Review: 2006 Kia Optima

[majuub100]

my wife has 1 wit the autotrans i drove it to disney in florida from stroudsburg pa and got 650 miles to the tank only hada stop for gas 1 time parts are cheap and its easy to work on changed the intake gasket at 65000miles it took about 3 hours .horrible in snow tho pegleg all the way lol

[kaunasprince]

Like a Rio? This is hardly like a RIO..My 2006.5 EX with leather and heated seats is closer to an Avalon than a Rio.It is hardly "Ho-hum",and I've had more compliments from strangers on it's looks than any other car I have ever owned.

PS I especially like the interior and the dash.Nothing cheap there.

[kaunasprince]

Like a Rio? This is hardly like a RIO..My 2006.5 EX with leather and heated seats is closer to an Avalon than a Rio.It is hardly "Ho-hum",and I've had more compliments from strangers on it's looks than any other car I have ever owned.

[coandcaiv]

palebeachbum STOP TROLLING...every damn video is ..

you > bash honda > favor kia > look like troll

[subzero92MK]

the front reminds me to a lexus btw it looks a nice car,unfortunately it is not aviable here in italy

[idiotsawvfr5]

has alot of standard equipment for the price, much more than my 2006 accord, but i like how my honda drives though, but a very nice car especially for the price.

[morgand25]

I had one for three days as a rental and found the seats to be very firm. By the third day our asses hurt.

[palebeachbum]

@morgand25 You should try riding in anything Japanese if you think these seats were hard.

[lovemadzia]

AON

[mach1mustang6]

I own a 2006.5 Optima LX with an auto. It just turned 81,000 miles. I bought it with 40k. I do like the MPG, and roominess of the entire car, which is pretty great compared to the others in its class, and for the money its a great car. BUT, as soon as the bumper to bumper warranty expired...the paint on all of the hub caps started peeling, the driver's sun visor broke, and just a month ago, the passenger side broke too. I know of A LOT of people having problems with their visors on this car.

[CRDLIBERTY]

Yes honda is poor mans bmw. Honda copied bmws 80's technique and M division.  Great comparison Accord lol not civic

[coandcaiv]

honda doesnt even compete with bmw....that would be acura....compare apples to apples...dont compare stuff that doesnt make sense

[monstercameron]

piterarnett thats not even funny, though insightful, in a demeaning way

[CRDLIBERTY]

timing chain like toyota corolla? Is a new kia optima worth 11k?

[palebeachbum]

@CRDLIBERTY Err, try again. Timing chain is actually STRONGER than a timing belt. Not to mention it lasts the life of the motor. Never needs replacing, unlike a timing BELT.

[torrianis]

I have a 2006.5 too. b/c my wife bought a Sedona 2003 new and it still going strong. I love my car . Its elegant, fast and so far; perfect. The Koreans have gotten their shit together when it comes to car building.Its sad that the recession will stiffle the efforts of our american car companies to improve their products.Ive driven the Chevy Malibu. It really isnt that bad but its HP and MPG sucks. All we can build, it seems, is huge clanky trucks and suvs.. oh no now they are "crossovers"

[palebeachbum]

I love my "new" 2006.5 Optima LX. It seems solidly built. It's very good on gas with the 4cyl. Has plenty of power. Quite refined. Rides great. I've never owned a Kia and I was really nervous about buying one. So far I can't complain too much. Problems have been minimal. Just an issue with tire pressure monitor failing, sun visor broke, and a squeaky noise from rear end. Anyone else experience these same problems with their Optima?

[torrianis]

my visor broke too.... but they replaced under warranty. its got 31k miles so far and no problems.

[palebeachbum]

I bought mine used, so I don't think it has the remainder of the warranty to fix the busted sunvisor. It's currently got 35k miles. Would love for Kia to fix the niggling problems on mine under warranty or recalls.

