Kia Optima Hybrid Review

The 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid is ranked:

#19 in Affordable Midsize Cars

#17 in Hybrid Cars

 

Though reviewers say that the 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid has a handsome, high-quality interior, they note that other hybrid sedans offer better fuel economy and smoother transitions between gas and electric power.

The Optima Hybrid comes with a four-cylinder engine, an electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. Test drivers say the Optima Hybrid has sufficient power and accelerates adequately, but they complain that it doesn’t transition as smoothly between gas and electric power as its hybrid rivals do. The base 2014 Optima Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 36/40 mpg city/highway, which is good for a midsize car but lower than most hybrid competitors’ estimates. Test drivers say the Optima Hybrid has poised handling, though they note that other hybrids still handle with more composure. They write that the Optima Hybrid’s ride is fairly comfortable overall, though not quite as smooth as the non-hybrid Optima’s.

Automotive journalists like the handsome design of the Kia Optima Hybrid’s cabin, and they say it has high-quality interior materials and a long list of available features. Reviewers write that the Optima Hybrid’s front seats are comfortable. However, critics complain that headroom is tight in the rear seats, and the Optima Hybrid has a smaller trunk than most of its competitors. Standard features in the 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid include satellite radio, Bluetooth, a USB port, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control and a cooled glove box. Available features include leather upholstery, power-adjustable, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, Kia’s voice-activated UVO infotainment system, an Infinity audio system, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, a panoramic sunroof and a navigation system with an 8-inch touch-screen display.

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