No More Minivan? A Review of the Kia Optima
Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 5:00AM
I'm your typical minivan driving mom.
I said I would never be that mom. {It's not the first time I've eaten my words.}
My trusty van is nearly 12 years old and we are starting to think about a new vehicle for me.
I must admit - I'm giving the Kia Optima a serious look.
It was so much fun to drive the 2013 Kia Optima for the week - around town to all of our lessons, practices, church events, errands, and just out for fun!
I felt like a real adult, know what I mean?
(I'll give you my review, and then you'll hear a review from a homeschooler, too -- a friend of ours who LOVES cars. This is a treat today!)
Kias are made right here in Georgia.
They have an AWESOME warranty.
After driving one for a week I learned so much more about why I like them.
The Kia Optima SXL is a Good Looking Mid-Sized Sedan
Our car was such fun to drive because it just LOOKED good. As I was snapping pictures of the car, several people stopped and told me what a gorgeous car it was.
It has daytime running lights that make it very stylish.
The long, sleek design (with a DOUBLE sunroof) make it extremely sporty.
It has plenty of room in the front and back seats
We all appreciated the leg room in the front and back seats. Both fronts seats are fully adjustable, heated, cooled, and offer lumbar support.
The back seat is HUGE! My children each had their own space, with a large arm rest/cup holder in between them.
For all the room, you would have expected the car to not be so sleek - nothing could be further from the truth.
There is plenty of room for cargo
The trunk is huge, and with fold down seats in the back, you can haul an awful lot of stuff.
Sometimes I find JUNK accumulating in my van just because it can, know what I mean?
I really liked the size of the Optima - big enough for what we needed, but not too much.
So Many Conveniences Make Life Easier
Things like Sirius Radio were a real treat for us. I just loved that we could listen to so much wonderful music while we were running errands. I could listen to news and talk radio while the kids were in music lessons.
Features like the navigation system and backup camera were an extra luxury!
I could go on and on about other features: great gas mileage, smooth ride, Bluetooth capabilites, etc...
What I really want to tell you, though, is how much we ENJOYED driving this car!
I think there might still be tears on the driveaway from when they came to pick it up at the end of the week. We are missing the heated seats, sunroof, and just all around COMFORT of the Optima.
Now that you've heard my review, I thought you might want to hear from a special guest reviewer. His name is Ryan and he is a 12 year old homeschooled young man I know. He LOVES cars. His mom owns a Kia Sedona and I asked Ryan to go over this car for me one day.
I looked at his notes and he offered to type up a review and email it to me. (What a homeschooler!!)
Here are Ryan's thoughts on the car. I think you'll be impressed with his review, too! Thank you, Ryan, for helping me today.
There you have it, my friends. We so enjoyed reviewing the Kia Optima. Now I have much to consider as I'm putting my old minivan to rest!
*Thank you, Kia for letting us drive the Optima for one week. No compensation was received for this review.
Reader Comments (13)
Wow-this car seems to have a lot of the same features as my Acura does! I love that the seats will cool as well as heat. I will be in the market for a new car soon, so I can't wait to see your review on the SUV (which is what I drive now).
I have heard that Kia's have improved. I bought my Kia Sedona when they were fresh on the market. What a lemon. Thank goodness for the warrenty, it was in the shop all of the time. It died completely at 89,000 miles and the warrenty had expired because of the amount of years that went by. No more Kia's for me. We babied that van and it still left me stranded 3 times on the side of the road.
Blessings, Dawn
Oh what a fabulous review!!! Such a sporty vehicle - with so much room!! Learning on the go - with many conveniences. And I love all that your guest reviewer points out including "Space and technology!" I can tell you all really enjoyed the KIA. What fun!!
Hey you left off that it had plenty of pickup. That loaded Optima was turbocharged and had a very sporty drive.
I'm so glad you had the opportunity to check out this car! Because of our family size, a sedan is not going to work for us, but when my husband and I traveled by ourselves recently we drove a KIA and really liked it. I wish KIA would consider making a van for big families :) I'm ready to ditch our Chevy van. I could really get used to heated seats!!
I think the fact that it is made in the USA and, for you, your homestate would be a real selling point for me, if I were you!
What a great review. It's enough to make me want one too!
Awesome job.
It sure looks like a nice car. Enjoy!
Great review, Mary (and Ryan!). I'm glad you guys had the opportunity. I didn't realize Kia's were made here in Georgia until a few weeks ago when you mentioned it in another post. That's pretty cool.
I also love that Hal chimed in with the "manly review." Plenty of pickup. Turbo-charged. I feel the testosterone in the air! :)
Thanks for posting this, great job.
What a great and true review! Thanks Mary and Ryan! We LOVE LOVE LOVE our 2012 Kia Optima! The push start engine (no more crazy mama lookin for her keys) is my favorite feature and the heated seats and the two sun/moon roofs and the back up camera.. Too much to name for my affordable, spacious, technology driven family/sports car.
p.s. The service dept has been wonderful. They are quick, friendly and always informative.
That is a really cute car! And you look really cute in it...are you SURE you need more space?
Love the red brakes. Very snazzy. I think the double sunroof thing would be awesome. Someday...and I know I shouldn't wish these years away--and I really don't--it will be nice to drive something without a liftgate.
I have always loved Kia even when they first came out. I had a 99 Kia Sportage. Despite all the bad publicity that car was great. It was in multiple accidents I NEVER got hurt (well maybe a little whiplash). I never had any major work done on it. I had it 6 yrs and then well a belt broke and seized the engine. But I was a bad at car care (before I met hubby) and NEVER changed the oil but that car didn't care it would still run just fine with sludge, lol. I will admit I miss my Kia.
How cute!! Love the car and the review. I want to trade in the mini van!
Hey Dawn, Sorry to hear about your Sedona. That was actually part of the "old" Kia. They have gone through a radical transformation that started at the top and worked all the way down. Any vehicle newer than 2011 is completely redesigned by an entirely new team and has redefined the brand. Kia now has the 10 year/100k mile warranty which holds up its end of the bargain. Hopefully you have time to revisit one of their cars again. The Sedona is the last vehicle to be redeveloped and should be out later this year.