2012 Kia Optima Hybrid review notes - AutoWeek
ASSOCIATE EDITOR SHERRICE GILSBACH: I love the looks of Kia vehicles these days, including the sporty styling this Optima offers. In my commute home and then back to work all in rush-hour traffic, I was able to get a good feel for the regenerative braking this hybrid doles out. Just as I've noticed in a slew of other hybrids, the brakes seem to grab on tight at first but then the car never really comes to a complete stop as soon as I'd like. The Optima Hybrid responded well, taking off quickly and promising there'd be more fun on tap had that other car not just completely cut us off. The interior was loaded, but still felt basic considering the finishes all the bells and whistles were cloaked in. I get that it's not trying to be a luxury car, just a well-equipped value option, but with that $32,500 price tag, the Optima is... The one feature I absolutely loved in this car was the heated front and back (outboard) seats and the heated steering wheel. Kia and Hyundai have been the most generous with these features in general. Since I didn't travel very far in the Optima Hybrid (about 30 miles for my roundtrip), there wasn't much room to assess fuel economy, but I do know there are hybrids out there that are easily surpassing the 36 mpg combined rating the. Source: autoweek.com
