Kia Optima 2018 review: Si

[@1969cmp]

I just brought a demo MY16 Si with 6,000kms on the odometer. I flew to Darwin and drove it back to Alice. A week later drove it on a tour of Kakadu, Darwin, Litchfield, Katherine and back to Alice with a family of four on board. Thumbs up for highway cruising, comfortable, passing caravans and roadtrains was fuss free and fuel efficient. Every day of our tour which included darwin urban registered anywhere between 6.9 to 7.8kms/litre, with the worst figure from Katherine to Kakadu Aerora included an 80kms road trip to Gunlom gravel, deep dirt and corrugations 2WD road, which we found out later hadn't been recently maintain, "you would have been better off on the 4WD Magok road as that had been recently maintained". So back in The Alice and urban and suburban driving. Nice around town and I have ventured no where near the level of fuel consumption claimed by Kia, but much more frugal. But Alice is flat. I think this segment of cars, Optima, 6, Accord, Camry, Mondeo, Passat, ZB Commodore (LT-RS) etc offer particularly good value for money for a family or a smart minded single or coupkle that want more room than a hatch and better running cost than many SUVs. It would be a mistake to see this medium/large medium go the same way as the Falcon/Ozzydore/380. From me, my near new Optima gets a big thumbs up. And it turns heads around town, too.

[@mikephilpott7044]

Great review and road test.

[@caedom21]

As an old man, I take offense. I need that heated seat for my bad back 😏

[@1969cmp]

Gday Car Guide. Since the MY16 Optima onwards, how has the Optima faired from the point of veiw of ownership?

[@HuntaKiller91]

Way better than a camry imho

[@tabes10]

Should be reviewing the gt instead

[@1969cmp]

If the 2.4 was anywhere near as exciting as the GT, you wouldn't buy the GT. Just a point. 😉

[@emmanuelufot4947]

Kia is crazy. You have led headlights on a 2016 si and halogen on a 2018 🤦‍♂️who signed off on this?

[@swanblake]

Review seems to be a bit down on cars. At least that is what I took away from this review whether or not that was the reviewers intention

[@waelmkaouar396]

Sportage or Stinger >>>> Optima

[@tonyka1984]

KIA Optima should not be recommended in Australia at its current pricing. A Korean brand costing way more than the Toyota, Mazda or even Skoda. For a mid size standard sedan, a price of over 50k is not accepted.

[@vsboy2577]

Any car that is released with halogen lamps in this time of motoring does not derseve to be purchased.

[@1969cmp]

vsboy 25 Really? Surely reliability, function, suitability, running cost, you know - top shelf pointers.

[@swanblake]

vsboy 25 i guess you arent going to have alot of options. Some luxury cars dont even come with that strandard.

[@rsoul7282]

vsboy 25 genuine Kia LED headlamp $900, halogen bulb, about $4, sure mate, good luck with your crusade 👍

[@HuntaKiller91]

vsboy 25 halogen is way cheaper dude

[@vsboy2577]

crysisownz they are not sexy. A car at night should look sexy af .