2011 Kia Optima Consumer Reviews

BEWARE of the left pull!!

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Purchased brand new 2011 Kia Optima from Nationwide Kia in Timonium MD. Car was defective off the lot with a marked left pull that requires constant pressure on the wheel to keep the car from flying off the road. DO NOT believe the dealer if they say they can fix the car. This is a known defect with many Optima's and their kissing cousin Sonata's. I was told there is "nothing else we can do and your car still pulls to the left" from their "service" tech. I have lemon with 800 miles on it - great.
Read the full review

---

Value, Features, and Style - Oh My!

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Unlike others I have been getting good mileage - 22 in town, 33 interstate. Engine is adequate and I always have the power I need. Engine noise is loud outside of car, but unlike others I have had no problems with noise levels inside the car. I purchased for $23K with leather, heated and cooled seats, dual sunroof, and 60K warranty. No Japanese, American, or German car comes close to matching the overall value - If you are looking for a family sedan price and compare. Only weaknesses is it rides low so front frame scrapes when backing out of driveway, etc. View outside constrained by thick C-pillars. But rides very nice and has more truck and interior space than large cars.
Read the full review

---

2011 Optima EX w/ Premium Package

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

So far, I'm really enjoying my new Optima. It looks great and the features are awesome. It has enough power for any driving that I do and so far is returning about 27 mpg in mixed driving even though it's not fully broken in yet. It really loved being driven steadily between 45 and 55mph. The trip computer says it's getting about 39mpg at those speeds, although I hear it's a little optimistic.
Read the full review

---

Here we go again

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

I am rewriting the review of my 2011 Optima EX because my original review and many other driver's reviews have disappeared. I have owned the car for 5 months now and I can say that it is a very good value. The interior and exterior styling are very modern and eye-catching. The quality of the materials is above average and the car has many standard features such as Bluetooth, leather-trimmed interior and a 6-speed automatic transmission. However there is bad with the good. The seats are hard and acceleration is unimpressive. AND boy is this car noisy on the freeway. Tire roar/wind noise is so LOUD that it is impossible to carry on a conversation with out practically yelling.
Read the full review

---

2011 Optima SX Turbo

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima SX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)

Review

Had it for a month & love it. Handles surprisingly well for a front driver. A little slow off the line (unless you power brake it) but after 10 ft it is really quick. Trans drops down a gear or two very easily. 50 to 70 pass happens right now. Very smooth ride even with the stiffer suspension. Every one who drives it ends up going 80+ thinking they are going 60.
Read the full review

---

Gas Guzzler

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

I drove the 2011 Kia Optima LX on an 16 hour highway trip and was expecting to get north of 34 MPG. To my disappointment I only got 30 MPG average. I wonder how the hell they come up with the MPG numbers they post on the window sticker?
Read the full review

---

You can't find me cause I'm out riding in my new car.

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima EX Turbo 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)

Review

So much value and fun. The car is beyond quick. Sporty ride and I have no issues with the steering. I'm 6' 5" and I don't have the seat all the way back. The interior is gorgeous and comfortable. All the gadgets are useful and fun. I get all sorts of comments on the look and style. Can't recommend enough.
Read the full review

---

24/35 MPG? ...Yeah right!

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Purchase my Kia Optima EX 9 weeks ago. In this day of $4-5 gallons of gas, I bypassed the turbo engine with the idea that it would just make me want to drive faster burning more fuel. With the posted MPG on the sticker of 24/35, I was expecting somewhere around 27-28 combined. What I'm getting after 9 fill ups is more like 19 MPG - which is a big disappointment. So now I have a car with no power and no great fuel savings either. The 186 HP engine is a slug - feels like the pistons are going to come through the hood, and the car sounds like a go-kart. Otherwise, a pretty decent car for the money. If you're considering it, go turbo - if only to get you out of danger while merging onto highways
Read the full review

---

Automatic Transmission Failure at 3600 Miles

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

On 4/11/11, we were driving to work and had gone four miles from our house, when we thought we had hit a deer. The car made a very loud sound and lurched violently, at highway speed, frightening us both. The lurching was so violent that it may well have caused other damage. We were extremely fortunate not to have crashed. We then found that the car would not shift gears. The automatic transmission had gone out of our 2011 Kia Optima EX. We bought the Kia new on 1/8/11. The car had 3600 miles on it at the time of the catastrophic failure. This was our first Kia purchase (and last, I might add), and we are very disappointed. Needless to say, we were shocked by this dangerous occurrenc
Read the full review

---

Best Midsize Car for 2011

Vehicle

2011 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6A)

Review

Ok, so I've owned several dozen cars over the last twenty years....I trade once a year or so. I've had 3 Kias and 2 Hyundais and they have all been terrific cars. This Optima, though, is the cream of the crop. I traded a Lexus ES 350 which the Optima compares to very favorably, especially for the money. There is a difference between bying the EX/SX and the LX in respect to road noise. This one is quieter than my Lexus. I have the nav which is awesome and the interior of the car is just plain great. Gas seems to hover around 27 mpg mixed. Bottom line: quiet like a Camry, but feels like an Accord...which by the way is super noisy at HWY speed. More to come in a few months...
Read the full review

---