#1 Cochran Automotive

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Walk Around

The 2007 Kia Optima doesn't stretch any styling envelope or add to the automotive design vocabulary. It does slip smoothly and unobtrusively into the mainstream of mid-size, mid-price sedans.

The Optima's face to the world could be that of any number of Asian-branded cars. A cleanly separated, geometrically proportioned grille fills the space between nicely sized headlights tucked into the upper corners of the fenders. A deeply shadowed air intake, with space at each end for the optional fog lamps, runs the width of the car beneath the bumper, which is smoothly molded into a one-piece fascia. Creases defining a gentle hood bulge draw the eye from the grille to the pillars at the sides of the windshield. The Optima's stance looks solid, with tires pushed to the corners to yield a track (distance between the tires side to side) equal to or better than the primary competitors, save the 2007 Camry, which it trails by a mere half-inch.

In side view, save for a hint of Audi in the hindmost quarter, the Optima could pass for, well, pick a middle-of-the-road, midsize car. A tape measure produces the same conclusion. Optima's wheelbase essentially splits the differences between the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion, although it's shorter by more than two inches compared to the Camry. In overall length (bumper to bumper), however, the Optima leans toward the tauter end of the scale, giving up from three to five inches to the others. A comparatively deep rear side door tends to mask this brevity.

Oddly enough, in terms of taillight shapes and overall perspective, the Optima's rear end strongly reminds us of a larger iteration of a Toyota Corolla built a decade or so ago. It's a balanced look, with clean and reasonably tight gaps and a fully integrated, molded-in bumper. Dual exhaust tips give of touch of visual pizzazz to the V6 Optimas.

If price were not the paramount consideration, we'd choose the optional 17-inch wheels. They fill the wheel wells more tightly and enhance the Optima's aggressively wide stance.

Interior

2007 Kia Optima

While there's nothing especially striking about the Kia Optima's exterior, the inside shows the occasional, if muted, spark. This sedan is loaded with thoughtful features, most executed in effective style. It's functional, roomy and in most respects, pleasing to the senses.

Instruments are basic but well presented, mixing a large, round speedometer and matching tachometer with bar-graph LED fuel and coolant temperature monitors. The Appearance Package adds a blue-tinted, faux electroluminescent speedo and tach that, while not quite Lexus grade, are nevertheless eye-pleasing upgrades.

Hard plastic trim sweeps smoothly across from door handle to door handle, with good-sized vents at each end of the dash and bracketing the center control panel. The climate controls are a paragon of finger- and glove-friendly knobs and buttons and an easy-to-read digital display. The stereo head is up top, where it belongs, but other than the volume and tuning knobs, the buttons and rocker switches fall short of the ease-of-use standard set by the climate panel below. Station presets, for example, are ganged, two to a rocker, requiring extra care to press the proper half for the desired station. An almost retro but welcome feature on the EX audio system is a cassette tape player, popular for books on tape. The uplevel aluminum trim should prove better at resisting the scratches common on coated plastic panels. There aren't a lot of pieces to the dash, either, and the seams mostly run horizontally. This should suppress tendencies for the pieces to loosen over time, which bodes well for keeping buzzes, squeaks and rattles minimized.

The driver's seat is more supportive than the front passenger seat, with a deeper seat bottom, although both are comfortable, with good upper side bolsters and modestly cupped bottom cushions. The rear seat is contoured more than many in the segment, which is fine for the two sitting closest to the doors, but not so fine for the occasional third person buckled into the center position. The Cloth upholstery feels durable, the not-quite-glove-soft leather equally so. Lights for the vanity mirrors are recessed in the headliner, instead of looking you straight in the eye from the visor.

Space? Rear seat legroom is up by fully an inch and a half over the 2006 Optima. It's better by an inch or so than the Accord and Fusion, but shy of the Malibu and Camry by a half-inch or more. In headroom, front and rear, the Optima tops all but the Accord, and loses here by only half an inch. In rear seat hiproom, the Optima reigns supreme, by at least an inch. Finally, while the 2007 Optima offers 1.2 cubic feet more trunk space than its predecessor, total volume of 14.8 cubic feet ranks near the bottom of the class. It betters only the Accord's 14 cubic feet, giving up a fraction of a cubic foot to the Malibu and Camry and a full cubic foot to the Fusion. On the positive side, articulated, gas-strut hinges leave the trunk opening clear and free of package-crushing goosenecks.

Other storage is respectable, with a glove box easily large enough to accommodate gloves plus the owner's manual, a cell phone and a radar detector; magazine pouches on the back sides of the front seatbacks; two cupholders in front and two in the fold-down rear center armrest, all with spring-loaded clips to brace a variety of sizes and shapes; a covered slot in the center stack good for garage door remotes and such; a smallish bin forward of the shift lever that'll likely collect as much dust as any truly necessary tidbits; fixed, hard-plastic map pockets in the front doors; and a deep center console with auxiliary power point and a groove to accommodate a cord with the top latched. On the EX, this console bin is capped with a bi-level lid, thoughtfully fitted with a pass-through between levels for power cords. One feature that looks promising but falls short is the little fold-out clip on the front passenger's

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