The 2014 Kia Optima offers great space, useful features and incredible value all built into a sharp looking automobile. This four door sedan will turn heads and garner many comments about its sporty and sleek exterior and when you tell them it’s a Kia they will shake their heads in disbelief. Although Kia first started as an economy brand automaker, they have come a long way since and now offer amazing quality vehicles while keeping their economy brand pricing.
Priced starting at $24,795, the mid-sized 2014 Kia Optima sedan is the perfect example of this modern-day marriage of luxury and value. When fully loaded, the 2014 Kia Optima comes equipped with features usually only found on luxury vehicles, such as heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, rain sensing wipers, panoramic sunroof (front and back) and many more.
The 2014 Kia Optima comes equipped with three different engines. The most popular being the standard 2.4L four cylinder engine outputting 192 horsepower, while performance enthusiasts might opt for the SX Turbo model with the 2.0L four cylinder turbo engine churning out 274 horsepower and the fuel savvy driver may opt for the hybrid model containing the 2.4L four cylinder hybrid electric engine with combined 199 horsepower. All engines are paired to a 6 speed automatic transmission, with the SX Turbo having close gear ratios to improve response time and acceleration.
The 2014 Kia Optima fuel economies are decent for a car of its size with the base model engine averaging 9.5 L/100km, the SX Turbo averaging 10.6 L/100km and the hybrid averaging 7.1 /100 km on approximately 300 kms or combined city and highway driving. I feel there is still much room for improvement on both the base model and hybrid engines fuel economy numbers.
The base model 2014 Kia Optima drives as to be expected – enough power for typical drivers, but sluggish and slow for spirited drivers. The SX Turbo is the car for the feisty driver with speedy acceleration and a responsive engine. The 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid is quite slow to respond to acceleration, especially when the gas engine is off. The overall drive of all models is a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride at both city and highway speeds. I did notice a bit of wind noise from leaks at higher speeds, but overall the cabin does a great job of keeping the noise levels low and the passengers comfortable.
The award winning design of the 2014 Kia Optima really shines through with its sleek and sporty looking exterior. The dual exhausts, side skirting, fog lights and chrome trim all create an aggressive looking yet refined exterior. The interior of the cabin is equally as well designed with a well laid out dash, efficient storage areas and the use of good quality materials. The efficient dash is built with the driver in mind making navigation an easy task with buttons in places one would expect.
All in all, I continue to be impressed by the vehicles Kia produces and the 2014 Kia Optima is a great choice in the mid-sized sedan category, offering useful features, award winning design, a spacious luxurious interior and technological features all for a great starting price of $24,795. I would suggest dropping all prior opinions of Kia vehicles and take a 2014 Kia Optima for a test drive to see how far they have come.
