HEELS ON WHEELS: 2016 KIA OPTIMA REVIEW

HEELS ON WHEELS
By Katrina Ramser
San Francisco Bureau
The Auto Channel

INTRO TO THE OPTIMA VEHICLE Originally just a rebadge of its sister vehicle (Hyundai Sonata), the Optima has skyrocketed in the last few years to become a top mid-size sedan choice for consumers and one of Kia’s strongest player in their lineup. Sleek styling, excellent connectivity telematics and sporty performance – all wrapped up in a reasonable price tag – put this vehicle at the head of its segment.

I drove a 2016 Kia Optima powered by the sportier 245-horsepower 2-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission with Active Eco System. The Optima is available in five trims—the base LX, LX 1.6 Turbo, EX, SX and SX Limited. Standard features on my fully loaded LX Limited trim include the following: Nappa leather upholstery; power driver and passenger seat; Harman Kardon premium audio system; eight-inch touchscreen with navigation and rear camera; UVO infotainment system; Bluetooth connectivity; push-button start; safety technology (Front Collision Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Land Departure Warning); surround view monitor; dual exhaust chrome tips; Sport LED rear tail lights; panoramic moonroof; and eighteen-inch alloy wheels. Price as described came to $35,790.

For the 2016 model year, the Optima has been completely redesigned – you won’t find much changes in the styling, but its grown longer, wider, and is built from a higher-strength steel. Competitors include the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima, all of which I have recently tested, as well as the fiercer Mazda6.

HEELS ON WHEELS REVIEW CRITERIA

Stylish But Comfortable Results: The Optima’s interior is decked out in quality materials sporting a contemporary layout, with the eight-inch touchscreen ergonomically angled to serve the driver and telematics linking up with ease. The surround view monitor gives vivid bird’s eye perspective which can be especially helpful getting out of tight parking spaces. While the Nappa leather is lovely, the upholstery seems prone to soil and wear. Overall, it knocks the socks off the Camry’s cabin (even with the Special Edition model’s add-ons), although second-row seating in the Optima is slightly more cramped in the leg-and-head area than the aforementioned sedan. Nissan does have a claim to some pretty comfortable seating, but its technology pales in comparison to Kia’s and quite frankly, you pay too much for little extras that should be included in the trim. It shouldn’t take more than a glance against these competitors to gather the Optima has the edge on styling.

Reliability & Safety Factor: The 2016 Kia Optima is a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also holds the highest 5-Star ratings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). All Optima vehicles feature an advanced airbag system, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH),anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, and hill-start assist control. The safety technology was included on my top-of-the-line SX Limited trim.

Cost Issues: The Optima is as affordable choice with a starting price of $22,140 with my loaded SX Limited reaching past $35k. Starting price for a base Camry LE is $23,070 and highlights include a backup camera, a 6.1-inch Entune touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity and Siri Eyes Free. The 2016 Nissan Altima has a base starting at $22,500 and the base 2016 Mazda6 Sport trim at $21,495.

Activity & Performance Ability: A 2.4-liter engine is standard for the two first trims and outputs 185 horsepower; that LX 1.6T trim offers a turbocharged 1.6-liter with 178 horsepower. My 2-liter was the more refined and sportier choice on my SX Limited test drive, giving me smoother acceleration. Road noise has been all but mollified with the new build. Comfort and quietness seems to be the Camry’s best traits with decent enough acceleration from the four-cylinder engine, while strong four-cylinder response time remains the Altima’s major performance asset. Mazda6’s high-performance SKYACTIV technology is one to be tried – in general I recommend hitting speeds of 70 miles-per-hour each of these sedans to see how you really feel.

The Green Concern: Performance has a slight cost as the Optima’s 2-liter engine gets 22-city/32-highway driving for an average of 25 miles-per-gallon. The gas-powered Camry’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder gets 25-city and 35-highway for 28 miles-per-gallon combined (the Altima’s and Optima’s similar-sized engines net mirroring results).

FINAL PARTING WORDS
If seniority is no longer a selling point when choosing a mid-size sedan, the 2016 Kia Optima will easily seduce you with its sleek design and performance traits; a fully loaded trim will cost you around $35k with a base model at just $22k.

HEELS ON WHEELS: 2016 KIA OPTIMA REVIEW

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