Holden Calais vs Kia Optima
What's the difference?

Holden Calais

$9,995 - $27,800

2018 price

View pricing & specs

Kia Optima

$14,670 - $22,990

2018 price

View pricing & specs

Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 6

Mercedes-AMG E63

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2018 Holden Calais

2018 Kia Optima

By Andrew Chesterton

By Matt Campbell

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

Inline 4, 2.4L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

9.1L/100km (combined)

8.3L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Plenty of cabin space
Safety gear on-point
Punchy V6

Very roomy
Great ownership plan
Decent price

Dislikes

Fuel use on the high side
Four-cylinder turbo petrol unavailable
Diesel not an option

Removed some good stuff to lower price
Not as good looking as pre-facelift model
A bit basic inside

2018 Holden Calais Summary

If Holden had a dollar for every time someone had criticised the new and international flavour of Australia’s formerly home-grown hero, it would surely have more than enough spare cash to blow the dust of that vast South Australian factory and restart local Commodore production immediately.

Hell, there’d probably be enough left over to relaunch the Camira while they were at it. And maybe even knock out a new Gemini or two.

So we’re not going to do that again here. The all-new Commodore, in this case the Calais Tourer, is now here - granted having travelled further than the one it replaces - and so we’ll be playing this review with the straightest of bats.

Because the truth is, if you peel the badging - and thus the swirling emotion - off its elongated rump, then you’ll find this German-built Tourer is, really and truly, a very good thing.

View full pricing & specs

2018 Kia Optima Summary

There are plenty of reasons why you should still consider a mid-sized sedan like the Kia Optima. I’m sure there are… just let me think about this for a sec…

Okay, so this part of the market is dying. A decade ago, sedans like this were really popular, but now there are heaps of alternative options. Yep, people are going for mid-sized SUVs rather than mid-sized sedans like this.

But that doesn’t mean models like the just-updated 2018 Kia Optima are without their reasons for being. I’m just not sure the facelift has made it more appealing to look at…

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2018 Holden Calais 2018 Kia Optima

Verdict

A best-of-both-worlds option that should have us questioning our SUV obsession, the Calais Tourer delivers plenty of practicality perks and a higher ride height in a dynamic and car-like package. The equipment levels are spot on, including the comprehensive safety package, and it you act smartly, you'll get a hugely long warranty to boot.

It sure is thirsty, though, and we can't help but think plenty of owners would be happier with a smaller, more-efficient engine.

Verdict

If you travel long distances, want a good amount of space and don’t want to pay big bucks for a new car, then yeah, maybe there is a reason sedans like this will hang around for a while longer.

Sure, the appeal of sedans mightn’t be as strong as it once was, but models like the Kia Optima prove they still have a reason to exist.

Holden Calais vs Kia Optima What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Calais vs Kia Optima
What's the difference?