CAR REVIEW – 2016 Kia Optima EX Midsize Sedan #DriveKIA

I was provided with a week long test drive of the KIA Optima EX featured in this post, courtesy of DriveShop. This post has not been monetarily compensated. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own.

The KIA Optima is a mid-size sedan. The EX model that I drove had a very capable 2.4 L 4-cylinder engine. The automatic transmission performed quickly and smoothly. I had no problems getting up to speed, which is something I consider important in a car. Ever been getting ready to merge onto a busy highway and your car wasn’t, taking its sweet old time to get going fast enough to enter the lane? I have. It stinks. The ride on the 17″ alloy wheels was solid, meaning it didn’t start to shake when I hit 80 miles per hour. Which is something else I consider important. (Wink wink.) The fuel economy was very pleasing. With the model I drove averaging 35 miles per gallon on the highway, long road trips for family vacations would be quite a bit easier on the wallet. The estimated annual fuel cost for the EX is $1600. The ride in the Optima was quiet, with no outside noise from the road or weather, which made it super easy for me to enjoy the music.



As a music lover I have never found a vehicle that had too many speakers. The premium audio package in the EX features a Harmon Kardon QLS Premium surround system with bluetooth that pushes out 630 Watts through 10 Speakers. On one day that I was alone I cranked that stereo up. The music has a full sound, with speakers tucked seemingly everywhere. I didn’t see or hear anything vibrating as a result of the sound. (Don’t laugh, I have seen this in one or two other cars in the past.) Some of the commonly used controls for the AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo can be accessed from the steering wheel; all of them can be found in the center of the car behind the 8″ LCD display. For some reason I was not able to get music on my phone to play through the stereo, with the exception of through the Pandora app. I am sure had I read the manual I could have gotten it working. The backup camera video also appears on the display. I love the backup camera, more for safety reasons than actually driving.

The Optima EX has a lot of other features to help ensure the safety of you and your family. Blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, and rear parking assist are just a few of the tech safety features in the car. The car also has anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill-start assist control, and a tire pressure management system, as well as anchors and tethers for children’s car and booster seats. Air bags abound in the EX – dual front advanced airbags, front seat mounted side airbags, driver’s knee airbag, and full-length side  curtain airbags.

There are all sorts of warning lights in the dash, which will light up if certain problems occur. (None did for me.)


The seats were super comfortable, making them a great fit for both local errands as well as family trips. We’ve had some weird weather here in New Jersey lately, going from 35-40 degrees and snowflakes to 80 degrees within a couple of days. I appreciated that the front seats had both heating and cooling, as well as lots of legroom. Heated seats are great for cold days, but also for long trips when you’re a little sore from driving. Cooled seats are fantastic when it’s hot and humid out. The EX offers memory for the driver’s seat, whose position and lumbar support are both power adjustable. The leather, which extends ti the heated steering wheel and shift knob, gives the car a luxurious feel and look. I still think of size in terms of my 374 pound self from a few years back. I don’t like to feel closed in when driving and found the KIA’s cockpit to have plenty of room.
Seats aren’t the only thing that help you be comfortable inside of a car. Being able to control the temperature is a must. The EX model I had featured dual-zone automatic temperature control. The digital controls let both the driver and the passenger adjust the temperature to their liking. There were vents in the back seat as well, something I feel is a must.

The view from the back seat is pretty sweet when you open up the panoramic sunroof. It’s the type of roof that’s very handy when looking for clouds in certain shapes. Or looking at a beautiful sky. The 60/40 split bench seat back there can accommodate three (it’s a bit close back there if it’s three adults). I like that the rear seats fold down. This is perfect for those trips to the store when you buy something long (like the giant rakes that I bought today).

The back seat offers 35.0 inches of legroom. My youngest, who is 16 years old but on the small side, fit back there with no problem.

Don’t get me wrong, the trunk had a generous amount of space by itself. But, there are those times where you just need a little more length, which you can get by folding one (or both) of the seats. Speaking of the rear seat, the rear seats were heated in the model I drove, which is perfect for family outings. I don’t even remember how many times I took one of my kids to a sporting event or function while it was raining. Heated seats in the rear would have been so comforting on those days!

Folks in the rear will appreciate being able to charge and play with their devices by making use of the USB chargers and 12 volt outlet in the rear center console. I love it when a car has lots of ports, it’s so much more convenient than everyone trying to use the same port. The front seat has the same ports up front in the center console as well.



When you approach the KIA Optima EX, the car will detect your Smart Key. When this happens, the outside mirrors will unfold and the door lights will turn on. I like that the lights turn on, it’s sort of comforting when you’re alone at night walking to the car.
One of my favorite features in the car were the rear side window sunshades. I remember when my oldest was just a baby. It only took two days of driving him in my car to realize that the sun was blazing down onto him in the back seat. I ran from store to store looking for window shades. I did find some that attached with little suction cups, but they never stayed in place very long. Today, when my youngest is in the back seat, the sun shines down and sometimes makes it hard for him to see his iPod or DS. The KIA Optima’s built-in sunshades are just one of the neatest extras I have ever seen in a car.

The one thing I can say that I really don’t like about the car is the red interior lighting. Everything is red. My vision isn’t the greatest. I found the red to be a bit much, and at night it was actually quite blurry to me.
The 2016 KIA Optima EX model that I drove has an MSRP of $30,615. With Optimas available in four trim packages starting at $21,990, there’s a model for families with budgets of all sizes.
Learn more about the KIA Optima or find a dealer near you on the KIA website. You can also connect with KIA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

What sort of features do you consider important in a family vehicle?