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Kia Optima wins Cars.com ‘Best of 2011’ award

Filed under: Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima

2011 Kia Optima – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re big fans of the swoopy new 2011 Kia Optima – in fact, some of us here at Autoblog even prefer the Kia sedan to its Hyundai Sonata cousin. Apparently we aren’t the only ones who think highly of this fiercely competitive mid-sizer, as Cars.com has just honored the Optima with its ‘Best of 2011’ award.

The editors of Cars.com cited the Optima’s outstanding fuel economy and excellent driving experience. Specifically:

“With its value, sharp packaging, outstanding fuel efficiency and lofty features, the Optima gives all family-car shoppers a shot at something far more compelling than the segment represents.”

Runners-up include the BMW 5 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Volt (which was recently named North American Car of the Year), Honda Odyssey and Nissan Leaf. All good vehicles, yes, but the Optima’s strong presence within the mid-size sedan segment – the most-shopped segment in the auto industry – is a huge achievement for Kia. Head over to Cars.com to read the full story.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T: First Drive

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

[Source: Cars.com]

Kia Optima wins Cars.com ‘Best of 2011’ award originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

Filed under: Sedan, Kia, First Drive

Meet the Sonata 2.0T’s Evil Twin

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T – Click above for high-res image gallery

By this point, you should know all about the excellent new turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder engine from Hyundai and, by extension, Kia. We’ve spent plenty of pixels gushing about the engine’s power and efficiency when lodged in the nose of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T, and judging from our time behind the wheel of the 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T, the engine is no less at home lighting up the tires of the newest sedan from Kia. Buyers looking for a four-door with a little more edge than the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry or even the embiggened Sonata will be happy to see that the newest interpretation of the Optima wears some seriously aggressive sheetmetal outside to go with some of the best power and fuel-efficiency in the mid-sized sedan class.

Kia says that the Optima 2.0T was built to be the Sonata’s more menacing cousin, and in addition to the sedan’s brawny lines and 274-horsepower four-cylinder turbo, the company’s engineers folded in a firmer suspension and reworked power steering system for a more athletic driving experience. The changes may not be enough for us to call the 2011 Optima 2.0T a sport sedan, but they do serve to give the vehicle a significantly different flavor compared to the 2011 Sonata. We jumped into the driver’s seat of the 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T SX to find out just what those changes meant on the road.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T: First Drive

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

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First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Korean War: Inside Line pits Hyundai Sonata against Kia Optima [w/poll]

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, Kia

2011 Kia Optima and 2011 Hyundai Sonata

2011 Kia Optima and 2011 Hyundai Sonata – Click above to enlarge

The Koreans are coming! Actually, strike that… they’re already here. As a matter of fact, both the 2011 Hyundai Sonata and its corporate kissing cousin, the 2011 Kia Optima, rank very highly on our own midsize sedan pecking order chart. All of this begs the question: Which one is better, and why?

The boys from Inside Line decided to pit the two sedans, which share most major components and assemblies, against each other in a no-holds-barred fight for supremacy. Not surprisingly – both use 2.4-liter four cylinder engines (plus or minus California emissions…) and six-speed automatic transmissions, and both weight nearly the same – picking a winner means delving into the details.

And IL found that the details favored the Kia. There are a number of reasons given for the why and how of this conclusion, which you can read all about right here. Basically, though, IL found that the Optima is tuned more for the enthusiast as opposed to the competent and comfortable nature of the Sonata.

Which one would you pick? Take our poll below and then feel free to talk about your choice in Comments.

View Poll

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima: First Drive

[Source: Inside Line | Main Image: Kurt Niebuhr for Edmunds]

Korean War: Inside Line pits Hyundai Sonata against Kia Optima [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kia Optima receives service bulletin for accelerator pedals

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Kia

2011 Kia Optima

2011 Kia Optima – Click above for high-res image gallery

That was quick. Kia has issued a service bulletin asking its dealers to check the operation of the accelerator pedal on all-new 2011 Optima models that are just now arriving at dealerships across the country. According to Consumer Reports, workers are to press and release the pedal 25 to 30 times to listen for noisy operation and anything that would indicate unsatisfactory pedal feel. If either problems surface, Kia will replace the pieces under warranty free of charge. As of right now, it’s unclear whether sticking pedals instigated the service bulletin or some other fault prompted the Korean automaker to issue the service bulletin.

