Kia Optima EX 2011 Reviews
Since mid-sized sedans comprise the majority of passenger car sales, the segment has an allure manufacturers can’t resist. The Kia Optima is...
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Since mid-sized sedans comprise the majority of passenger car sales, the segment has an allure manufacturers can’t resist. The Kia Optima is one of the rare success stories.
The game changer for the 2011 Optima was styling. A naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine on the LX and EX develops 200 horsepower and 186 foot-pounds of torque.
A turbocharged two-liter block on the SX delivers about thirty percent more horsepower and torque, while an inline 2.4-liter block for the Kia Optima hybrid offers up to 40 mile-per-gallon highway fuel economy.
A technology package which adds navigation and a rear-view backup camera costs $2000, while a premium package adds a panoramic, driver’s seat memory, power passenger seat, heated steering wheel and heated rear seats ($2250).
A six-speed automatic transmission includes manual gear selection for better control on challenging roads. Fuel economy losses were minimal. Average gas mileage for my 150-mile test drive was about 26 miles-per-gallon. Kia has traditionally tuned its cars for more suspension feel than Hyundai, and the new Kia Optima are no exception. Four-wheel disc brakes stop the sedan in a firm, linear fashion. Some electric power steering systems leave the driver feeling disconnected from the wheels. Visibility around the car is good. Standard features include keyless entry and start, dual-zone temperature control, Bluetooth interface and satellite radio.
The leather upholstery on the test car is attractive and comfortable. Standard seat heaters and ventilators keep front row passengers comfortable in temperature extremes. Automatic controls on the driver’s seat are easy to use and offer adequate lower back support. Redundant steering wheel controls allow the driver to access the audio system, Bluetooth, information display and cruise control with a minimum of distraction. Controls on the center stack are easy to reach from either front seating position. The optional panoramic sunroof covers both rows of seating. The "Kia Optima" comes with front, side and side curtain airbags, four-channel antilock brakes, electronic stability and traction control. Downhill descent control and hill start assist help drivers maintain directional control on steep grades. The 2011 Kia Optima is on display at Kia dealerships nationwide.
The good: Bluetooth and USB connectivity are standard and well implemented in the 2011 Kia Optima EX, even at the most basic trim level. The Technology package is a fantastic deal, rolling in navigation with traffic and premium audio.
The bottom line: The larger, more powerful 2011 Kia Optima EX has grown into a serious challenger in the midsize sedan market with a high level of cabin appointments at a relatively low price.
Initial quality, fuel efficiency, and performance of Kia's vehicles have been dramatically improved with each successive model year. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, Kia's vehicles still manage to be less expensive than the models with which they are compared.
This brings us to the 2011 Kia Optima, the Korean automaker's midsize sedan and answer to the challenge posed by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The Kia also manages an EPA estimated 24 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, beating the Camry by a single combined mile per gallon and matching the less powerful Honda Accord.
The Kia also features an Eco mode intended to help drivers to maximize fuel economy. Eco mode is activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel that adjusts the transmission and engine characteristics. Toss the Kia into a series of turns and the Kia Optima EX certainly feels lighter than the Camry SE that we tested previously, which is odd because the Korean sedan is actually slightly longer and wider than the Toyota.
A low-slung roof such as the Optima's can just as easily create a claustrophobic cabin as it cans an athletic look. Also included in the Premium package are memory functions for the power driver's seat, the addition of power adjustments to the front passenger seat, and heated and ventilated surfaces for both.
It embodies the furthest development of Kia's recent design language; with a look more like that of a European luxury car than an Asian middle-class midsize sedan. Standard appointment level is high, even in the base model LX, and only increases in the Kia Optima EX and SX.
APPEARANCE: The first two generations of Kia Optima were blandness personified.
COMFORT: As outside, Kia has benchmarked cars a class or two above for the Optima's interior design. Seat comfort is very good, and with the Premium Package both front seats are both heated and cooled, and the steering wheel rim and outboard rear passenger seats are also heated - most unusual in the under-$30,000 class. The front pane tilts or slides open, the rear is fixed, and the sunshades are power-operated. All expected safety features and then some are standard equipment across the line, including front, front-seat side, and full-length side curtain airbags, side-impact door beams and front and rear crumple zones, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and strong four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic stability control, traction control, brake assist, and hill assist. The spring and shock rates are correctly matched, and if they feel a bit soft, the car takes a set when driven moderately enthusiastically and corners well, at least in dry weather.
PERFORMANCE: 161/163 old 2.4 eco No V6? The twin cam 16-valve aluminum alloy engine uses direct fuel injection and a high (11.3:1) compression ratio for optimum efficiency to efficiently produce high power with minimal fuel consumption and emissions, on regular unleaded. D works perfectly most of the time, but more control or if absolute power is needed, manual shifting is the ticket.
