2011 Kia Optima receives five-star NHTSA crash rating

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Safety, Crossover, Kia, Mini

2011 Kia Optima

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

The Kia Optima set the mark as the first Korean-built car to be officially five-star certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The all-new Optima recieved five-star ratings in the frontal, side-impact and rollover tests.

The Optima sports six airbags, active front headrests, side-impact door bars and height adjustable three-point seat belts for each seat. This five-star rating is indeed something worthy of bragging rights, as NHTSA imposed significantly stricter testing standards for 2011 models. Follow the jump for Kia’s press release.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T: First Drive

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T2011 Kia Optima 2.0T2011 Kia Optima 2.0T2011 Kia Optima 2.0T2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

Photos copyright (C)2011 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading 2011 Kia Optima receives five-star NHTSA crash rating

2011 Kia Optima receives five-star NHTSA crash rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not Fair: Paris Hilton receives Lexus LFA for 30th birthday

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Lexus, Celebrities

2011 Lexus LFA

2011 Lexus LFA – Click above for high-res image gallery

Jealousy is an unbecoming trait… but sometimes it’s hard to ignore. You’re going to have to work extra hard to bury those feelings after we tell you what Paris Hilton has apparently received for her 30th birthday.

A 2011 Lexus LFA.

Okay, just tilt your head back and breathe. Hilton’s LFA still wears its factory yellow paint, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see (and hear) it roaming the streets of LA in a shade of pink very soon. According to the Daily Mail, Hilton’s 29-year-old boyfriend, entrepreneur Cy Waits, picked up the V10-powered Lexus two-door and surprised the heiress ahead of her birthday celebration.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Lexus LFA

Photos copyright (C)2011 Damon Lavrinc/AOL

[Source: Daily Mail]

Not Fair: Paris Hilton receives Lexus LFA for 30th birthday originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:59:00 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

Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

[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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Video: Boy receives shock and awe from Tesla Roadster

Filed under: Videos, Tesla


Click above to watch video after the jump

Do you remember the exact moment when you discovered that you loved the automobile? We’re not so sure we can pin down that exact moment ourselves, but this video shows the precise second that one young man earns his wheels.

A camera fixed on the face of a youngster taking his first ride in a Tesla Roadster 2.5 shows that internal combustion isn’t required for the automobile to dig its claws into our hearts. The post-jump video starts out slowly enough as the young fella chats it up with who appears to be a family friend or relative, but about 22 seconds in said driver slams the Tesla’s go pedal, producing one of the most genuine expressions of fear and excitement we’ve ever seen.

We knew the Tesla Roadster packed a serious battery-powered punch, but we didn’t know it could make you call out for your mommy. Hit the jump to watch this boy receive the call and reminisce about your own induction to the class of auto fandom in the comments. Hat tip to Robinson!

Gallery: Review: 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Boy receives shock and awe from Tesla Roadster

Video: Boy receives shock and awe from Tesla Roadster originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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