Impressive Warranty

Hyundai is Kia's corporate parent, so the Optima gets Hyundai's impressive warranty; it includes 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain protection and 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance.

Kia is putting more marketing muscle behind the new Optima. Its predecessor received little marketing support, and most folks wanting a Kia sedan brushed past it in showrooms and headed for the automaker's Spectra model.

The front-wheel-drive Optima has quick steering and a decent ride, but the softness of an older Buick and thus just average handling. The brake pedal has a linear action to help provide smooth stops.

    See also:

    2009 Kia Optima / Magentis
    At first glance the redesigned 2009 Kia Optima (sold in Canada as the Magentis) looks like a marked improvement over the outgoing model. The design itself, while not exactly breathtaking, is on pa ...

    Brake system
    Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes that adjust automatically through normal usage. In the event that the power-assisted brakes lose power because of a stalled engine or some oth ...

    Interior lights
    CAUTION Do not use the interior lights for extended periods when the engine is not running. It may cause battery discharge. Automatic turn off function (if equipped) The interior lights automat ...