Not to long ago, my husband came up with this great idea that when the lease was up on my car, I would take his car and he would buy another inexpensive car so we could eventually pay the two off and have zero car payments. Sounds great, I know…but I went nuts on him. I did NOT like that idea at all. I had many reasons.
- I like my car because I am sitting high up and I just feel safer that way.
- His car sits very low to the ground so when the stupid plow dumps snow in from of our driveway, I can’t get in or out of my driveway.
- We are already used to spending that $250 a month, so who cares.
Yes, I realize that last one isn’t really the greatest reason, but it is true. We are used to paying it so why not pay off one car and save that money?!?
**I was allowed to test drive the Kia Optima. Unfortunately I had to give it back. All opinions stated are 100% my own**
When I was asked if I would like to test drive the 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid EX, I knew I had to. I love Kia’s and I drove the Optima (not the hybrid version) once before and really enjoyed it!
The first thing I noticed about the car is the color. I typically do not like blue cars. They are either too light, almost a weird baby blue or they look like a blue crayon. But this blue was more metallic. It is called Smokey Blue, to be exact. This car, like all Kia’s I’ve driven, is full of great features. Features that I now don’t think I could live without…like air conditioned seats. You don’t think you need those seats until you try them. They are great!
Standard Features
Mechanical
- 2.4L 4-cyl Hybrid Engine
- 6-Speed Sportmatic Transmission
- Electric Power Steering
- 17″ Alloy Wheels
- Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) <–so neat. I’ve never seen this before.
Safety
- Dual front advanced airbags
- Front seat mounted side airbags
- Full-length side curtain airbags
- 3-point seatbelts for all seating positions
- Lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH)
- Anti-lock braking system
- Traction control system
- Electronic stability control
- Vehicle stability management
- Hill Assist control
Interior
- Dual-zone Automatic temperature control w/rear vents
- Power windows and locks
- AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system
- Infinity audio system
- UVO eServices w/telematics
- Navigation system with rear camera
- SIRIUSXM® Satellite Radio
- Bluetooth® wireless technology
- Leather seat trim
- Power adj. drivers seat with power lumbar support
- Heated and ventilated drivers seat
- Power front passengers seat
- Heated Outboard rear seats
- Remote keyless entry
- Push button start with smart key
- Heated leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Supervision meter cluster
Exterior
- HID Headlamps w/levelizer
- Pwr folding outside mirrors w/turn signal indicator
- LED positioning, fog and tail lights
Besides the awesome features (heated steering wheel, air conditioned seats, etc), Kia is known for their awesome warranty:
- 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty
- 5 year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty
- 5 year/60,000 mile roadside assistance
I had never driven a hybrid before. I really did like it. The gas mileage was crazy good! I had drive 275 miles or so and I still had 1/2 a tank left! Someone told me that I would hate the hybrid because the trunk was smaller. The trunk on the Kia Optima Hybrid was smaller, but not that big of a deal.
The only thing I did not care for is the white leather seats. With two kids, one that comes home from football practice filthy dirty, white leather is not something I could ever have in my car! If you were to ask my kids what they liked the most about this car, they would tell you that they loved the heated backseats (even when it was 80 degrees outside…) and the fact that they could access the trunk from the back seat <–they drove me crazy with that!
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