Our test Optima had the leather interior treatment, nicely finished to complement the rest of the interior and more durable than the standard cloth upholstery, which we have not seen. The interior also had genuine wood trim, though it was so overfinished that it and the imitation wood trim also used were difficult to differentiate, which one could suppose is a point in favor of the artificial stuff.
One surprise is the double-path console-mounted shifter: Alongside the standard quadrant's Drive, or "D," position is a lateral slot to a position marked with a " " and a "-" sign. Porsche drivers will recognize this as the layout of a Tiptronic, the manual shifting automatic transmission. One can either leave the transmission in "D" and drive normally, or move the lever to the " " and "-" slot and control the shifting manually. This particular system is built by Kia, but was designed by Porsche. It's available in the Optima now; the Sonata will get it later.
How smooth and quiet is the Optima's V6 engine? One of our colleagues got into an idling Optima and promptly tried to start it. It's really that polished, and the impression doesn't fade with the Optima underway. The engine quietly goes about its business, at least until it's given full throttle. Then it's still smooth but it can be heard sonorously churning out power.
With only a score more ponies than the four-cylinder engine, we'd still recommend the V6 to all but the most penurious. In comparison, the V6 suffers about 1 mile per gallon in both city and highway driving and develops only 10 pounds-feet more maximum torque, but, and we're saying this without having driven the four-cylinder, it's worth it in smoothness alone. The rather large four-cylinder engine almost certainly will not be as smooth as this smooth V6.
The automatic transmission is a good match for the engine, shifting imperceptibly in normal driving or at full throttle, when left to its own devices or shifted Tiptronically. Tiptronic technology seems superfluous on this car, however. While the added control is appreciated, it will rarely be used by the typical owner of this car, which doesn't lend itself to the sporty pretensions that Tiptronic encourages. Still, it's useful and entertaining on winding roads and in heavy traffic.
Kia tuned the suspension for comfort, not handling. That doesn't mean a floaty, imprecise ride. Indeed, hustling down some California backroads between Sonoma and Bodega Bay, the Optima displayed remarkable poise over bumps and lumps in mid-corner, its track not diverted by bump steer. There's considerable understeer, however, which should keep the expected driver of the Optima safe and secure. Pushing the Optima, however, is a lot of work and although the Michelins never complain, even sports-minded drivers will dial back a notch to let the Optima operate in its comfort zone, which is what the Optima does best.
Kia engineers have managed to filter out most road and tire noise, but there's a ruffle of wind noise from the top of the windshield. It's not particularly loud, so our hearing it may be more a result of everything else being so quiet. At highway speeds, conversations between front and back seat were easy at normal speaking volume.
Kia Optima began trickling into dealer showrooms in early December 2000, with limited availability through March 2001; after that they should be readily available.
Kia Optima excels at providing transportation at a reasonable cost. Don't expect the name Kia to be the talk around the water cooler, but your monthly payment will be something to talk about, especially in conversations that include the warranty, the roadside assistance plan, and all the standard features. Even more worth talking about is the smooth, quiet ride.
