Kia Optima

Blair

http://www.carzone.ie/search/KIA/Optima/PLATINUM/36613706110608380/advert?channel=CARS

Anyone have much experience with these cars or have much of an option on them?
Took the one in the link above for a test drive and have to say I was very impressed, drive was nice, lots of extras, suspension not to hard not to soft. Great power out of the 1.7 engine, she’s not bad to look at either.

Would you be mad to buy it?

ba_barabus

No I think its a lovely car. Reminds me of the very last Saab 95's

Stallingrad

Hate those wheels, apart from that it's an attractive package.

goochy

ba_barabus wrote: »

No I think its a lovely car. Reminds me of the very last Saab 95's

Is that a gud thing ? !

goochy

Thought there would be loads sold when saw them first but they are a rare sight in the south of the country whatever about rest of country ! New Mazda 6 looks very well ! Classy looking

ba_barabus

goochy wrote: »

Is that a gud thing ? !

I think so. The interior especially so. I'm talking about the very last 95 launched in 2010

circadian

Was in Airside a few months ago and the Kia dealer was driving one at the time, said he loved it.

They were literally everywhere in Korea.

ba_barabus

goochy wrote: »

Thought there would be loads sold when saw them first but they are a rare sight in the south of the country whatever about rest of country ! New Mazda 6 looks very well ! Classy looking

I think the reason is it's slightly more expensive than the Hyundai i40.

Then again it has a slightly longer wheelbase which sadly means it has slightly higher emissions

goochy

ba_barabus wrote: »

I think so. The interior especially so. I'm talking about the very last 95 launched in 2010

Oh yes forgot about that model ! Yes they look well there are a few on carzone but over € 25k risky buy and were not supposed to be good to drive either !

R.O.R

Cracking engine, plenty of toys but hated the seats.

Was glad I didn't have to drive it too far or for too long. Heated rear window also interfered with the radio reception.

Really wanted to like it but really didn't.

colm_mcm

Alan partridge has one in the upcoming film

ba_barabus

colm_mcm wrote: »

Alan partridge has one in the upcoming film

Spotted that today.

The new Rover 800?

MugMugs

Stallingrad wrote: »

Hate those wheels, apart from that it's an attractive package.

I kind of like them.

They're consistent with the KIA design at the moment.

colm_mcm

I quite like the wheels too

Jesus.

Another (fairly) large car with, on the face of it, an engine too small for it. I don't know why there's so many D Segment cars running about with 1.6 Litre engines.

2.0 Litres for cars this size please!

ba_barabus

Jesus. wrote: »

Another (fairly) large car with, on the face of it, an engine too small for it. I don't know why there's so many D Segment cars running about with 1.6 Litre engines.

2.0 Litres for cars this size please!

The engine is able for it. It's no rocket but not a bad one.

colm_mcm

Same power as the 2.0 crdi from the Magentis/sonata in the 1.7 with much better emissions. What harm?

RobAMerc

I prefer the i40 and its interior is much better place to sit imo. just seems a higher standard than the kia.

also the wheels are awful

lots of car for the cash though !

ba_barabus

RobAMerc wrote: »

I prefer the i40 and its interior is much better place to sit imo. just seems a higher standard than the kia.

Funnily I'm the complete opposite

FGR

With Ford now offering the (albeit due to be replaced) Mondeo at 23,950 I'd be considering getting one of them instead with a heap of extras.

Casati

colm_mcm wrote: »

Same power as the 2.0 crdi from the Magentis/sonata in the 1.7 with much better emissions. What harm?

I hope we had moved on from the Magentis!! The 1.7 is not in the same league as the latest 2.0 engines on offer from Ford/ VAG or Opel with between 160 and 190+ bhp

ba_barabus

FGR wrote: »

With Ford now offering the (albeit due to be replaced) Mondeo at 23,950 I'd be considering getting one of them instead with a heap of extras.

And put your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodbye with the depreciation?

MugMugs

Does the KIA depreciate less than Ford?

ba_barabus

MugMugs wrote: »

Does the KIA depreciate less than Ford?

Well I'd enjoy the quality of the plastics more on the fall down the depreciation ladder

MugMugs

ba_barabus wrote: »

Well I'd enjoy the quality of the plastics more on the fall down the depreciation ladder

I drive a Mondeo daily and have no such complaint. I drive a sportage weekly and cannot see much difference and if any it would be more positive for the ford personally.

colm_mcm

Casati wrote: »

The 1.7 is not in the same league as the latest 2.0 engines on offer from Ford/ VAG or Opel with between 160 and 190+ bhp

But in the real world where people buy passat 1.6 TDIs with 105hp its not the worst.

ba_barabus

MugMugs wrote: »

I drive a Mondeo daily and have no such complaint. I drive a sportage weekly and cannot see much difference and if any it would be more positive for the ford personally.