[palebeachbum]

Just an update, Kia did replace my busted sunvisor and TPMS sensor under warranty. They wouldn't fix the squeaky rear end though, saying it was the shocks. I think that's BS. Shocks shouldn't be squeaking on a car with 30k miles.

[palebeachbum]

@palebeachbum The squeakiness turned out to be the parking brake. Go figure.

[Handiman544]

I bought one. Its two years old and so far, it's perfect. I also bought a Kia van...no regrets there either. Kia makes great cars and I didn't have to mortgage my home to get them.

[Watthiman]

Bullshit review, The kia rides better and is quiter. The 2006 Accord steers better and handles better. As far as it being hoo hum and not much fun to drive, Give me a break, Do people buy Accords because they are exiting and fun to drive? The 2006 Kia is a great car and a steal at $3500 less than the Accord. Add the current $3500 rebate (June 22 08) and you can get it for $7000 less. If you want exciting buy a BMW. If you want a quite, reliable nice driving car this car is as good as a Honda.

[xuimod]

"Do people buy Accords because they are exiting and fun to drive?"

Well, yeah sort of. Some people call the Accord the poor man's BMW.... I'm assuming you never heard that saying before.

Many buyers pick the Accord over the Camry b/c the Accord has a more spirited ride than the Camry.

[Watthiman]

Is that Honda's new marketing strategy"? "The new 2008 Honda Accord, Exciting and Fun, The poor man's BMW" ..LOL!! CLASSIC!! What nonsense!

In fact road and track made an issue out of the fact that the new Accord DOES NOT have the fun factor. People buy Accords because they are reliable. The fun factor never even enters into the decision.

[xuimod]

Honda doesn't call the Accord a poor man's BMW.... everyday drivers do (not everyone but some people do).

BTW, Honda engines (Accord, Civics, etc) are among the best in the industry.... Honda engines are very fun to drive b/c they loved to be reved high.

[palebeachbum]

I've never heard anyone refer to Honda as poor man's BMW. Hondas have always been and still are transportation appliances. They lack any real character or personality. Even auto reviewers say that at times. The Optima's 4cyl. I would argue is nicer because it produces it's power at lower RPMs, which means a quieter, less tiring driving experience. I think only the kids like hearing those 4's screaming. It makes my skin crawl.

[xuimod]

"I've never heard anyone refer to Honda as poor man's BMW."

Now you have. Google 'honda poor man bmw' and you'll see I'm not the only one who says that.

Honda's in general are pretty fun cars to drive.

[coandcaiv]

if honda's are appliances...kia's are nothing i guess lol...honda has put out plenty of exciting cars....acura nsx...acura rsx-type S....acura integra type R ...honda civic SI line.....honda crx.....honda prelude ...honda del sol vtec spec.......sooo think about what you say before you say it baby!

[jayive34]

@palebeachbum Hyundai are poor man BMW, Kia is poor men hyundai.

[kaunasprince]

@jayive34 How can you say that.Model for model,thay are about the same price.(I mean KIAs and Hyundais)

[palebeachbum]

This guys is kinda harsh on this car. I drove an '07 Optima 4cyl automatic and I was really impressed. It was roomy, quiet, smooth. The 4cyl had plenty of power for my taste. The seats were comfortable and height adjustable. It was a nice car overall. Only complaints were the engine was grush when pushed hard, the transmission was too shift- happy on the highway, and certain bits looked cheap like the gauges, interior door handles, and center stack plastics. Overall, a nice car!

[2000hondaciviccoupe]

how do the gauges look cheap. they're blue.

[palebeachbum]

I ended up buying a 2006.5 Optima LX. It's got different gauges than the gauges I commented on before. Mine have cleaner graphics and light up sort of a lavender/white color. Much easier to read. After owning the car for a month now, I have come to the decision that Kia shouldn't have used so many different interior finishes on the plastics. Interior is tan. Dash top and upper part of door panels are brown. Face of dash is muted gold. Buttons and switchs are greyish/brown. Looks a bit gaudy.

[Wisturk]

I need a car like this. Where can I get one for free?