2006 Kia Optima EX 2.7 liter from North America

Summary:

This is and awesome car for the price! and should cost a lot more than it should

Faults:

Nothing so far; it seems that the sunroof might have a small leak but I'm not sure if its that, or if I didn't close it all the way shut.

General Comments:

This car has the smoothest ride I have ever been in for a car that is cheap. I drove around 3 or 4 of the new Nissan Altima, and this car owns as far as road noise. The Nissan had a lot of front end noise on the engine, and I was not sure about the front end suspension. I also drove around a few of the new Honda Accord, but Honda is feeling really proud of pricing them too high. I don't think Honda and Toyota quality are the same as it was back in the later '80s and early '90s.

I bought this car for 10.5K. It is a fully loaded EX with 6 CD/MP3 player, tinted windows, tape deck, 4 disc brakes, sunroof, traction control, leather interior, with a 2.7 liter V6. It is funny because the car looks like a cross between a Lexus and Benz which I think is really funny. It has some really big tires on it. After driving around 5 to 10 cars, I thought this one was the bomb as far as price and what I wanted in a car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th May, 2008

2006 Kia Optima LX 2.4L from North America

Summary:

Get one now while they are still inexpensive

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Excellent value. I had previously owned a used 2004 Optima EX (4-cyl) for only 6 months and was so impressed with the build quality that I turned around and bought a new 2006 (old body style) just for the warranty. I opted for the 4-cyl LX manual trans because of the torque. I swapped the wheels for similarly-sized 15" alloys and increased the tire size to 215/60-15 Kumho's that would accommodate 44psi. The car handles so much better than before. In light of putting 30,000 miles on it in under a year, it is still tight as day one. Mileage is better than advertised and I average 30-33 mpg.

Did I mention that I got this car for only $12,500 out the door? It was still new on the lot, as the dealer stated that it had 6000 miles because it was a "demo" (sure, 5 speed, no options, and hubcaps) - but I just couldn't pass up this bargain. It fits my job perfectly (I repair copiers and haul a lot of gear, need a large back seat, and travel so much).

Overall, a very comfortable car with a touch of sporty pretenses with a rock-solid powerplant that can stand up to countless miles of punishment.

Sad to say this, but in 5 years this car will have about 200,000 miles on it, and I wonder if I'll ever get this kind of deal again, considering that Kia and Hyundai (just picked up a 2007 Sonata) are improving substantially each year. One final note: buy them now while the prices are still cheap...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st July, 2007

2nd Jul 2007, 12:30

No thanks, I'll keep with Chevrolet.

1st Aug 2007, 13:55

The Chevy Malibu is direct competitor to the Optima. It's more expensive, very ugly, and quality isn't even as good. Try the Optima.

2nd Aug 2007, 01:24

At $12,500 you've done a steal, but that's got nothing to do with the actual price on this vehicle, since on the road price on their base model is closer to $19,000 as quoted to me by a local dealer. And they don't do discounts and no trade in allowed. At those terms you can pick'n choose from about any manufacturer.

That's so typical Kia, since upfront it's impossible to get a good deal on their vehicles. And then the year after they dump thousands of vehicles that they were unable to sell at bargain prices. Happens every year.

I'd agree with you that $12,500 on the road price for this car is a steal, but if you pay sticker prices at close to $19,000 for this vehicle you are pretty dumb. The Optima may be good, but besides that Kia has resale values that suck. Remember the first Sedonas? Where are they now; right on the junkyard? Or you can pick them up secondhand for about $1000.