Forget the two generations of the Optima that preceded the outgoing model; it was the 2011 Optima that was Kia’s
big break in the U.S.—the model with which the brand really blew past
an era of forgettable, derivative mainstream attempts and found its own
style.
One year it was barely competitive on
anything but price, then the next year it was right in the heart of the
mid-size sedan market, with engine technology a notch ahead of many
rivals, an awesome feature set, and voluptuous styling that made this
model a head-turner.
As we report in our full
review of the 2016 Optima, Kia has made its mid-size sedan better in
every way. It’s better-driving, more refined, and fuller-featured, all
while keeping its status, at least in its more affordable trims, as one
of the best value-for-money picks on the market—but maybe not quite the
radically different head-turner its predecessor was.
As we’ve found now over several first-drive opportunities, the new Optima is simply a much better drive than
before, either in its base 2.4-liter or high-performance 2.0T versions.
In LX and EX models, powered by the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated
four-cylinder engine. Kia’s done a great job in tuning this engine to
feel more confident with the six-speed automatic transmission; it’s
plenty quick for most needs.
Above
that, in SX and SXL models, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder
engine has a different turbocharger than before, and it spools up far
quicker, offering almost no lag now and producing its peak torque of 260
pound-feet at just 1,350 rpm. Horsepower is down to 245, but we’re
willing to forgive that for a far less peaky, more responsive engine—and
the automatic also works really well here, with steering-wheel shift
paddles provided.
While
we wouldn’t call the Optima one of the sportiest entries in its class,
it rides and handles better than the previous version; thanks to a new
suspension geometry that moves mounting points outboard, with new
bushings, and revamps spring-and-damper settings, the Optima feels
simply better composed; it’s more compliant over minor bumps yet less
bouncy over harsh impacts, and in SX guise we think it has one of the
sweetest ride-versus-handling compromises in its class.
More pleasant in every way
The 2016 Optima is simply a very pleasant car to
spend time in. Front seats have improved, with more thigh support, and
the driving position’s definitely better than before. The passenger no
longer has to be less comfortable, either, as throughout the model line
the front passenger seat is height-adjustable. All models have
split-folding rear seatbacks—a feature Honda doesn’t think mid-size
shoppers want—and by the way, to tear down another affordable-car
compromise, there are no steel wheels and hubcaps in the lineup.
Once underway, the most surprising part of your Optima driving impression might just be how quiet this model is. Kia has
finally properly addressed—to an extreme—the former Optima’s cabin road
noise issues with loads more padding and everything from special
acoustic laminated front-door windows and new engine mounts to more dash
and under-body.
It
certainly feels far quieter and a bit more forgiving over pockmarked
roads, yet we think the Optima handles better, too. There’s more give,
and definitely plenty of lean built in, but also seemingly more grip,
and the Optima loads and unloads confidently in tight esses. Steering
weighting is worlds better than it was when the last-generation Optima
was new; it now builds weighting in a mostly even, predictable way and
tracks well on center, across the wide range of models we drove. Keep in
mind, by the way, that the SX and SXL models include rack-mounted
electric power steering system that Kia considers superior for
enthusiastic driving over the column-mounted EPS unit in other models.
Luxury-car ambience, frugally
Considering
all this comfort and fluency with the road, the Optima manages find a
luxury-car ambiance that was mostly foreign to this nameplate before—and
in top-trim SXL models, with their Nappa leather upholstery,
ventilated front seats, heated back seat, heated steering wheel, and
14-speaker sound system (essentially lots of great hand-me-downs from
the premium Cadenza sedan), it’s either an over-the-top $37k Optima or an interesting counter to luxury-brand models.
For
most buyers’ needs, we’d probably recommend the EX 2.4-liter model, for
its upgraded look, with blacked out pillars, LED tail lamps and
positioning lamps, and projector headlamps, plus things like automatic
climate control, rear vents, rapid-charge USB ports, a heated steering
wheel, heated front seats, and seat memory settings. And the Optima now
gets both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, which lets you
run a wide range of apps from your smartphone, using the Optima's UVO
touch screen and other voice and toggle shortcuts.
Next year there’s a new Optima Hybrid on the way, and based on what we’ve seen (and experienced) of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid,
we have some great expectations of this revamped high-mileage model.
But now there’s another more mileage-minded pick in the lineup—the
Optima LX 1.6T, with a 178-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbocharged
direct-injection four-cylinder engine and seven-speed dual-clutch
transmission (DCT).
1.6T drivability is the only fumble
The
1.6T, which feels surprisingly strong and makes its peak 195 lb-ft at
just 1,500 rpm, has a lot of potential, but the tuning of the DCT makes
it feel like an ordinary automatic most of the time, with slurred,
rather delayed shifts on acceleration—even in Sport mode, nothing as
vivid and crisp as what you’ll find in Volkswagen’s cars with DSG, or
Acura’s TLX and ILX with their dual-clutch ‘box. As you approach a tight
bend in a two-lane country road and ease off the gas, you’ll need to
remember to pull the shift lever over to the manual gate and downshift
ahead of time, lest the setup will upshift by itself and offer up a
confused delay when you get back on the gas.
Likewise,
the DCT seems to be off a beat in low-speed city use—especially on
slight hills—with crude, difficult-to-modulate creep when you need to
gingerly shimmy into a parallel-parking spot.
On
the upside, the mileage we saw from the 1.6T looked impressive; and
with EPA ratings of 28 mpg city, 39 highway, the potential is there
(with a light right foot) of getting compact-car mileage from a spacious
mid-size sedan.
Although
we think Hyundai’s tuning of the 1.6T/DCT combination leaves more to be
desired (Kia’s version is definitely sportier, just still not crisp
enough), we think that the closely related Sonata Eco, and the way it’s packaged as an efficiency-focused model, might better align with expectations.
More nuanced and elegant, though hardly bolder
And that leads to an important point. The Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima are
closely related. And they appear to be a even more closely aligned in
their recently revamped versions, for 2015 and 2016, respectively. The 2016
Kia Optima, especially from the outside, feels better looking—far more
nuanced, and a bit more elegant, for sure—but not striking out into any
new design territory.
Kia and Hyundai officials
will go to great lengths to outline how their respective models are
different—and in all fairness, they are assembled in different
locations, with some key differences in their supply chains; yet they
share core architectures, engines, and even looking at these two models,
the essential walk-up of models in the lineup. The entire field of
mid-size sedans has entered a period in which it’s becoming increasingly
difficult to discern the differences in design, features, and even
handling between models; so we hope these two models preserve their core
differences.
Identities
aside, Kia has nothing to worry about here. It’s taken the model that’s
pushed the brand’s sales to new heights, outselling nameplates like the
Volkswagen Passat and Chrysler 200 on a model basis, and made both the
2.4-liter and 2.0T versions better than their predecessors in every
possible way. They might not be game-changers in the same way, but
they’re on top of their game.
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