The thing about midsize cars in particular are its exceptional ability to meet the needs desired from a very wide range of consumers. What's more, given its significant role as a volume seller, automakers are keen to grab a piece of the midsize market, spending more R&D than they'd like to admit to make sure they get things right.
Case in point, the Toyota Camry has been around since 1982 and for 13 of the past 14 years, it has been the best-selling passenger car in the United States. A large part of the Camry's success has been its dependability and, more importantly, a delicately controlled measure of generic design with an ability to not offend anyone. This has been the midsize recipe that works best for Toyota but as a result, industry observers have also started to refer to the brand as conservative, bland, and even 'beige'. Even after a major redesign, the new 2012 Toyota Camry still looks as though it had received little more than a modest mid-cycle refresh.
Must the recipe for midsize sedans always be so dull? Should other automakers follow a similar pretense to attain success? Can't a midsize be INTERESTING?
Enter the Spicy Red 2012 Optima EX. First debuted at the 2010 New York International Auto Show, the completely redesigned third-generation Optima shook up the industry. And now, it's finally my turn to see what it's like.
First impressions began the moment I walked towards the car. My eyes were immediately drawn to the chiseled front fascia, crisp folds, flared wheel arches, followed by the swooping four-door coupe roofline accented by an extended chrome blade. In fact, so precise and deliberate was its design that even the side mirrors were thoughtfully sculpted to complement the overall design. However, the one drawback to the appearance would be the ill-fitting 17-inch wheels. It's not that there's anything wrong with 17 inchers, but the bold, optional 18-inch "pizza slice" wheels do a much better job at finishing off the crisp design theme. Overall, the Kia Optima looked very contemporary and distinctly European.
This is no coincidence. In 2006, Kia hired the outstanding talents of Peter Schreyer to join the team as Chief Design Officer. Previously, Schreyer was responsible for creating the original Audi TT coupe, an automobile that still remains one of the most influential designs today.
During the Optima's public unveiling Schreyer said, "The Optima is the biggest step that we've made so far."
Aesthetically, Schreyer describes the approach on the Kia Optima as "pretty simple. There's nothing really sensational or extreme on it. It's just clean cut like a good Italian suit." This lies in stark contrast with the Hyundai Sonata, of which the Kia's architecture is based. While the Sonata's design is expressive and striking, its surfaces don't possess an execution that promises longevity.
Inside, the Kia Optima interior design and surfaces have done a wonderful job carrying over the clean, contemporary forms of the exterior. Given the Optima's 110-inch wheelbase, legroom in the front and rear are plentiful. However, while the sloping roofline looked attractive from the outside, it certainly compromised the amount of headroom available inside. At a tall and lanky 6 foot 1, it was impossible to find that sweet spot no matter how long I tried to fiddle with the seat adjustments and the telescopic steering column. Finding extra headroom became a lost cause and adjusting the seat to provide comfortable legroom pulled me a little too far from the steering wheel than I would have liked. Worry not, average readers, the interior is perfectly tailored to individuals of average proportions.
Behind the steering wheel lied a clear, intuitive, and straightforward instrument panel. Paying a little more attention to the driver's needs, Kia designed the center console to angle towards the driver just so and I was quickly able to familiarize myself with the controls.
Oh, what's this? Press for voice command? Don't mind if I do! From AM/FM/Satellite radio to GPS destinations, the voice recognition software performed extremely well. Within minutes, I was able to perform a full address input to 'set guidance' without ever reaching for the 4.3-inch touch screen Kia UVO infotainment and navigation system. It's not as sophisticated as Siri, but the UVO voice command certainly gets the job done with minimal effort.
Kia definitely did not skimp on the amenities-- it's as if everything in Santa's bag got scattered across the car. Additional available equipment in the tested Optima EX include 8-way adjustable heated/cooled leather seats with power lumbar support and driver side seat memory in the front, heated bench seats at the back, a heated leather wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, climate controlled glovebox for your beverages, USB ports and a pair of auxiliary input jacks, bluetooth, 8-speaker stereo by Infinity Audio, HD Radio, rear-camera display, auto-dimming mirror with Homelink & compass, rear camera display, and front door mood lighting.
But of all the gadgets and features fitted in the Optima, the party piece is undoubtably the panoramic roof top. The front roof-wide sunroof rises and opens simultaneously with another set of curtains sliding away to unveil a secondary glass at the back as light spills into the cabin to dramatic effect. Providing the cabin with an airy feel, it felt like it was time to take the car out for a spin and that was exactly what I did.
Pulling away, Kia Optima's 2.4 liter GDI 4-cylinder engine's 200 hp power output makes its presence gradually, building its power all the up to 6,300 rpm. Power is adequate and on-ramp launches for highway merging is a very safe and controlled affair. Committing a passing maneuver requires a short squirt of instant power and its encouraging to see the Optima rarely out of breath.
Once settled in, let the Optima sit in sixth gear at low revs on ECO mode and the car will feel most comfortable cruising along the freeway in a 70-75 mph pocket. According to the EPA ratings, the 2.4 liter GDI 4-cylinder delivers 24 mpg city and 35 mpg highway.
Whether sitting in traffic or cruising on the freeway, the six speed performed commendably and never suffered from shift shock. Although the gearbox comes with an optional Sportmatic sequential shift mode, I only found it amusing for no more than a minute before slotting in back to "D." As sporting as it may look, the Optima remains a four-cylinder midsize family sedan at heart.
Finally, I've saved ride quality for last, and for good reason. It was awful. Driving down the FDR Drive at about 50 mph, the Kia Optima was struggling to cope with the notoriously crater-sized potholes that New York City has become infamous for. In at least two occasions on the stretch, the Optima's suspension bottomed, slamming against the bushings and distributing the impact across the chassis.
Later that week, my family and I took off for a short day trip and after about two hours, I started to notice my father looking for irregularities on the road ahead in order to brace himself for imminent pothole impacts. Yes, the 'streetz' of New York City are harsh and unforgiving, but since I'm sitting in a 2012 Kia Optima EX, why can't I get to feel just a little coddled?
On a final note regarding ride quality, engine and wind noise isolation is really well controlled and the silence provided a sense of very high quality to the vehicle's fit and finish as well. Trim pieces don't rattle nor are there any peculiar vibrations invading the cabin. However, depending on surface treatments, tire noise tends to get quite intrusive and annoying.
The Big Picture:
A 2012 Kia Optima EX starts at $23,200. After being fitted with all the fancy toys and amenities, our tester was listed for a retail price of $28,300.
Considering its charming good looks, long wheelbase, ridiculously long list of interior equipment, and smooth and effortless powertrain, the Kia Optima is arguably the most entertaining per dollar vehicle in its class, which is an enormous advantage in such a price competitive market segment.
A similarly fitted Toyota Camry XLE with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine is priced at $31,030, nearly a $3,000 premium. What's more, the Camry is short on power output by 22-hp and does not come available with a panoramic rooftop either.
Unfortunately, despite the fine execution in so many categories, the Kia Optima's ride quality really lets it down and it pains me to not be able to recommend it.
I spoke about this issue with Chris, an independent fleet associate that picked up my tester. Though we quickly agreed that Kia had work to do in the suspension department, Chris mentioned that as the South Korean brand spearheads into the European market, we will soon benefit from the quality improvements necessary for the Kia line-up to handle with the narrow cobblestone streets of Europe's old cities.
