2016 Kia Optima SX Turbocharged Snow Drive Review

Redesigned and rarin’ to go for a snowy trip in the Colorado mountains is a 2016 Kia Optima. For this test, we have the SX trim with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine under the hood, which outputs 245 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Running lightly at highway speeds, the 2016 Optima with the turbocharged four-cylinder engine can get up 32 mpg.

For its fourth generation, Kia designers followed a conservative, mildly evolutionary path. Front and rear styling touches, and softer-looking sheetmetal result in a design that has matured. Dimensions have grown in small increments and result is a longer, taller, and wider Optima. All this stretching and pulling gives Kia’s midsize sedan a slightly more spacious and noticeably more comfortable interior than before.

A car that thinks it’s smart by offering Smart Welcome and Smart Trunk features, the 2016 Kia Optima also includes niceties found on more upscale brands, such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, 360-degree view camera system, nappa leather, panoramic sunroof, rear window sunshades and xenon headlamps that turn in the same direction as the steering wheel.

On the TFL car scale of:
Buy it! Lease it! Rent it! or Forget it!

The 2016 Optima gets a strong Lease It! rating. The turbocharged engine performs like a trooper, the cabin is rich with features, and the traction control system does a great job without being too much of a nanny. A couple points are lost for louder than acceptable cabin noise and Kia’s conservative approach to the exterior design.

In this TFL car review, Nathan gets behind the wheel of the all-new 2016 Kia Optima and finds out just how well it handles the road, his family, and fresh fallen Colorado snow.

2016 Kia Optima SX Specs:

•MSRP: $29,690
•Price as tested: $35,515
•Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged DOHC 4-cylinder
•Power: 245 hp @ 6000 rpm
•Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 1350 – 4000 rpm
•Transmission: 6-speed automatic w/Sportmatic Sports Shifter
•Curb weight: 3,494 lbs. (no sunroof) / 3,594 lbs. (with sunroof)
•EPA-estimated fuel economy (city/hwy/combined mpg): 22/32/25
•Wheelbase: 110.4 in.

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KIA Suggests 2015 Optima Still Too Good To Pass Up

Even though the all-new 2016 Optima is already out, the previous generation model can still impress you thanks to its sporty design and punchy 2.0 liter turbocharged engine.

The story behind this spot is quite simple. Father goes to Kia and buys his daughter a new car for her birthday. Father is impressed with said car when driving back from the dealership. Father decides to get her a puppy instead and keep the car for himself because "it's a turbo".

Oh well, why didn't you say so? - should have been his wife's comeback at the very end. But seriously now, by no stretch of the imagination would it be impossible for a man to walk away that impressed with a car like this, especially since we're talking about the 2.0 liter 274 HP engine underneath that hood.

The 2015 Optima Turbo is available in SX Turbo & Limited spec and also happens to carry with it 364 Nm (269 lb-ft) of torque, which means that at no time will this car feel particularly slow to drive. It may not be BMW M5-fast, but for a non-premium saloon, it's more than respectable.

The model being shown in this video is the Optima Limited, which also comes with red front & rear brake calipers and LED front fog lights, helping you tell it apart from the rest of the versions. Oh, and the rear spoiler is a dead giveaway too, even though it has a very subtle design.

Overall the 2015 Optima is still an attractive car. When the new model came out, many said that they liked the old car better and surely there's a case to be made for it.

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