Keep in mind that a service bulletin differs from a recall in several ways; most notably, recalls are government mandated and require automakers to alert consumers. Service bulletins are voluntary and typically just go out to dealers. Since the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration isn’t forcing Kia’s hand, we’re guessing that there isn’t any danger to consumers. Models impacted by the bulletin were built between October 16th and November 24th of this year.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima: First Drive

[Source: Consumer Reports]

2011 Kia Optima receives service bulletin for accelerator pedals originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: NHTSA opens safety probes into older Honda CR-V, Kia Optima models

Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Recalls, Safety, Honda, Kia

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is looking into issues with 2006 Honda CR-V models and 2007 Kia Optimas. According to The Detroit News, both vehicles have garnered a fairly small number of complaints – just three each – for separate problems. In the case of the CR-V models, owners have experienced electrical failures that led to fires in the driver’s side door. Owners claim that the master window switch overheated, causing the damage. NHTSA is looking into around 150,000 of the Honda models.

Meanwhile, the agency is investigating 41,000 Kia Optimas for faulty transmission shift cables. Owners have reported problems with the cables becoming detached from the transmission, effectively locking the vehicle into or out of gear. In one case, a vehicle rolled away after being shut off. The Detroit News reports that Kia has issued a service bulletin concerning improperly-installed shift cables that may detach over time.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: NHTSA opens safety probes into older Honda CR-V, Kia Optima models originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Optima configurator finally up and running

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Configurator

If you’ve been waiting for the 2011 Kia Optima configurator to come online so you can whittle away a few precious minutes from the work day, wait no more. You can now load up or strip down your very own imaginary four-door however you like. From the looks of things, buyers will be able to weasel their way out the door in a base model with a six-speed manual transmission for the lowly price of just $18,995 without destination. Go crazy with the options, however, and you’ll be staring down the barrel of an MSRP of just over $31,170 with the $695 destination fee included, but that still strikes us a fair shake for a loaded SX trim with the powerful 2.0-liter turbo.

Notable options include a premium package that throws in a pair of panoramic moonroofs and heated and cooled seats for $2,150 and a technology and premium touring package that adds in niceties such as navigation, fancier wheels and an eight-speaker Infiniti sound system among other tricks for $4,150. Head over to the Optima configurator to see for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Matt!

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima

[Source: Kia]

Kia Optima configurator finally up and running originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid – Click here for high-res image gallery

Kia is just now beginning to roll out its sexy new 2011 Optima, with the 2.4-liter GDI version priced from only $18,995. Much like its sister car, the Hyundai Sonata, the Optima will be offered with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine in EX and SX trims, and here at the LA Auto Show, the Kia has unveiled its third member of the Optima family – the Hybrid.

Much like the Sonata Hybrid, the gas/electric Optima uses the same 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four, mated to an electric motor. Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Optima Hybrid will yield 40 miles per gallon on the highway – besting its eco-minded competitors, the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Pricing will be announced closer to the car’s on-sale date early next year, and you can read the full details in Kia’s press release, after the jump. Check out our high-res galleries of live and stock shots, as well.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Continue reading LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’

LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima

Filed under: Sedan, Kia, First Drive

You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

2011 Kia Optima

2011 Kia Optima – Click above for high-res image gallery

We admit it – we’re genetically preprogrammed to be shallow creatures. Despite our moms’ best efforts, recognizing inner beauty is all well and good, but it’s physical beauty that first puts both people and consumables on our radar.

Exhibit A? The 2011 Kia Optima. You see, while exactly nobody was paying attention, the outgoing Optima actually became a reasonably competitive mid-size sedan. But with the lackluster reputation of its predecessor compounded by styling so banal that it might as well have had “John Doe” as a model designation, the Optima was seemingly forgotten by everyone but fleet managers.

That’s not going to be a problem any more.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima: First Drive

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First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kia Optima configurator goes live with estimated pricing starting at $18,495*

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Kia

The 2011 Kia Optima doesn’t go on sale until sometime this Fall, but the configurator is now live on Kia.com. The new Optima brings Kia design to a whole new level, with a sleek coupe-like profile that should be backed up by some pretty impressive performance when equipped with the new 2.0-liter direct-injected turbo.

Kia hasn’t released official pricing yet for the new Optima, but in an odd move, it is listing estimated prices on the configurator. The base, 200-horsepower 2.4-liter LX model with a six-speed manual is listed at an affordable $18,495 (*sans destination charges, which are likely to add $695), while the least expensive model with the 274-hp 2.0T engine is the $23,895 EX. A maxed-out SX with the premium and technology packages comes in just shy of $30K, which actually strikes us as pretty reasonable based on what we’ve seen so far of the car. That means that the 2011 model is more expensive that the staid but surprisingly competent current model (which starts at $17,995), but we’re thinking the better-looking sheetmetal is worth it alone, not to mention all of the other equipment and material upgrades. Appreciate the tip, Matt!

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima

[Source: Kia]

2011 Kia Optima configurator goes live with estimated pricing starting at $18,495* originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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