2006 Kia Optima EX-V6 from North America - Comments

Noticed vibration @ 8K miles, Dealer replaced front brake rotors. Problem has not resurfaced.

I get a lot of compliments on this car, Most don't know it's a KIA.

Cabin space is excellent (I'm 6'6") All controls are well placed and within reach of the driver.

The 6cd Infinity sound system has very good sound reproduction.

The auto climate ctrl. does a good job of keeping a steady temp.

The way the steering tracks on the hwy is excellent. Road and wind noise is mute. Engine sounds are distant and well muted @ all engine speeds.

Ride and handling are light years above the previous gen. Optima. Could use better(Michelin instead of Kumho) tires though.

The V6 has adequate power I thinks it needs a lot more hp and low end torque. Most will find it appropriate.

The 5spd Auto is slow to respond to a down shift and very quick to up shift.

The Sport shift function is also very slow to respond and needs to be redesigned for better operation.

I don't think a Camry/Accord/Altima is worth the money after driving/owning this car.

I reg. get 27 to 33 mg hwy (where I spend 98% of my miles) @ speeds of 70 to 90 mph. I see about 22 in the city (Philly area)

Thanks for a balanced review, but slow down.

You're going to kill somebody at 90mph!

Update : Current mileage 21536. The steering wheel vibration has returned and I had all four rotors machined. The car is also in need of a alignment (due more than likely to PA road conditions). Although I did have one performed @ 15687mi while on a road trip in VA. The sub-woofer for the Infinity sound system is causing a vibration/rattle in the parcel shelf when I listen to music @ a loud level and the pwr seat recline button is in-op. I will have those items repaired when I take it for the 22.5k service. I also will replace the stock Kumho Solus tires with some much better rubber as they leave a lot to be desired in the dry/wet grip dept. In the rain and going around corners the tires slide like there is ice on the road and taking off from a stop the tires spin like the car has a big V8 with 400 hp. Oh and when I do have to replace the brakes, I will upgrade to a better pad/cross-drilled rotor combo. Other than those issues listed above I'm very happy with my Optima and recommend you take a look at one. I hope it continues to give me good reliable service. I'll keep you updated.

Update: I went to find out how much this car is worth at a local KIA dealer for a possible trade on a new EX-V6 this time with the leather pkg, ABS, ESP and traction control. I was shocked to find out this car, which is in very good, if not excellent condition, is only worth around $11 to 12,000USD according to Manheim auction reports. That is Absolutely ridiculous. I was expecting somewhere in the $14 to 15,000 range. I guess I had to pay somewhere. I do still like my car, so much I considered another one. But after that disappointing visit to the dealer, It doesn't look like I will buy another one of these cars unless the resale value drastically improves. Now this looks like a keeper till the end!! Glad its not a bad thing, so far. I'll keep you all posted.

Re: Your experience thus far- since your Kia is slow to downshift, does that create a problem in stop-start traffic when the car does not slow down quickly enough?

How about the air-con, do you find it works well and if so upto what ambient temperatures?

You sound like you're very hard on your car. Sliding in turns, spinning the tires, going 90mph, listening to the music so loud it's causing rattles? Geez, take it easy! If these are the only problems you've had with the car, it's holding up well to your abuse. Don't plan on it lasting too long though. The Kumho tires are crappy though, I agree.

Just wanted to know how many speeding tickets ya have???

Well I totally agree with the reviewer. the tires spin on wet roads like it has a big V8 under the hood. Overall, it's a quiet car, has adequate power even with a 4 cylinder. One bad thing about this car is its front seats. I get a backache within 15 minutes of driving. Other than that it is a wonderful car.

About the resale value of these cars - you are right on here. I'm not saying that all KIAs are bad, but they really churned out some real junk some years back and this is why resale value is bad. Also this brand has an image problem which hurts resale value. But KIA deserves better even if these cars have some issues. We are quite happy Optima and Sedona owners. I mean even Camry owners have some issues with their cars so you have to be balanced when things go wrong on any car.

We have a five year plan for these cars and we will not trade in before that. If you are owning your car for a long time it's OK to buy KIA other vise stay away if you are swapping cars often.

OP here : In response to Mar 26 question. Yes the throttle/tranny response does create a problem @ times in stop and go traffic. It feels as if the throttle computer and tranny aren't timed right. I hope a TSB on that issue comes soon. The air con performance is very good even in 101 deg weather. In response to Apr 7th. I do not abuse my vehicle. I don't drive like grandmother or grandpop blocking the left lane @ 55 either. The speaker vibrated when played at 15 out of 35 (fixed under warranty by installing dampers on parcel shelf). Driving @ 80 to 90 is just every day life on I-95. The stock Kumho *were* the problem that caused all the sliding in the corners and tire spinning when wet. That has now been taken care via Pirelli. All maintenance requirements have been performed on schedule. I do take very good care of my vehicles keep them all till 130 to 150K/miles. I also drive 30+ k miles per annum. Haven't had a ticket since 6/2002! I still recommend this car to others and receive compliments about it. Overall I'm satisfied.

OP here. So far I can give a good long term assessment of this car. Current miles are around 53000. The car has so far held up very well. No major service issues thus far. The brakes make noise at times though. Inspection found that all pads were in spec. Will upgrade at replacement. All owners manual maintenance performed. Good decision after all.

I agree with the resale issues with these cars - they are driven low because America still doesn't believe they are quality...WRONG! Kia and Hyundai are still offering huge discounts at model year end, so it's better to buy a leftover and take advantage of the savings, because the new models don't pay much more at trade-in. Case in point: I bought a 2006 5-speed manual LX leftover for 12,700 out the door. I put BBS style wheels on it, drove it for 46K miles in under a year and half, and still got 9500.00 for a trade in. Not bad - just over 3K depreciation - the car practically paid for itself. Shop at the end of the year, enjoy a well-made reliable car, and laugh at all of the Honda and Toyota folks who paid through the teeth for a vehicle that is no better in build quality.