2011 Kia Optima Hybrid Review

The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid.

As impressed as we were with the 2011 Kia Optima just a month ago, nothing could have prepared us for the Kia Optima Hybrid.

Here's the recipe: Take everything that makes the Optima a winner, and add a hybrid powerplant. But make it a hybrid powerplant that delivers the mileage. 24 mpg city/34 highway in the gasoline Optima becomes 35 city/40 highway in the Optima Hybrid...good enough to vault into 7th place on TireKicker's Top 10 Fuel Savers, ahead of smaller, lesser-performing cars like the Honda CR-Z and Lexus HS 250h.

The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid rear view.

Best part of it all? The price spread between gasoline and hybrid is small as such things go...$4,005.  Now, admittedly, that's the difference between $22,495 and $26,500. But if your priorities include using less gasoline and putting fewer pollutants into the air, there are higher prices to pay.

Much like the gasoline version from a month ago, this Optima Hybrid was loaded. You might remember the $22,495 wound up being $27,440. Well, in this case, a single option, the $5,000 Premium Technology Package (Nav system with backup camera, Sirius Traffic, an Infinity audio system, panoramic sunroof, auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink and compass, upgraded 17-inch tires with alloy wheels, auto-leveling HID headlamps, leather seat trim, driver's seat memory, heated and cooled front seats, heated outboard rear seats, a heated steering wheel and power front passenger's seat) ran the price with $750 freight and handling to $32,250.

Yeah, that's a pricey Kia. But again, it's less than five grand above the loaded gasoline version.

The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid gauge cluster.

So...the big question: How's the mileage? Well, we did 225 miles of purely city street driving over the course of a week, and got 31.0 miles per gallon. Yes, the EPA estimate is 35 city, but the small print under that number says "expected range for most drivers 29 to 41 mpg". So we're in the ballpark. As always, your mileage may vary. I'd bet on having hit 35 had we done our usual amount of freeway driving...and on a roadtrip, 40's probably realistic.

Bottom line: Kia's on a roll, and the Optima is a contender not just among family sedans, but among alternative-energy vehicles as well.


2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Base price: $26,500

As tested: $32,250

Likes: Styling, smooth power, impressive mileage for its size.

Dislikes: Overly sensitive tire pressure monitoring system.

EPA estimates: 35 mpg city/40 mpg highway.

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2011 Kia Optima Review

The 2011 Kia Optima. Yes, Kia Optima.

The progress made by Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai the past few years has been nothing less than remarkable. It's the same basic story as how Toyota, Nissan (then Datsun) and Honda went from footnotes to mainstream best-sellers, but with a much steeper curve, negotiated much more quickly.

But even the rapid rise to respectability couldn't prepare us for the giant leap that is the 2011 Kia Optima. Until now a generic-looking sedan that fit right in as a rental car, the Optima now is gorgeous (if not absolutely, then certainly by family sedan standards), stylish and has bypassed contemporary for futuristic.

Rear view of the 2011 Kia Optima.

That particular "F" word, "futuristic",  is fraught with peril for manufacturers on that side of the Pacific, who have produced some designs that look like mutant insects from a 1950s sci-fi flick. But not the new Optima. The future here is one that's within sight from the present...where other manufacturers have been heading, but won't arrive for another move or two, that's where the 2011 Kia Optima is now.

The Optima starts at a very reasonable $19,200 for the LX with a manual transmission. Our tester was the EX with an automatic...boosting the price of entry to $22,495. You keep the same 2.4 liter four cylinder engine (200 horsepower), but step up to 17" wheels from 16s, and you get chrome accent door handles, clear-lens projector headlights, front fog lights, dual body-color heated power mirrors, Smart Key & pushbutton start, dual zone automatic climate control, the passenger gets an auto-down feature for the power window, door mood lamps and rear reading lamps, auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink and compass, an 8-way power driver's seat, leather seat trim and aluminum interior trim. That's a lot of upgrades for $3,295.

2011 Kia Optima Interior.

And then there's the interior. And I'll be honest. At first, I felt let down. The surfaces and materials felt cheap to me. I finally figured it out...they're exactly right and maybe a bit better than they need to be for this segment and this price point....but the car gives the impression of being a much more expensive piece...my brain was thinking $40,000 when I slid behind the wheel. Again, the reality is $22,495.

