2004 Kia Optima LX review from North America

The only problem so far was a brake job (seems kind of early for that already) and an issue with a front axle that was repaired by the dealer shortly after vehicle was purchased.

So, it's;

5k miles front axle failure (replaced by dealer)

30k miles full brake job (out of pocket expense)

I've noticed that many feel that the handling on this car is good. It has a reputation for great handling, but this is a misnomer. The steering is in fact very tight, but the handling is actually poor. Understeer and excessive body roll occur too frequently even when in anticipation of these issues. To clarify and reiterate; the steering is tight, but the handling is poor.

Road noise, as with all Kias, is excessive.

Visibility could have been better.

The clutchless shifting manual option is worthless. The transmission will downshift for you, disallow downshifting if it means high RPMs (even when not reaching redline), and is otherwise backwards by having the driver push forward to downshift and backwards to upshift. The driver is generally disallowed to skip gears or start from any gear higher than 1. This 'manual' shifting is designed in a way to make the driver think they are in more control of the vehicle and the shifting, when in fact they are not. Given the combination of these issues, this is a pointless option that I never use even though I prefer manual shifting...

I don't find that the Optima is very comfortable on long trips. I'm constantly having to change my posture and position in the car, along with making periodic stops to get out and wake up my numb legs. I don't have this problem in other vehicles.

Trunk space is adequate, but still smaller than the majority of cars in this class.

The 4 banger version is terribly underpowered. Even new the car drives like it has 180,000 miles on it with a vaccuum leak. Applying full throttle does make the car accelerate a little bit better, but this shouldn't be necessary.

As for the good on this vehicle; it has been very reliable, as it has not left me stranded, ever. Granted, it only has 38000 miles on it, but I've seen other mainstream vehicle that had spent months in the shop by the time they reached that mileage.

The warranty is above industry standards. I would like to point out to those that are considering a Kia that the 10y/100000mile warranty is not a 'bumper to bumper' warranty and only covers the powertrain (although powertrain repairs tend to be the most expensive). The full warranty is for a much shorter period of time, not to mention that second owners are not given the same protection as first time buyers (but this isn't all bad considering that other major manufacturers only give any warranty service to first owners).

The price is excellent for what you get.

The bottom line with these cars? You get what you pay for. Do not expect to pay 50-70% of a new car price and get twice the car. Kia is a budget buy, and their low price is at the expense of many other things. I'll never buy another one, but I'm certain that the Kia is a good choice for the right kind of consumer.