2013 Kia Optima Reviews

Graham Smith reviews the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Kia Optima as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Kia Optima as a used buy.

June 30 is D-Day. The end of the financial year is the best time to buy a new car because there are always special deals in showrooms. As carmakers and dealers aim to clear their outdated stock, Toyota uses a June push to cement its showroom leadership. Some of the special deals are on cars that have done demonstrator duty, or were built in 2012, or are just not selling as well as expected. So they're not the tastiest fruit in the bowl.But there is great buying across the board as demand for new cars fuels one of the longest growth periods in motoring. The bottom line is that you can save money -- and lots of it. So here's a look at the June sales, with Carsguide's assessment of the best deals on wheels.CITROENThe new importer is pushing hard so the Aircross SUV starts at $31,990 drive-away front-wheel drive or $33,990 with AWD, a saving of $3800. There's $5000 off the C4 Seduction turbo diesel auto hatch at $25,990. Carsguide says: The Aircross isn't great, but the C4 discount is tasty.FORDThe death notice for the Falcon and Territory has not helped buyer confidence but a 2.9 per cent finance push on Fiesta and Focus still looks good. The superseded Kuga SUV from $31,990 drive-away is a $10,000 saving. You can save about $3000 on a 2012 Escape SUV from $27,990 drive-away.The Territory gets a $6500 tickle, the TX seven-seater at $38,490 drive-away (third-row seat usually costs $2500). The impressive Mondeo liftback starts at $29,990. Good buying on Falcons, thanks to the arrival of the VF Commodore, from $33,990 and better if you haggle.HOLDENAs the VF Commodore creates queues, the outgoing Z-Series starts at $34,990 with five years' warranty and roadside assist. That also applies to the SV6 at $35,990 and the Cruze SRi and SRi-V at $23,490 and $26,990. Last year's Barina CD hatches are $15,990 drive-away with a sunroof. The Colorado is $39,990. Hard to see past the excellent Cruze SRi.HONDAClipped prices and free on-roads. The City VTi sedan is $17,990 and the (slightly) more lavish VTi-L automatic version starts at $21,990. The bigger Civic sedan is being cleared from $21,990. Free auto on the Jazz VTi at $19,990. The Civic is worth a look at $2500 off.KIAFree on-roads, discounts and $1000 gift vouchers on many models. A five-door Rio S is about $3K off at $15,990 drive-away with a $500 gift card; the three-door Rio is $14,990 and the five-door Si is $18,990. Runout Cerato TD sedans start at $17,990 for the S, saving about $5000, the Si sedan is $23,990 and hatch at $17,990. All get a $1000 gift card. Cerato SLi and SLS have drive-away pricing but miss the gift card. All Optimas have free on-roads. A 2012-build Optima Platinum is $37,990, saving about $4000 with a $1000 gift card. Most Sportage SUVs include on-roads and a $1000 gift card. Carnival and superseded Rondo pricing is drive-away. The Sportage diesel and Optima are top-notch.MITSUBISHIThe manual Lancer gets an old-school value pack on the Special Action Model for $19,990 drive-away. The Mirage is $12,990 drive-away for the ES manual, with a $500 cash-back that also applies to the auto.Driveaway prices also for the compact ASX at $24,990 for the 2WD manual, the Outlander LS 2WD auto at $29,990, Pajero GLX-R auto at $54,990 or $59,990 for VRX. Both come plus $3000 cash-back, saving about $6000.The Triton ute is now tackling Great Wall from China at $19,990 drive-away for a GL single-cab 2WD with alloy tray, or add luxury for a GLX dual-cab 4WD diesel at $31,990 drive-away with $2000 cash-back, saving about $14,000. The utes look good at those prices.NISSANA 2.9 per cent finance package, with agreed value after three years, makes the Pulsar ST sedan look good at $49 a week or $19,990 drive-away. The X-Trail ST 2WD petrol manual cops a $4000 reduction to $25,990 drive-away, while the Navara RX 4WD dual-cab manual is cheaper than ever with a $9500 cut to $30,990 drive-away. The Pulsar sedan deal is attractive.OPELThere are drive-away deals across the range. The basic Corsa is down by about $2500 to $16,990 drive-away, the Astra is from $22,990 drive-away for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol hatch with three years of free servicing, saving about $5500. The top-line Insignia sedan is from $39,990 drive-away with heated leather seats. The Astra is easily best of this breed.PEUGEOTFree on-roads at Peugeot on most models but not the cool new 208. The 4008 SUV cops a $1500 saving from $29,990 drive-away and there are deals on the outgoing 4007. Nothing