I love cars especially new cars and I was super excited when I recently got the chance to recap the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid.
I see more and more hybrids on the road and I always wonder how much better they are on gas then a traditional car since they are both gas and electric. The Kia Optima Hybrid has about an 18 gallon gas tank and I was getting about 500 – 550 miles on a tank of gas. I was averaging around 32.2 miles per gallon which in my opinion is awesome for a mid to large size sedan. In comparison I drive a pretty small car that gets about 27 miles to the gallon and Melinda drives a minivan that get about 18 miles per gallon so as you can see the Kia Optima Hybrid is very good on gas especially for its size.
Not only was I impressed with the terrific gas mileage but I was also very impressed with the inside of the Kia. It came loaded with heated and cooled front seats (how cool is it to heat and cool your butt, LOL), heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, full leather, GPS, satellite radio, backup camera, panoramic sunroof, push button start and the list goes on and on. I must admit this is the first car that I have seen that comes with rear heated seats which I didn’t notice until Shaun pointed it out to me.
For you car geeks like myself if comes with a 2.4L 4-cyl Hybrid engine, 6 speed sportmatic transmission, 16” tires and alloy wheels, ABS brakes, traction control system and electronic stability control. The Kia Optima Hybrid also came with Dual front airbags, front seat mounted side airbags and full length side curtain airbags. This Kia was loaded with comfort, safety and was great on gas; what more could you ask for in a car.
The Kia Optima Hybrid was a blast to drive but it took me a while to get used to how quit it was since it is a hybrid. I would start the car and have to double check the RPM gauge to be sure it was running; that is how quiet this car is. It also took a little getting used to the acceleration again because it is a hybrid it’s a little different than a traditional gas vehicle but after getting used to it the Kia took off like a rocket.
I will say that Melinda and I were very impressed with everything that the Kia Optima Hybrid had to offer and Melinda even said she could see herself driving this car on a daily basis. I will admit that I really do love the gas mileage that this vehicle gets and could see replacing one of our cars with the Kia Hybrid for sure.
