as the Honda Accord Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid, it still returns 45 mpg in highway driving. Meanwhile, the 2020 Kia Optima PHEV, which is eligible for carpool stickers in California, can travel up to 28 miles on electricity alone.

The 5-seat cabin of Kia’s midsize Optima SX sedan is graced with high-quality materials, a huge glove box, easy-to-read gauges and a great-sounding 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The front seats — Euro-styled buckets unique to the SX with large side bolsters — are trimmed in black leather with perforated seating surfaces done in red hide. Heated and cooled, these seats offer excellent cornering support but are remarkably comfortable over long distances.

Headroom front and back, even with the SX’s giant panoramic moonroof, is excellent, and there’s enough available legroom for the Optima to accommodate four 6-footers comfortably. The Optima’s trunk holds nearly 16 cubic feet of cargo, a generous amount. The Optima Hybrid, with its large battery, has a 13.4-cubic-foot trunk, while the Optima PHEV with its even larger pack, holds only 10 cubic feet.

From every angle, the 2020 Kia Optima is a styling success, a design that’s aging well and continues to be more attractive than its Hyundai Sonata cousin. Last year, in 2019, the Optima was updated with a new front fascia (with LED running lights) that shows a clear DNA link to the sporty rear-wheel-drive Kia Stinger, so little has changed for 2020. In our opinion, this midsize Kia sedan didn’t need to change much because it already had clean exterior lines and a subtly aggressive stance.

STANDARD SAFETY SUITE
The suite of standard safety technologies on all 2020 Kia Optimas is comprehensive. It includes Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Driver Attention Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning (which is especially handy in crowded parking lots).

UVO LINK
With the UVO Link-embedded modem, the Optima has an 8-inch touch screen offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus remote door lock/unlock, remote climate, remote start, and even remote-vehicle alarm notification.

Kia’s Advanced Driver Assistance System (Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Parking Distance Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Change Assist, Lane-Keeping Assist Line and Lane Departure Warning) is standard on all 2020 Optimas. Also, the latest version of UVO telematics supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Optima LX and S models are powered by a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The EX is equipped with a 1.6-liter turbo 4-cylinder and a dual-clutch 7-speed automatic gearbox, while the SX — distinguished by a honeycomb grille and red brake calipers — is motivated by a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder mated to a 6-speed automatic.

Other standard equipment on all 2020 Kia Optimas includes air conditioning, an 8-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) touch screen, a rearview camera, Sirius satellite radio and Bluetooth, along with aux and USB inputs.

The Optima Hybrid and PHEV are available with the Technology Package. This package includes a 10-way-power front-passenger seat, ambient interior lighting, a 630-watt Harman Kardon sound system, a heated steering wheel, LED headlights, a navigation system and a panoramic sunroof with gloss-black B-pillars.

The Kia Optima LX and S models are powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that sends 185 horsepower to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. The EX model has better low-end torque and fuel economy, courtesy of a 178-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that mates to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

If you’re looking for even more power, the Optima SX’s turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder generates 245 horsepower in smooth fashion. This engine mates to a conventional 6-speed automatic that’s more refined than the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox in the EX.

The 2020 Kia Optima Hybrid and PHEV, built in South Korea, continue to be powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine paired with an electric motor. In the Optima Hybrid, the combined output is 192 horsepower. In the PHEV, the combined output is 202 horsepower. The PHEV, of note, can travel up to 28 miles on electricity alone.

In EPA fuel economy, the Optima LX is rated up to 35-mpg highway, while the EX manages 37. The SX, in spite of its added power, still gets a respectable 30 mpg on the highway.

2.4-liter inline-4 (LX, S)
185 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
178 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/32 mpg, 25/35 mpg (FE model)

1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 (EX)
178 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
195 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/37 mpg

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (SX)
245 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
260 lb-ft of torque @ 1,350-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/30 mpg

2.0-liter inline-4 + Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (Hybrid)
154 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
140 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm
Electric Motor: 50 horsepower/151 lb-ft of torque
Net Output: 192 horsepower/271 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 40/45 mpg

2.0-liter inline-4 + Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PHEV)
154 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
140 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm
Electric Motor: 66 horsepower/151 lb-ft of torque
Net Output: 202 horsepower/276 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 41 mpg combined