29th Sep 2007, 08:19

Let's not try to bash the old body style Optima here. The reason why I purchased it for such a steep discount was because they had the new 2006.5 models out. For a work vehicle, it just can't be beaten for the price. I now have accumulated 40K miles on it in just over a year, and it is still tight as a drum. True, depreciation is very steep, but guess what - this car won't break. Fit and finish are exceptional, the 5-speed is torquey, returns 30mpg, and the low center of gravity really make this an entertaining piece on the road.

ANY GM product is a disappointment-how could anyone be enviable to cheap plastic interiors and substandard fit and finish. The South Koreans are on to something here, and it's called pride in your work. So if your palate justifies one of these vehicles, then rock on and enjoy your Top-Raman soups for dinner.

19th Oct 2007, 13:38

If I had a choice between Kia and Chevy Sedans, I'd choose the Kia in a heartbeat. The GM's people put in cheap plastic in the sedans, there's a lot of rattles, etc after a while on the GM vehicles. The quality in the Kia is much better, and plus the crash rating in the Kia's are excellent. Don't think of the brand, put SAFETY in your mind first when deciding on a vehicle. You can't beat the price, and plus all the airbags that are included in this vehicle.

31st Oct 2008, 16:35

It's nice to see a midsize sedan come with a 5-speed manual. Kia is doing a lot of things right.

13th Sep 2009, 14:16

I agree about offering it with a manual trans. My 2006.5 Optima has it and it seems to be pretty rare. I checked out the new '09 Optima and spoke with a salesman. When he saw mine had a manual, he said "I've never even seen one with a manual."