The game changer for the 2011 Optima was styling. A naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine on the LX and EX develops 200 horsepower and 186 foot-pounds of torque.
A turbocharged two-liter block on the SX delivers about thirty percent more horsepower and torque, while an inline 2.4-liter block for the Kia Optima hybrid offers up to 40 mile-per-gallon highway fuel economy.
A technology package which adds navigation and a rear-view backup camera costs $2000, while a premium package adds a panoramic, driver’s seat memory, power passenger seat, heated steering wheel and heated rear seats ($2250).
A six-speed automatic transmission includes manual gear selection for better control on challenging roads. Fuel economy losses were minimal. Average gas mileage for my 150-mile test drive was about 26 miles-per-gallon. Kia has traditionally tuned its cars for more suspension feel than Hyundai, and the new Kia Optima are no exception. Four-wheel disc brakes stop the sedan in a firm, linear fashion. Some electric power steering systems leave the driver feeling disconnected from the wheels. Visibility around the car is good. Standard features include keyless entry and start, dual-zone temperature control, Bluetooth interface and satellite radio.
The leather upholstery on the test car is attractive and comfortable. Standard seat heaters and ventilators keep front row passengers comfortable in temperature extremes. Automatic controls on the driver’s seat are easy to use and offer adequate lower back support. Redundant steering wheel controls allow the driver to access the audio system, Bluetooth, information display and cruise control with a minimum of distraction. Controls on the center stack are easy to reach from either front seating position. The optional panoramic sunroof covers both rows of seating. The "Kia Optima" comes with front, side and side curtain airbags, four-channel antilock brakes, electronic stability and traction control. Downhill descent control and hill start assist help drivers maintain directional control on steep grades. The 2011 Kia Optima is on display at Kia dealerships nationwide.
The good: Bluetooth and USB connectivity are standard and well implemented in the 2011 Kia Optima EX, even at the most basic trim level. The Technology package is a fantastic deal, rolling in navigation with traffic and premium audio.
The bottom line: The larger, more powerful 2011 Kia Optima EX has grown into a serious challenger in the midsize sedan market with a high level of cabin appointments at a relatively low price.
Initial quality, fuel efficiency, and performance of Kia's vehicles have been dramatically improved with each successive model year. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, Kia's vehicles still manage to be less expensive than the models with which they are compared.
This brings us to the 2011 Kia Optima, the Korean automaker's midsize sedan and answer to the challenge posed by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The Kia also manages an EPA estimated 24 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, beating the Camry by a single combined mile per gallon and matching the less powerful Honda Accord.
The Kia also features an Eco mode intended to help drivers to maximize fuel economy. Eco mode is activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel that adjusts the transmission and engine characteristics. Toss the Kia into a series of turns and the Kia Optima EX certainly feels lighter than the Camry SE that we tested previously, which is odd because the Korean sedan is actually slightly longer and wider than the Toyota.
A low-slung roof such as the Optima's can just as easily create a claustrophobic cabin as it cans an athletic look. Also included in the Premium package are memory functions for the power driver's seat, the addition of power adjustments to the front passenger seat, and heated and ventilated surfaces for both.
It embodies the furthest development of Kia's recent design language; with a look more like that of a European luxury car than an Asian middle-class midsize sedan. Standard appointment level is high, even in the base model LX, and only increases in the Kia Optima EX and SX.
APPEARANCE: The first two generations of Kia Optima were blandness personified.
COMFORT: As outside, Kia has benchmarked cars a class or two above for the Optima's interior design. Seat comfort is very good, and with the Premium Package both front seats are both heated and cooled, and the steering wheel rim and outboard rear passenger seats are also heated - most unusual in the under-$30,000 class. The front pane tilts or slides open, the rear is fixed, and the sunshades are power-operated. All expected safety features and then some are standard equipment across the line, including front, front-seat side, and full-length side curtain airbags, side-impact door beams and front and rear crumple zones, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and strong four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic stability control, traction control, brake assist, and hill assist. The spring and shock rates are correctly matched, and if they feel a bit soft, the car takes a set when driven moderately enthusiastically and corners well, at least in dry weather.
PERFORMANCE: 161/163 old 2.4 eco No V6? The twin cam 16-valve aluminum alloy engine uses direct fuel injection and a high (11.3:1) compression ratio for optimum efficiency to efficiently produce high power with minimal fuel consumption and emissions, on regular unleaded. D works perfectly most of the time, but more control or if absolute power is needed, manual shifting is the ticket.
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