- sedan
- Waco, TX
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- autoshopper.com
2007 kia optima review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new solid mid-size sedan at a great price. introductionthe kia optima is more appealing than ever as an alternative to mid-size stalwarts like the toyota camry and honda accord. The kia optima is a five-passenger, front-drive, mid-size sedan, so it has a lot of competition. the 2007 kia optima is for all intents and purposes an all-new car, thoroughly revised from the tires up (though an arcane federal regulation required that a handful were sold as 2006. 5 models). It's one of the best korean-designed automobiles yet. Epa mileage ratings have improved roughly 10 percent compared to the 2006 optima. inside, solid design, more attractive materials and improved fit and finish make the optima a pleasant place to spend time. The standard six-speaker audio system is not bad at all; the upgrade in the optima ex is tuned by infinity, with a standard six-cd changer. A longer body and taller roof create more room inside. As importantly, a new, more rigid chassis delivers an overall tightness and smoothness korean brands lacked just a few years ago. add a slightly longer wheelbase, improved suspension and larger standard wheels and tires, and the 2007 optima is also quite pleasant to drive in nearly all circumstances. optima is priced aggressively, beating just about everything in the class without stripping conveniences. Standard passive safety features, including curtain-style head protection airbags for all outboard seats, match the class benchmark. kia's quality has steadily and significantly improved, according to customer satisfaction surveys, and the optima's warranty is one of the best available. all things considered, the optima still falls short of the best-selling mid-sized sedans in certain, mostly subtle ways. Bottom line, the optima is a good car at a compelling price. lineupthe five-passenger 2007 kia optima comes in two trim levels: well-equipped and really well equipped. The optima lx 5a 17,650) upgrades to a five-speed automatic. The lx v6 19,345) upgrades to a 185-hp 2. 7-liter v6. lx models feature such niceties as a cabin air filter, power windows and locks, heated mirrors, tilt steering, and a 60/40 split, folding rear seat. The standard, steel wheels measure 16 inches in diameter. The lx automatic adds cruise control, keyless remote, floor mats and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel with audio controls. The lx v6 adds 16-inch alloy wheels. Lx options are limited to a rear spoiler 200) and an appearance package 1000) that includes alloy wheels, blacked-out headlight backing and grille, aluminum interior trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel, trip computer, automatic headlights and fog lamps. Feature upgrades include automatic climate control, eight-way power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, universal garage-door transmitter, an auto-dimming inside mirror and an infinity stereo with external amplifier, subwoofer, mp3 and cassette functions and an in-dash, six-cd changer. Ex options include an appearance package 1500) that adds leather seats and a black interior trim. A power slide-and-tilt sunroof 800) is available. safety features include dual front airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags for front occupants, curtain-style head protection airbags for all outboard seats and a tire pressure monitor. Electronic stability control, which can help the driver control the car in emergency maneuvers and bad weather, and antilock brakes, are optional. walkaroundthe 2007 kia optima doesn't stretch any styling envelope or add to the automotive design vocabulary. It does slip smoothly and unobtrusively into the mainstream of mid-size, mid-price sedans. the optima's face to the world could be that of any number of asian-branded cars. A cleanly separated, geometrically proportioned grille fills the space between nicely sized headlights tucked into the upper corners of the fenders. A deeply shadowed air intake, with space at each end for the optional fog lamps, runs the width of the car beneath the bumper, which is smoothly molded into a one-piece fascia. Creases defining a gentle hood bulge draw the eye from the grille to the pillars at the sides of the windshield. The optima's stance looks solid, with tires pushed to the corners to yield a track (distance between the tires side to side) equal to or better than the primary competitors, save the 2007 camry, which it trails by a mere half-inch. in side view, save for a hint of audi in the hindmost quarter, the optima could pass for, well, pick a middle-of-the-road, midsize car. A tape measure produces the same conclusion. Optima's wheelbase essentially splits the differences between the chevrolet malibu, honda accord and ford fusion, although it's shorter by more than two inches compared to the camry. In overall length (bumper to bumper), however, the optima leans toward the tauter end of the scale, giving up from three to five inches to the others. A comparatively deep rear side door tends to mask this brevity. oddly enough, in terms of taillight shapes and overall perspective, the optima's rear end strongly reminds us of a larger iteration of a toyota corolla built a decade or so ago. It's a balanced look, with clean and reasonably tight gaps and a fully integrated, molded-in bumper. Dual exhaust tips give of touch of visual pizzazz to the v6 optimas. if price were not the paramount consideration, we'd choose the optional 17-inch wheels. They fill the wheel wells more tightly and enhance the optima's aggressively wide stance. interiorwhile there's nothing especially striking about the kia optima's exterior, the inside shows the occasional, if muted, spark. This sedan is loaded with thoughtful features, most executed in effective style. It's functional, roomy and in most respects, pleasing to the senses. instruments are basic but well presented, mixing a large, round speedometer and matching tachometer with bar-graph led fuel and coolant temperature monitors. The appearance package adds a blue-tinted, faux electroluminescent speedo and tach that, while not quite lexus grade, are nevertheless eye-pleasing upgrades. hard plastic trim sweeps smoothly across from door handle to door handle, with good-sized vents at each end of the dash and bracketing the center control panel. The climate controls are a paragon of finger- and glove-friendly knobs and buttons and an easy-to-read digital display. The stereo head is up top, where it belongs, but other than the volume and tuning knobs, the buttons and rocker switches fall short of the ease-of-use standard set by the climate panel below. Station presets, for example, are ganged, two to a rocker, requiring extra care to press the proper half for the desired station. An almost retro but welcome feature on the ex audio system is a cassette tape player, popular for books on tape. The uplevel aluminum trim should prove better at resisting the scratches common on coated plastic panels. There aren't a lot of pieces to the dash, either, and the seams mostly run horizontally. This should suppress tendencies for the pieces to loosen over time, which bodes well for keeping buzzes, squeaks and rattles minimized. the driver's seat is more supportive than the front passenger seat, with a deeper seat bottom, although both are comfortable, with good upper side bolsters and modestly cupped bottom cushions. The cloth upholstery feels durable, the not-quite-glove-soft leather equally so. Rear seat legroom is up by fully an inch and a half over the 2006 optima. It's better by an inch or so than the accord and fusion, but shy of the malibu and camry by a half-inch or more. In headroom, front and rear, the optima tops all but the accord, and loses here by only half an inch. In rear seat hiproom, the optima reigns supreme, by at least an inch. It betters only the accord's 14 cubic feet, giving up a fraction of a cubic foot to the malibu and camry and a full cubic foot to the fusion. On the positive side, articulated, gas-strut hinges leave the trunk opening clear and free of package-crushing goosenecks. other storage is respectable, with a glove box easily large enough to accommodate gloves plus the owner's manual, a cell phone and a radar detector; magazine pouches on the back sides of the front seatbacks; two cupholders in front and two in the fold-down rear center. Power Windows✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Tachometer✔ Climate Control✔ Cruise Control✔ Leather Seats✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ CD Changer✔ Alloy Wheels
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