We had a new model 07 model, admittedly an LX, but I just could never warm to it.

Now I did drive a 2008 Titanium X for a week and it was in a different class but it still had the shyte plastics on the lower sections of the dash.

I'm probably anal about things like that but it's a turn off for me.

That and the flakey electrics which ours had.

MuppetCheck

Is the 1.7 related to the 1.6 in the Ceed?

Casati

FGR wrote: »

With Ford now offering the (albeit due to be replaced) Mondeo at 23,950 I'd be considering getting one of them instead with a heap of extras.

Agreed, but i'd give that a miss and pay 1,000 extra to get the 2.0 140 bhp Mondeo Graphite, for 25k it seems to be unbeatable in that class

bazz26

FGR wrote: »

With Ford now offering the (albeit due to be replaced) Mondeo at 23,950 I'd be considering getting one of them instead with a heap of extras.

The reason being the Mondeo is 6 years old and being replaced by a new model at the end of the year.

bazz26

Casati wrote: »

I hope we had moved on from the Magentis!! The 1.7 is not in the same league as the latest 2.0 engines on offer from Ford/ VAG or Opel with between 160 and 190+ bhp

Ford offer the Mondeo with the 1.6 TDCi with 115bhp, the majority of Passats sold here since 2010 are nearly all 1.6 TDi with 105bhp, Opel offer the Insignia 2.0 CDTi in 130bhp also. In this company 138bhp from a 1.7 litre engine is not that bad. It's also has a nice bit of low to mid range torque which is more important than bhp when it comes to diesel engines. Perfectly suitable for the Irish market.

RobAMerc

bazz26 wrote: »

The reason being the Mondeo is 6 years old and being replaced by a new model at the end of the year.

And it is still as good as if not better than almost everything else in its class imo.

Jesus.

colm_mcm wrote: »

Same power as the 2.0 crdi from the Magentis/sonata in the 1.7

My point exactly!

Jesus.

bazz26 wrote: »

Ford offer the Mondeo with the 1.6 TDCi with 115bhp, the majority of Passats sold here since 2010 are nearly all 1.6 TDi with 105bhp

That's what I don't like. Irish people almost always go for an engine that is just too small/under powered for cars in this segment.

Opel offer the Insignia 2.0 CDTi in 130bhp also. In this company 138bhp from a 1.7 litre engine is not that bad. It's also has a nice bit of low to mid range torque which is more important than bhp when it comes to diesel engines. Perfectly suitable for the Irish market.

In one way you're right as they're the ones that sell. But personally I think its a pity that real nice cars such as these are purchased with lame engines inside them. I know a lot of people will disagree but that's what I think.

God help us when they release the new Mondeo with the 1 Litre engine :eek:
Poor Paddy won't be able to overtake unless he's going downhill with the wind behind him!

R.O.R

Jesus. wrote: »

That's what I don't like. Irish people almost always go for an engine that is just too small/under powered for cars in this segment.

I take it you have extensive experience of these engines, to say they are too small / underpowered for cars in this segment?

I've driven most of the 1.6d's that are available nowadays, in family sized hatches up to executive cars, and they really aren't as bad as you'd think.

Personally, I'd always take the larger engine and always try to persuade drivers to go lower spec and larger engine, but the truth is that the smaller engine is perfectly suitable for even large family cars.

Only drove a Mondeo 1.6Tdci for the first time last week and was pleasantly surprised. Wasn't a long journey, but it was pretty nippy for acceleration and was a much more pleasant experience than the more powerful 1.8Tdci they used to use. Feedback is that it's fine for motorway cruising, and I've quite a bit of experience with the Passat 1.6Td for that as well.

The biggest problem with the (relatively) high output, small diesels is acceleration from higher speeds. Takes a lot more planning, or gear changes in a 1.6 than it does in the 2.0 due to the torque difference.

Blair

The engine is better than you’d think, now it won’t beat a 320d but you feel confident with its ability to overtake etc, the turbo kicks in nicely.

I was very close to buying this car but I took a 2012 Honda Accord 2.2D SE GT out for a test drive today and really liked it.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Accord/DIESEL-E/34213626544673650/advert?channel=CARS

Cannot make up my mind now, I prefer the driving performance of the Accord but I have two young kids and the Optima offers more for the family car.

Options welcome