Kia Optima Hybrid. Saving The World One Family At A Time!

Our world is falling apart at the seams and very few people seem to care. I won’t sit here and preach about Eco and Politics even though I want to. However this is Kia’s show and it’s going to be grand. I will however say that every little bit helps. Helping reduce tailpipe admissions is a nice step in the proper direction. If we teach our children at a young age to take care of our Earth, we might be able to make a difference in their future. Moving on, here is my review on my week with the Kia Optima Hybrid.

Recently I received a taste of the future with the advanced technology of the Kia Optima Hybrid. This vehicle has an electric motor and a lithium polymer battery which is the lightest hybrid battery available on the market at this time. The Optima Hybrid has the ability to kind of use an artificial intelligence to decide whether to put you into hybrid or EV mode. Now I’m not saying this thing is Jarvis from Iron Man so don’t get me wrong, but it’s pretty neat that you don’t have to manually decide what mode to use. I wasn’t a fan of the “stop n’ go” feeling but I assume you would get used to it. It really did feel like the car had turned off when I slowed down and it would panic me a bit. When you use the brakes, you are also charging the battery. It’s got a fancy screen where you can read all about the Eco friendliness of it all if you’re into that, which you probably are if you are considering buying one. And at 40mpg/hwy it’s not a bad buy.

First let me say that I love the Kia brand vehicles. Over in Korea they drive these cars into the ground. Americans are all about big and disposable because we are a wasteful nation. But other Countries understand the importance of sustaining materials. Therefore you can be pretty sure your Kia won’t fall apart in a year. They really are built to last. I had a Hyundai for years and it treated me with great respect.

The interior of the car was smooth. I laugh as I type because the song Smooth is actually on my iPod. But it’s true. The leathers were tightly stretched and I was confident my kids wouldn’t be able to tear them up or pick at them too quickly. The fabrics were breathable which is so important here in Florida. Never was I burned and never did I have anything stick to me or leave marks on my skin. That is a huge pet peeve. This fabric does have a design to it so I worried about that.

The dashboard and console area of the Kia Optima Hybrid is fancy, total Starktech type stuff going on here. I mean I felt far too uneducated to even begin trying to use the special features. It has a computer that doesn’t just have a GPS and Sirius satellite. It did other things too. I couldn’t check email or order pizza so I gave up. I highly recommend you all try though and please get back to me on what you find. I’m no Bruce Banner though so I’m not going to be embarrassed by this. It was impressive though, I could tell.

One thing that bothered me was the speedometer. For such a high tech car it should have had a digital speedometer. I didn’t appreciate the needle style and the vague numbers. I had a hard time figuring out my speed and my husband said he agreed. Maybe they can upgrade this next time?

Leg room in front and back was ample, no issues there at all. Okay I know what you are thinking, the Allport family is all under 5′ 6″ tall. You’re right, so we were sure to stick some Bodwell’s in there and they were comfortable so quit rolling your eyes. We know we’re short and I know how to do my job thank you very much. Also the car seats fit and someone could just about fit between them. It wouldn’t be comfy so don’t consider road tripping it that way, but you could ride to the movies or the bowling alley if necessary.

The trunk space was so/so but I think I’m spoiled since I have a van and a hatchback style vehicle. So maybe it was normal? I was unimpressed. It certainly wasn’t going to handle a double stroller and all my groceries, the beach bag from two weeks ago that I forgot about and some dog stuff that my husband found in the yard and didn’t want to bring back into the house.

I did get a flat tire on the second day with the car. No idea how it happened as it happened on the side of the tire. I don’t think it was my fault but I do have notoriously bad luck with my vehicle reviews. Kia Roadside Assistance was outstanding. Never before have I dealt with a Automobile Brand Roadside Program with such wonderful service. I’ve talked to 3 by the way. The gentleman who helped me was so worried for me even though I was perfectly safe and he went above and beyond for me. He even called to check up on the situation after it was out of his hands. I give them two very enthusiastic thumbs up. If you have to get into some type of vehicle mishap, do it in a Kia so you can work with these nice people.

All in all I had a very good experience with my Kia Optima Hybrid. Tim and I both need a new car. We’ve been talking about a more earth friendly vehicle for some time. I’d absolutely purchase one of these. I’m just not 100% positive we could pull off a sedan with two kids and a car pool situation and I know a lot of parents can understand.

*I received a Kia Optima Hybrid to review. All opinions are my own. I returned the car in great condition.