2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review #kiareviews- Fun and Efficient!

I was super lucky to get to test drive the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid in Satin Metal/Black!

I drove it a little over 300 miles and never had to put gas in.  I drove it to work, to birthday parties, to church, to the grocery store and more.  It was so easy to drive.  The buttons were mostly intuitive and if I couldn’t figure them out, my son did.  Only once did we get the manual out to find out what a symbol meant!   The interior was so high tech, it was fun driving and watching all the cool graphics of the ECO functions.

Let me tell you more about this super efficient and fun car!

• 2.4L 4-Cylinder Hybrid Engine
• 6 speed sportmatic transmission
• 16″ tires with Alloy Wheels
• Airbags- Dual front advanced airbags, front seat mounted side airbags, full length side curtain airbags
• Anti-lock brakes
• Traction Control system
• Electronic Stability Control
• Hill-Start assist control
• Dual Zone auto temperature control and rear vents
• Sirius Satellite radio (3 month FREE subscription)
• Bluetooth Wireless Technology
• Driver’s seat power settings and lumbar support
• Push button Start with Smart key

Additional Features:

• UVO in vehicle Infotainment system
• Rear camera display
• Navigation system with back up camera and sirius traffic
• Infinity audio system
• panormanic sunroof
• power folding outside mirrors
• Driver’s Seat memory
• Heated AND Cooled front seats
• Heated Rear seats
• Heated Steering Wheel

10 year/100,000 limted powertrain warranty

5 year/60,000 limited basic warranty

Total Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $32,620

EPA Fuel Economy- 34 city mpg and 39 highway mpg

My like list:

• It’s stylish- nothing was sacrificed for fuel efficiency
• It’s very comfortable!  Heated and cooled seats in the front.  Heated seats in the back.  Living in New England, the heated seats are HUGELY popular! My son is very happy that he can have his bottom warm too!
• Power adjustable seat with memory.  Having chronic back pain, seat comfort is key.  I was able to find that sweet spot and save it.
• Dual climate controls- this is like hogging the covers at night!  My hubby likes it cool, I love ALL the blankets!  The climate controls even included ionized air filtration!
• LOVE THE BACK UP CAMERA!  It’s so much fun, I get spoiled when I get back in my car.  I love the color zones so you know how close you really are when you’re backing up.
• LOVE the smart key!  You only need to have it on your person, no buttons to push, no keys to insert, just push the button and go.
• It’s so quiet!
• The trunk was huge and had that fun pass-through from the back seat.  The kids got a kick out of putting toys back there.
• My son loved the panoramic sun/moon roof.  I loved how quiet it was.  It’s so rare that you can actually drive with the sunroof open and be able to hear the radio.
• The side mirrors folded in automatically and folded back out as you back up.  They also had the turn indicator on them which is a great safety/visibility feature.
• The Eco View that shows the car’s power system- switching between electric and gas was very “cool,” according to my son and his friends.  They not only liked the different views of the car, but they learned something too.  A picture is worth a thousand words!
• The back seat was spacious and comfy.  Three 10 year old kids fit back there with no problems.
• No only was the glove box illuminated, but it was cooled as well.  No need to worry about your chocolate bars melting in the summer.

My “Could be improved” list:

• It was so quiet sometimes I couldn’t tell if the car was running or not.  It was a little confusing at times.
• The back seat sat too low.  My son couldn’t see out the windows.  He said he could only see the treetops.  My hubby was kind enough to let him sit up front most of the time.
• I do a lot of driving and listen to books on CD.  I would have loved to have a multi-disk CD player.  I’m sure there is an option for that.
• I wish I could have kept it longer!  I didn’t realize I had a heated steering wheel.  It must have been one of those buttons that I didn’t think did anything.  I was wondering why the steering wheel wasn’t wrapped in leather like most cars.

 I highly recommend the Kia Optima Hybrid for a fun and efficient family car!  Want to test drive one or get a quote?  Click the graphic below!

 

 

Stay tuned for my Kia Sorento review coming soon!