Optima Observations

It's been over a year since I parted ways with my 2011 Kia Optima SX.  I really enjoyed it for the 2.5 years I owned it.  Prior to purchasing it, my wife and I shared one car.  But, with her at home on maternity leave, we needed a second one.  I ordered it in February and took delivery (the first in the city) in May of 2011.  It didn't see a lot of use, and I sold it just prior to Christmas 2013 with only 8,800 kms on the clock.  I sold it for $29k with the summer wheels.  The guy who bought it said it looked better than the brand new model he test drove earlier that week.  <blush>

One of the best parts of owning that car was the attention it garnered.  I rebadged the car with a different Kia logo used in Korea, so that really confused people.  I installed a set of Eibach springs, which in combination with the MRR HR2 19" rims, gave it a pretty aggressive stance.  As fun as the attention was, I did find myself often having to defend the Kia brand against criticism.  Anyone who had some time behind the wheel was impressed with the car, but there are still a lot of people out there who think all Kia's are garbage.  That was a bit frustrating.  

The 274bhp turbo 2.0 was shockingly fast.  Power came on quickly and very smoothly.  The suspension was decent, made better by the low profile Hankooks.  Compared to its competition, this car had personality and spirit.  There were some issues with the quality of finishing, but for $33k, there is nothing that touched it in terms of looks, performance, and value.  It was loaded with equipment you wouldn't find in a $50k car.

What I loved
Performance 
The power sometimes convinced me I was driving a Korean M3.  And, it ran on regular fuel.  
Abundance of equipment 
From the panoramic sunroof, to the heated and cooled front seats, this car was loaded with neat features.
Styling (interior and exterior)
Compared to its pedestrian competition, this car is stunning in the looks department.
Value
What Kia lacks in prestige, it more than makes up for in value.
Attention it attracted
My favourite was, "Is that a Maserati?".  True story.

What I didn't love
Fit and Finish
Squeaky driver's seat, peeling steering wheel leather, one rear door a different shade of silver...Kia still has some way to go in the quality department.  
Seats
They were not comfortable at all.  Especially for a tall guy.
Dealership experience
I kind of felt like I was at Wal-Mart.  The "upselling" was unsettling and the staff lacked knowledge of their product.  I had to argue with the service manager about what kind of oil it required.  I won.
The Haters
When you think of a cheap car, does Kia come to mind?  Yeah, that got annoying.  How could it not?

There's no such thing as the perfect car, but all things considered, this car was perfect for what I needed at the time.