to see here.RENAULTA Koleos from $26,990 drive-away looks even better with interest-free finance. The Megane hatch is from $22,990 drive-away with finance pegged at 1.9 per cent. The slow-selling Fluence and Latitude sedans are available with 2.9 per cent finance. The Megane CC convertible goes from $43,990 including on-roads. The sporty Clio RS is from $34,990 drive-away and the hotrod Megane RS has 2.9 per cent finance.Commercial deals start with the short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol manual with dual sliding doors from $20,990 drive-away, moving up to the Trafic short-wheelbase manual for $29,990 and the long-wheelbase manual for $32,990, while the Master large van starts from $46,990 drive-away. There's a five-year/200,000km warranty on all light commercials ordered in June. Hard to argue against a $3000 bonus on the Koleos but stocks are tight.SUBARUDrive-away pricing -- for savings of $3000 to $4000 -- is the bait, with Impreza pricing from $23,990 (excluding the WRX, of course). The Tribeca from $54,990 now includes on-roads but you need to visit a dealer to get the full story. Nothing outstanding.SUZUKIThe front-drive SX4 gets a Navigator pack with voice-controlled 6.6-inch satnav with Bluetooth for $19,990 drive-away for the manual and $21,990 auto. That also applies to the 2WD auto Grand Vitara at $29,990 drive-away, including reversing camera and satnav with Bluetooth. The Alto GL manual also gets satnav for $11,990 drive-away for the manual, with the Swift GL manual at $17,490 drive-away including cruise control and Bluetooth. The Grand Vitara is a polished piece.TOYOTAThere's 2.9 per cent finance on Aurion and Camry with the Camry Altise looking best at $29,990 drive-away. Other drive-away deals include $15,990 for the Yaris YR five-door, $21,490 for the Corolla Ascent automatic, $39,990 for the Kluger KX-R 2WD five-seater, $60,990 for the Prado GXL turbo diesel auto and $39,990 for the HiLux SR 4WD dual-cab ute. The right time for the cabbies' new favourite, the frugal hybrid Camry.VOLKSWAGENDrive-away pricing on passenger cars and zero finance on commercials. The Polo is $16,990 on-road, the Jetta is down to $25,990 and the Passat $36,690. The Polo is Carsguide's 2010 COTY.VOLVOFuel and servicing for three years or 60,000km plus roadside assistance. There are conditions -- with a pre-paid BP card based on 15,000km a year and $1.50 a-litre pricing -- and the latest V40 hatch is excluded. Clever twist on bargaining but a pity it doesn't apply to the V40.Paul Gover's 10 COMMANDMENTSYou must still do your homework. You must still check the fine print. You must still be prepared to haggle and compromise.But do it right, crunching the numbers and running right to the dealer's deadline, and you can drive away in something special at a special price.The starting point is all the deals, from sticker specials to cheap finance and steak knife-style free extras, being offered by most of the 60-plus brands in showrooms today.If something you want is on special, go for it. But check that the car was built in 2013, and is not a geriatric old-timer from 2012, and ensure your target is exactly what you want - not a stripped-out stocker, perhaps missing an automatic gearbox - that will cost thousands to get the way you want it.Once you lock down a target, don't think the advertised special is the end of the deal. You also need to negotiate for a better price on delivery and on-road costs, and avoid the trap of buying over-priced extras such as paint and upholstery protection, window tinting and extra-long warranties.No-one can expect to go into the ring with a showroom professional and expect to win, because buyers only get a new car occasionally and sales staff are dealing every day. But, by concentrating on the real bottom line - the changeover price - and being prepared to compromise, you can come out ahead.The best tips are the simplest. Run as close as you can to June 30 to sign the deal and get the car, because dealers are all aiming for targets that can mean tens of thousands in bonus money from headquarters. Also be prepared to take a car they have in stock, even if it's not your favourite colour, because dealers are aiming to clear everything they have on the lot.And have your finance in place before you arrive, especially if you're taking up a special deal, because that makes things quicker and you'll also be spared any hassle and potential extra costs.Watch out for 2012 cars because the warranty clock has already been running, don't forget that a big discount today will also mean less at changeover time, and remember that a demonstrator car could have had a hard life already. 

