Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong yet, which should be expected for only 6500 miles.

General Comments:

It seems that KIA has figured out that people like myself don't want to spend $20,000+ for a car with very few options. For well under $20,000 I got A/C, power windows, CD-stereo, automatic, and a V6. I especially wanted the V6 option so I could run the A/C and still have adequate power.

The interior is nothing fancy with cloth seats and manual seat adjustments, but the dash is certainly user friendly. The climate controls are well placed and can be accessed easily.

The warranty is certainly nice, but was not a selling point for me. The last thing I need is a piece of junk with a good warranty.

Overall I am very satisfied with my purchase. The Optima is stylish and handles the road very well.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong yet!

General Comments:

I am extremely satisfied with my KIA Optima. I have used it to travel from Louisville, KY to Boston, MA and back 3 times, which is a little under 1000 miles each way. I have not had any problems with it on these trips and the only times is has been back to the dealer has been for regular maintenance (e.g.-oil changes).

The car handles very well on both smooth and rough roads.

Brakes respond quickly.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

I was impressed enough by my 2001 Sephia that I went out this year and upgraded to the larger Optima.

I have been very happy with the response of the car in heavy traffic as well as on the open road.

The seats are comfortable, but I wouldn't call them plush.

There has been an issue with the gas cap lid popping open due to the fact that my knee rest very close to the indoor release button.

Faults:

I am working with the dealership on a power steering leak. It lost about a half pint in 700 miles and we cannot tell where it is coming from.

General Comments:

This car has it all from leather to climate control. No serious problems yet and love to drive it.

Priced under 20K and is very quite and roomy enough for 4 on any long trip.

Infinity stereo is a good sound package.

Faults:

Nothing yet, but it's still new.

General Comments:

This car handles well and the ride is very smooth.

The power hesitates for a brief moment when the accelerator is punched; possibly due to the automatic transmission.

The trunk lid profile tends to somewhat block your rear-view when backing up.

Lots of great standard features that are options in other manufacturers, such as air conditioning, electric door locks and windows, tilt wheel, CD player, cruise control, 8-way adjustable drivers seat, and dual front and side air bags.

I was originally shopping for a Spectra, but I found that I could negotiate a lower price for the larger, more plush Optima. (I paid $12,895 and they even threw in a couple of tanks of gas, free car washes and an oil change!)

My mechanic told me that parts are quite expensive for the KIA line, as there aren't many aftermarket parts available yet; although I haven't personally looked into this aspect.

Manufacturing seems to be done well, with no seam gaps, etc.

Well engineered with a very solid feel.