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The Optima used to be a
strong value leader among family sedans. When looking at its reasonably
comfortable and quiet ride, solidly built interior, and very low pricing, it
was relatively easy to excuse its lack of power and sloppy handling. But now there
are far superior vehicles available at comparable or better prices. An
upcoming redesign should make the Optima a much more competitive vehicle in
the current market, but right now there are better choices.
The Optima has a very
soft ride that is generally absorbent and comfortable, but gets floaty at
highway speeds. This soft suspension allows for excessive body roll and a
generally clumsy feel in fast cornering, and the slow, lifeless steering does
not improve the car’s feel. The 2.7-liter V6 offers mediocre performance even
in this group that includes many 4-cylinder models, though it is at least
reasonably smooth and fairly quiet (except under acceleration). Wind noise is
well-suppressed, but rough pavement induces excessive road noise. Fuel economy
is mediocre even for a V6, and is quite disappointing considering the car’s
unimpressive acceleration.
Inside, the Optima’s
front seats are comfortable enough, though the cushion is too low, flat, and
short, and could be a bit firmer as well. There is no excess headroom either
with the sunroof that is standard on high-end models. The rear is adequately
comfortable on a fairly large (though flat) cushion, though there is little
foot space beneath the front seats. Interior quality remains a strong point,
the high-quality trim pieces are assembled very well throughout the car, and
the dash looks more upscale than most like-priced competitors. The instruments
are well-placed and easy to use, but the gauges could use additional contrast.
The rather low roof and small rear door opening complicate entry/exit.
Visibility is good, but drivers sit either too close to the pedals or too far
from the steering wheel, which a telescoping option could solve if it were to
be made available. The trunk is neither roomy nor well-shaped to adequately
accommodate bulky items.
The Optima did not excel in crash testing. It
earned four stars for both the driver and for the front passenger in the NHTSA
frontal crash test, and four stars for the driver and four for the rear
passenger in the NHTSA side crash test. It was only Acceptable in the IIHS
offset crash test, and Poor in the side crash test. Its head restraints were
Poor as well.
The Optima reviewed here came fully loaded
with every available option at $20,218. That includes standard
torso-protecting side airbags with a head-protecting extension, a sunroof, and
automatic climate control, as well as the optional leather seating, antilock
brakes, power seats, and CD changer. Curtain-style head-protecting side
airbags, traction and stability control, and heated seats are among the
unavailable features, and are increasingly available on the Optima’s
competitors.
Overall, the Optima no
longer stands out in this class even as a value alternative. The Hyundai
Sonata, with which it formerly shared its platform and engine, was recently
redesigned and vastly improved. It raised the bar for value-priced midsize
sedans, and several other superior competitors now sport comparable pricing
and/or more available features. There are better choices.
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