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering -- would you buy one?This is the recently revised Kia Optima medium size four door sedan, the good looker that nails it in styling terms putting Kia above much more fancied players in the car game.It's on the larger side of medium and seats five in relative comfort - with a big boot and the facility of a four door sedan body. Though selling at a steady rate, Optima lifted Kia right up there as soon as it appeared. Good value, great looks, acceptable performance and impressive dynamics.The mid-spec' Optima SLi we drove goes for $34,990 and is a sister ship to the Hyundai i45 that was discontinued due to lack of interest a few months ago.Heaps of them: Camry, Mazda6, Mondeo, Accord, Pug 508, Liberty, Kizashi.Power comes from a 2.4-litre, direct injection, variable cam timing, petrol four cylinder good for 148kW/250Nm output. Drive goes to the front wheels via a six speed auto.Really well, not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination but competent and efficient offering plenty of poke off the line, in the middle and right up to the higher rev range. Can become a tad noisy when worked.Rated at 7.9-litres/100km of regular unleaded but we achieved better than that on a long freeway run.Reasonably so.Five stars plus other safety kit.Excellent ride/handling compromise thanks to local input. Wheel/tyre package changed on this model with higher profile sidewall tyres bringing more compliance, higher comfort levels for everyday driving. Slightly toned-down wheels still look pretty cool though. Best satnav in the business.No complaints at all. The auto makes smooth slick shifts and almost predicts the driving conditions. Stability control stays on too long. The engine has enough kick for most applications and the Optima actually feels engaging to drive. If only all carmakers carried out as high a level of local calibration.All things considered yes. Generous kit including cruise, 7-inch colour TFT info screen, trip computer, alloy pedals, multiple storage options, excellent audio, Bluetooth phone and audio, some driver assist features like hillstart assist and reverse camera, auto dim rear view mirror, cornering lights and speed sensing auto door locks.Absolutely on the short list. You'd be mad if you didn't.

With an attractive design and plenty of perks, Kia’s Optima Platinum looks to be a great, stylish family sedan, with plenty of creature comforts inside. But with all the attention to the appearance, has the drive been compromised? The Optima Platinum 2.4-litre petrol comes in at $38,790, with ABS, ESC, HAC, sat nav, seven-inch full touch colour LCD screen, 18-inch alloy wheels, full size alloy spare, rear view camera with mirror display and parking guidelines, smart key with push button start, leather trim seats, eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, paddle shifters, panoramic sunroof, leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise and audio controls, 12-volt power outlets, cooling glove box, iPod compatibility, Bluetooth, external amp, centre speaker, sub-woofer, and dual-zone climate control.The front-wheel drive, six-speed automatic Optima produces 148kW @6,300rpm and 250Nm@4,250rpm. The official fuel combined is 7.9L/100km, urban is 11.2L/100km. We found 6.9L/100km on the motorway, 10.6L/100km fuel combined, and a startling 14.9L/100km urban.From the black chrome Schreyer radiator grille, to the sports bumpers, dual chrome tip rear muffler, and tinted glass, the Optima looks strong and sporty. Internally alloy pedals, alloy door scuff panels with illumination, paddle shifters, and leather-trimmed seats add to that feel. The dash is tilted toward the driver, and while that may make sense in the driver’s ability to access the sat nav, it does make the dash feel lopsided, forcing front passengers to reach around to access controls.This mid-size sedan has comfortable seats all around, and the middle seat flips down to an armrest with cup holders. The boot provides a good 505 litres of storage. Folding the back seats down gives you more room, but the functionality is limited by the small opening in the back panel, making it hard to slide large objects in through the boot.The Optima looks good, and along with the Platinum’s addition of a panoramic sunroof, ventilated driver’s seat, and front seat warmers, there are plenty of perks.The Optima has an impressive five-star ANCAP safety rating, with ABS, ESC, HAC, driver and front passenger, front side, and curtain SRS airbags, side door impact beams, active front headrests, and impact sensing auto door unlocking.The Optima has plenty going for it, it has a great external design, comfortable interior, and it’s about ready to check all the boxes, but somewhere along the way they compromised drivability for comfort. Bumps are smooth, cornering is stable with good grip, but our main gripe is how poorly the Optima handles in wet weather. Even with ESC engaged, we were struggling to gain traction during an afternoon summer storm.For the look of the vehicle and the 148kW and 250Nm you’d expect a bit more oomph, but the Optima feels heavy. Paddle shifters give you that extra sports feel, and the quicker manual gear changes helps alleviate some of that sluggish feel.Blind spots in the front, sides, and back are partially reduced by the parking sensors, but without them tight parking spots would be difficult. It was a shame the driving wasn’t sharper overall. Like we said, the Optima has a lot going for it, it’s a looker, but needs some fine tuning in the drivability. For a drive that matches the level of design, you may have to wait for the Optima Turbo to hit our shores.A well-designed, comfortable sedan that unfortunately doesn’t drive quite as well as it looks.