That, of course, is before options, and the Kia press fleet folks added two...the Technology Package (a navigation system with backup camera and Sirius Traffic plus an upgraded Infinity audio system with 8 speakers) for $2,000...and the EX Premium Package (Panoramic sunroof, power front passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated and cooled front seats, heated outboard rear seats and a heated steering wheel) for $2,250.

Regular TireKicker readers know our mantra when it comes to $2,000 factory nav systems ("Your phone does that"), but the Infinity audio system sounds mighty nice, so maybe that's only a grand worth of nav.

With those two options and a $695 freight and handling charge, the sticker price on the 2011 Kia Optima we drove was $27,440. Slick, smooth, clean, quiet...EPA estimates of 24 city/34 highway and Kia's 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty, 5 year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty and 5 year/60,000 mile roadside assistance. Hard to go wrong.

And there's a hybrid version for 2012 that will be in our hands in early October.

Camry, Accord, Altima, Mazda 6, Sonata, Fusion and Malibu, move over. There's a new contender you have to share the stage with.

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Kia's US Sales Increase by 36% in the Second Quarter of 2011

Kia Motors’ global sales increased by 21% during the last quarter - that is from April to June- compared to the same period in 2010. South Korea’s second-largest carmaker sold 621,000 units in that period, largely due to the increase in US sales.

Kia’s progress in the American market was impressive as it recorded a 67% increase in profits and 36% in sales, largely due to the surge in sales of its new Optima sedan and Sportage SUV.

Japanese manufacturers’ shortages due to the production disruption brought by the March disaster that hit Japan may also be one of the reasons for Kia’s rise according to analyst at Seoul-based Dongbu Securities’ Yim Eun Young.

But as Japanese companies recover and Kia’s market share may shrink, Young notes that this doesn’t necessarily mean that Kia's sales volume will drop as well.

And he may be proven correct, as Kia has a strong new range of products and last month increased its US target for 2011. It also announced that it will begin producing the Optima at its US plant in Georgia from September.

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2011 Kia Sorento Review

The 2011 Kia Sorento.

It's deja vu all over again.

Those of us of a certain age can remember when Honda found the magic dust and began sprinkling it liberally over their product portfolio. They went from an interesting, quirky also-ran to a company that could do no wrong and whose products you couldn't afford to ignore come car-shopping time.

Well here we are three decades later, and that's what's happening with Kia, which before they were an interesting, quirky also-ran, weren't all that interesting...so the achievement curve here is actually higher than it was for Honda.

About a month ago, we extolled the virtues of the Kia Sportage, now a fine, no-excuses small SUV. But what if you need something a touch bigger?

Well, that's where the Kia Sorento comes in. It's roomier but gets very close to the same mileage as the Sportage (21 city/29 highway to the Sportage's 22/31).

Our tester was the mid-level EX front wheel drive (all three, LX, EX and SX are available in all-wheel-drive as well), starting at $24,795. And that gets you a very well-equipped machine: DOHC 4, 6-speed automatic transmission, 18-inch alloy wheels, ABS, airbags and curtains all around, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, tire pressure monitoring, downhill brake control and hill assist control, dual-zone automatic climate control, power windows, door locks, and outside mirrors, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with SiriusXM satellite radio, USB and auxiliary jacks and Bluetooth.

The interior of the 2011 Kia Sorento.

Also standard in the EX are a multi-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, 60/40 split folding and reclining second row seats, pushbutton start with smart key, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, auto light control, tilt and telescoping steering column, illuminated vanity mirrors, rear privacy glass and fog lamps.That's a nice package for less than 25 large. And the Kia people added three options to it:

The Limited package (Navigation with traffic data, backup camera, Infinity Audio system with 10 speakers, 18-inch mirror-finish alloy wheels and interior accent illumination)...$2,000.

Premium Package 1 (Leather seat trim in the first and second row, heated front seats and an auto-dimming mirror with display for the backup camera)...$1,500.

And a mirror with Compass and Homelink for $250.

Regular TireKicker readers know I'd almost always pass on factory nav systems (your phone can do most of what those do), but the added safety of the backup camera is a good idea in almost any vehicle...especially SUVs...and the Infinity Audio system rocked...so I'd actually go this way with my own dime....which would give us a grand total after delivery charges of $29,340.

