Getting your player ready...
That car which was leaped over Saturday night by Los Angeles Clipper Blake Griffin to win the NBA Slam Dunk contest in L.A. was a 2011 Kia Optima, like the one I’ve been driving the past week.
It has a much flashier exterior and is roomier than its predecessor, yet it is no slam-dunk that Kia will have a hit with the Optima, for it competes in the crowded and refined midsize sedan market.
The new sensation of the midsizers is the Optima’s sister car, the Hyundai Sonata. It, though, is more sleekly finished than the Optima.
A long hood, black mesh grille and wraparound headlights lend an aggressive look to the front of the new Optima, and a sharp roofline slope and raked rear window add the appearance of a coupe, enhanced by taillights which wrap 34 inches around the corners.
Wheelbase has been lengthened 3 inches for the ’11 Optima, which measures 2 inches longer in overall length and an inch wider, while the height has been lowered by an inch. The new one weighs in 45 pounds heavier.
A new 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine develops 200 horsepower; the former model was of 175-hp. Teamed with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the direct-injection 4 is more than adequate in takeoff acceleration; only at midrange performance is there an occasional lag, and that’s about where Kia’s optional 274-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine would kick in. There is no V-6 offered.
From an economical standpoint, though, the standard 2.4 and 6-speed automatic hold their own against all comers, carrying an EPA rating of 24/34. My overall average of 30.1 compares with recent postings in midsize models of 28.8 for a Volkswagen Jetta 5-cylinder, 27.5 for a Suzuki Kizashi 4-cylinder, 27.2 for a Chrysler 200 4-cylinder and 25.7 for a Mazda6 V-6.
The Optima’s electrically assisted power steering is very firm, to the point of understeer on occasion.
The interior is roomy, with easy access and exit for both front and rear seating areas, and is brightened by a panorama sunroof. Seats are so-so in comfort; the glove box is air-conditioned.
The steering wheel is busy with buttons. On the left of the crossbar are audio controls, with cruise settings to the right. The descender bars contain trip computer controls at the left and navigation voice command buttons on the right. And the steering wheel is heated, part of a premium package, which also includes the sunroof, heated and cooled front seats and heated outboard rear seats. The steering wheel heat on the model I drove was so ineffective, I’d suggest Kia place a pair of gloves in the glove compartment.
The $27,400 Optima EX I drove (also offered are an LX and an SX) was well equipped, with navigation, backup camera, Sirius traffic advisory, Infinity audio with eight speakers, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, leather seats, dual exhausts with chrome tips, and full-length side-curtain airbags.
A 2011 Mazda6 midsize four-door, priced at $28,305, also came my way recently. With Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, it displayed good traction traits in snow-covered streets. Strong low-end acceleration is produced by Mazda’s 3.7-liter V-6 and 6-speed automatic transmission. The Touring model was equipped with durable cloth seats, sunroof and Sirius satellite radio.
A look back
Thirty years ago this month, I reviewed in The Denver Post a 1981 Buick Regal Coupe. Excerpts:
One of the liveliest models to carry the Buick name over the past several years has been that of the Regal. A souped-up version of the easy-handling 1981 Buick Regal will be the official pace car for the Indianapolis 500 race in May. It won’t be the first Buick to pace the race. Others did so in 1939, ’59, ’75 and ’76. The 1981 version isn’t exactly stock – with a 252-cubic-inch V-6 race engine and a T-roof. Headers and dual straight pipes have been added to the engine. The pace car, of course, isn’t available for testing, but it offers reason for trying out a showroom-fresh ’81 Regal Coupe.
Powered by a 231-CID V-6 engine with two-barrel carburetor, the test Regal averaged 26.8 miles per gallon on a highway drive and slightly better than 16 in city driving. Driver and front-seat passenger sit high and comfortably on individual seats, which are narrower and flatter than ordinary buckets. The ride is unmistakably General Motors – in other words, “soft.” The softness, though, allows a great amount of side movement at times.
Base price of the test model was $8,014, and optional items air conditioning, power seats, electric rear window defogger, cruise control, electric door locks, power windows and AM/FM stereo radio raised sticker price to $10,587.
2011 Kia Optima EX
$27,440
(price as tested)
MPG City 24 Highway 34
Vehicle type: FWD midsize sedan
Wheelbase: 110 inches
Length/Width/Height: 190.7/72.1/57.3 inches
Weight: 3,223 pounds
Engine: 2.4-liter 4-cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 30.1 mpg
Fuel tank: 18.5 gallons
Warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles basic; 10/100,000 powertrain
Competitors: Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry, Mazda6, Chevrolet Malibu
Built at: Seoul, Korea
Parts content: Korea 96 percent
THE STICKER
$22,495 base
$2,250 Panorama sunroof, heated front seats/rear seats/steering wheel, cooled front seats
$2,000 Navigation, backup camera, Infinity audio
$695 Destination
PLUSES
Fuel mileage
Fresh exterior styling
Feature-filled interior
MINUSES
Seat comfort
Heated steering wheel
