Automotive Guide - Kia Optima
Knoxville, Tennessee

Kia brings on mid-year ambitions with Optima mid-size family sedan

The all-new Kia Optima, introduced mid-year as a 2006.5 model, is all about uncertainty and hesitation.

Let’s say you’re in the market for a mid-size family sedan, as almost two million people will be this year, and you have an open mind.

You start your research, — and wow! — check out the choices. There’s the best-selling, proven Toyota Camry, the top-rated Honda Accord, the stylish Nissan Altima, the slick and varied versions of the Mazda 6, the new duo from Ford — the Fusion and Mercury Milan — the Chevrolet Malibu, Volkswagen Jetta, Dodge Stratus, Mitsubishi Galant, Hyundai Sonata and even, if you want to stray a bit farther afield, the all-wheel drive Subaru Legacy, pricier VW Passat and the slightly larger Hyundai Azera, Toyota Avalon and Chevrolet Impala.

Now add the new Kia Optima. The South Korean entry, like its cousin Hyundai, has been coming on strong lately in the U.S. market, with interesting new products, improved quality and low prices.

You’re immediately attracted, partly by the good looks inside and out, but also by the price tags. The base Optima, the LX, starts at $16,955, a price that includes side air bags and side-curtain air bags, air conditioning, an AM-FMCD audio system, power windows, door locks and mirrors, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and fold-down rear seatbacks.

The standard transmission is a so-so five-speed manual, with a grabby clutch. Add $1,295, for a total of $18,250, and you get a five-speed automatic transmission with a manual-shift mode, a manual tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, remote locking and cruise control.

If you want additional safety stuff, the antilock brakes with stability and traction control will set you back another $600.

The standard engine is a 2.4-liter four that delivers a sprightly 161 horsepower to the front wheels. If you want to go whole hog, you can order the top-line EX model, like the test car here, with all the safety stuff, a 185-horsepower V6 engine, a motorized sunroof, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated and powered front seats, poweradjustable pedals and a high-end Infinity sound system with MP3 capability and a six-disc CD changer.

All of that comes with a suggested sticker price of $23,700, which is well below that of similarly-equipped leaders in the family sedan class.

Moreover, you would get a car that is, in most respects, a genuine contender. It has more than 104 cubic feet of passenger space, which is at the upper end of the mid-size class, and a well-designed and nicely-finished trunk with nearly 15 cubic feet of stowage.

It makes for a roomy car with generous knee room in back and comfort for four. The center-rear passenger, though afforded a seatbelt and headrest, must perch uncomfortably on a hump, with a floor tunnel for a footrest.

The Optima comports itself admirably on the road. The suspension system is tuned for a nice compromise between an acceptable ride and decent handling, the steering is properly weighted and the automatic transmission makes good use of the V6’s 185 horsepower, which is a low output in this class of car.

Most buyers, in fact, likely would be just as happy with the 161-horsepower four, which is almost as powerful but rougher.

The Kia designers did a careful job on the attractive interior, which has decent materials and workmanship. The white on black instruments, however, are tucked away into a hooded recess and are hard to read in some daylight conditions. You can illuminate them by turning on the parking lights or headlights.

Exterior noises from the road, engine compartment and wind are muted inside the passenger pod, which makes the Optima a pleasant place to reside on a long-distance journey.

So where do the uncertainty and hesitation come in? For one thing, this is a new car from a manufacturer relatively unknown in the U.S., trying to compete with established nameplates. Kia is only about a dozen years old in this country and, like Hyundai, which owns a major interest in Kia, it has had quality problems.

Both South Korean manufacturers, however, have been ratcheting up their production and materials quality at an amazing rate. Moreover, for peace of mind among prospective buyers, they offer warranties of five years or 60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, as well as seven years and 100,000 miles on the engine and transmission.

Though they are not transferable, the warranties help alleviate the uncertainty, although there still might be some hesitation because nobody knows what the 2006.5 Optima will be like, say, five years down the road.

Kia executives are well aware of the concerns. Though they’re certain they have a good car and a good value in the Optima, they also know that they have a way to go before customers brag to their friends, "I drive a Kia."

So Kia’s optimal ambitions are modest — on the order of 50,000 a year, which is about one-eighth of Camry sales. If prospective buyers come in for a look and a test drive, that seems doable.

By FRANK A. AUKOFER
Scripps Howard News Service