It drives well, it handles well, it gets good mileage, and nicely equipped, you're coming in just a shade below the competition on price. Plus there's the 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty and the 5 year/60,000 mile roadside assistance. Hard to go wrong...unless you don't test drive one.

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2011 Kia Sportage Review

This year's list of nominees for "most improved" wouldn't be complete without this potential winner of the award...the all-new Kia Sportage.

The nameplate has been around since 1997, when it was the grimmest little conveyance imaginable...underpowered, undersized and possessed of the kind of materials and craftsmanship that gave Korean automobiles a reputation they're still trying to live down.

But, as we've been saying here at TireKicker for the past three years, the Koreans are making quantum leaps with each generation of automobiles. And the Sportage is an excellent example of that.

Even in more recent years, the best thing Kia had going for it was price and warranty, but the Sportage is now a no-excuses, fully competitive small SUV. In fact, it's leapt ahead of some of the older competitors with a DOHC four and a six-speed automatic transmission standard in all but the base model, which gets a six-speed manual.

That base model starts at a reasonable, but no longer bargain-basement, $18,295. Our tester was the next-to-the-top EX model (the SX is a screamer, with 260 horsepower instead of the 178 in the base through EX models).  Base price: $23,295. That gets you the engine and transmission detailed above, plus power steering, power four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control, electronic stability control, donhill brake and hill-start assist, tire pressure monitoring, dual-zone climate control, power locks and windows, keyless entry, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with USB and auxilary inputs, cruise control, a trip computer, tilt steering wheel, Bluetooth, a 12-volt power outlet, intermittent wipers and a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel.

All that adds up to a very pleasant environment in which to do your driving. And the one Kia sent over for a week included navigation with Sirius Traffic and a backup camera,  a premium audio system including a subwoofer, heated front seats, pushbutton start, a panoramic sunroof, rear sonar, heated outside mirrors and a cargo cover.

Bottom line: $27,990 with destination charges. Which is right in the zone for this type of small SUV with that type of equipment.  And the combination of the four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic pays off with excellent gas mileage...22 city/31 highway. It's well worth a test drive.

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2011 Kia Forte Koup photo gallery with price reviews

2011 Kia Forte Koup photo gallery with price reviews
mercedes specification and review: http://masti-jokes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-mercedes-binz-car-features-and.html

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2011 The Kia Optima new Realased

2011 The Kia Optima new Realased

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2011 New Kia Optima wallpaper gallery and prices

2011 New Kia Optima wallpaper gallery and prices
http://masti-jokes.blogspot.com/2011/05/proton-exora-turbo-2010-pictures.html

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2011 Kia Optima wallpapers gallery and specification with previews

2011 Kia Optima wallpapers gallery and specification with previews

The 2011 Kia Optima is a big knock-out punch to the face of competitors in the segment.
The new Kia Optima is the ultimate expression of the brand’s new heritage.

The 2011 Kia Optima is a midsize sedan available in four trim levels: LX, EX, EX Turbo and SX.
The EX comes standard with the Convenience package as well as 17-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors, automatic headlights, foglights, keyless

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2011 Kia Sorento Road Test & Review and wallpapers

2011 Kia Sorento Road Test & Review and wallpapers

Completely overhauled and redesigned for 2011, the all-new Kia Sorento boasts a fresh look and some cool new features. Host Emme Hall spent a week in the SUV and was thoroughly impressed. Previously based on a truck’s frame, the 2011 has been turned into a more reliable unibody frame.

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2011 - 2000 Kia Sportage Interior Picture Galleries and Specifications

2011 - 2000 Kia Sportage Interior Picture Galleries and Specifications
2011 Upcoming mercedes Cars wallpaperes: http://masti-jokes.blogspot.com/2011/04/2011-mercedes-benz-e500-sport-cars.html

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2011 New Kia Sorento 2010 Car Technical Specifications and wallpapers

2011 New Kia Sorento 2010 Car Technical Specifications and wallpapers
2011 Upcoming lexus Cars wallpapers: http://masti-jokes.blogspot.com/2011/04/2008-lexus-ls-600h-l-previews.html

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2011 Nuevo Kia Ceedwallpapers and specification with previews

2011 Nuevo Kia Ceedwallpapers and specification with previews

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2011 kia forte koup ex with features and car wallpapers

2011 kia forte koup ex with features and car wallpapers

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