The Kia Optima is a large family car, designed to compete with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Insignia. It's a good looking car and is slightly cheaper than all of its main rivals but there's no choice of engines and the ride is poor. The large family car market is a competitive and lucrative one and whether the Optima will steal sales from Ford and Vauxhall remains to be seen.
Insurance Groups: 16 - 17
MPG Range: 47 - 58
Latest Kia Optima Car Reviews:
Many of the Optima’s rivals prove to be much more comfortable and practical cars than the Kia, but they can also prove to be a lot more expensive, so this car is often considered for budgetary reas...
Kia Optima Overview
All Optimas are powered by the same 1.7-litre turbodiesel engine which develops 134bhp and 239lb-ft of torque. It's gutsy enough when the turbo kicks in but lacks responsiveness when off the boost. The ride is very firm indeed and the steering feels vague and woolly. On top of this, the cabin is very noisy at high speeds thanks to the constant rumble of the diesel engine and the roar of the tyres.
On the plus side, the Optima should be a safe car and is fitted with an impressive suite of airbags. It's also very spacious and, like all Kias, comes with a seven year unlimited mileage warranty. However, it needs to be cheaper than it is to mount a realistic opposition to the established large family car royalty: the Mondeo and the Insignia.
Background
The Optima replaces the old Kia Magentis, which was sold in the UK in two generations from 2001 to 2010. The Magentis was not a huge hit, receiving criticism for its bland styling, low-rent feel and crude engineering. As such, it never really managed to make a dent in the large family car market and was largely overlooked in favour of its European and Japanese rivals. The Optima was released in the UK earlier this year.
Summary
The Kia Optima is not a bad car but it is simply not good enough to compete in what is a highly competitive and crowded marketplace. It's also not quite cheap enough to make it seem good value and there are better car around for roughly the same cash. If you must buy one, keep it basic to get the best value for money.
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