2006 Kia Optima Consumer Reviews
Recent Consumer Reviews
(31 Total Reviews)
problems, problems
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 1 | Fun-to-Drive: | 2 | Build Quality: | 1 |
| Comfort: | 3 | Interior Design: | 4 | Reliability: | 1 |
| Fuel Economy: | 5 | Exterior Design: | 4 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima New LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
Review
Repairs started at 36,000 miles. Warranty would not cover according to mechanic. It was not a manufacturing defect. $4000.00 in repairs so far & it still is not drivable. Check engine light stays on. It has a new flywheel, clutch, timing belt, new sensors crank etc. EGR valve sensor, don't know what the new problem is. Out of money & patience
Favorite Features
Suggested Improvements
Happy Owner
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 8 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 9 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
Review
I have owned this car for over a year. I bought it as a repossession with only 8,250 miles on it. It replaced a 1996 Buick LeSabre which was an incredible lemon. Although there is less space inside the car the comfort and quietness of the ride are comparable. I have also had good luck with the Kia dealership. I'd definitely consider buying another Kia if I were in the market for a vehicle.
Favorite Features
Has lots of little extras in the interior not found on the LeSabre. Comfortable and quiet ride.
Suggested Improvements
The V-6 doesn't have quite as much power as I expected.
1 out 1 people found this review helpful
Great Value
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima New LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
Told my wife that this car was the best value for the money when she bought it. The only problem is that now it has very little trade in value. Have been trying to find a reason to dislike this car, but can't. Fit and finish are good. Everything is good. Nothing poor and nothing outstanding
Favorite Features
Standard features that or usually option on other lines of cars.
Suggested Improvements
Wood grain interior kit.
Low Trade in
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 8 |
| Comfort: | 8 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 9 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 8 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima New LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
I love my 2006.5 Kia Optima, It gets very good gas mileage. The only problem that I have with my Kia is that it has a low value for trade in. It rides very good handle bumps well.
Favorite Features
Very good gas mileage
Suggested Improvements
I only wish that the trade in value would be higher for the price that I paid for the car.
1 out 1 people found this review helpful
Great Car - not as good gas as 2006 1/2
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 3 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
Review
Bought right after Thanksgiving 2005. Except for some minor repairs, I love the car. The ceiling could be higher (I am only 5'2"). Would like the left "foot rest" to be closer. Mileage is bad, 17 miles/gal, they adjusted with the 2006½ model which came out 1½ months AFTER I bought mine. I know it will not last as long as my 2nd car - my 1980 Subaru, which I also purchased new and still have.
Favorite Features
Love the color "Pearl White". Nice trunk, all controls are readable and reachable. Is comfortable to drive.
Suggested Improvements
Left foot rest closer for shorter people. Right arm rest for driver, the one there is for folks who put the seat ALL the way back. Better mileage... which was fixed some for the 2006½ models. Higher ceiling. Make air tight, so you don't hear the wind when driving on the freeway.
5 out 6 people found this review helpful
Switched from a SUV
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 9 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima LX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
Review
Just bought a used 2006.5 Optima LX w/V6 (19K miles) and appearance package. It has been a blast so far. The ride, although firm, is good, especially on the highway, and the ride is acceptable in town. Fuel economy is good and a bit better than expected. All aspects of vehicle meet my expectations. I had a Nissan Pathfinder for 7+ years, so the size change is significant. Operating costs should go down with this. Vehicle fits my lower back well (have had back surgeries) and was a factor in my decision to buy. Also, the fact that I bought one and someone else had already took the depreciation hit sure helped. Vehicle is just a bit noisy on rough pavement, but acceptable.
Favorite Features
Overall looks and layout of interior features. Even bought a trunk liner for it thru dealer.
Suggested Improvements
Maybe just some more sound-deadening insulation for the cabin.
3 out 3 people found this review helpful
My Kia is better than my Volvo
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 6 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima LX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
Review
This car replaced a 2004 Volvo S40. I found the 2006 Kia to be comparable to the car it replaced in most respects: the sound system is superior as is the quiet, smooth ride. This car compares to a Volvo but the sticker shock and cost of maintenance is far lower. I would definitely recommend this car!
Favorite Features
Smooth quiet ride, smooth acceleration, comfort, overall appearance, excellent sound system.
Suggested Improvements
None.
2 out 3 people found this review helpful
Amazing value in a midsize sport sedan
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 8 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima New EX 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 5A)
Review
I test drove Fusions, Camrys, Accords, Sonatas and this is the one that impressed me the most. It just felt good. I liked the way it handles and the interior design, materials and layout is incredible. Most room of any in its class. I have the appearance package with the great 6 CD + MP3 player. I can get 60 albums in MP3 format on 6 CDs. The performance Michelins are every thing their advertised to be and definitely add to the already great handling. If they put a larger 6 cyl in this thing it would be a monster!
Favorite Features
Roomy ergonomic interior. All the extra little touches.
Suggested Improvements
Offer at least one larger 6 cyl engine for those who crave extra power.
1 out 1 people found this review helpful
Much more than expected!
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
Review
I never thought that I would like a Kia, but this car was too good to pass up. After a Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Explorer, I needed something that was dependable and good on gas. I've had two Nissan cars that were excellent and looked in that direction, but two friends have Kias (one car and one suv) and swear by them, not at them. Three months have passed and I like my Optima a lot. It has a smooth ride and handles well on any road surface and around corners. Very stable drive. The 2.4L 4cyl engine delivers a lot more power than I expected. The cabin is pretty quiet and I've heard no rattles or noises in the car so far. I'm VERY satisfied.
Favorite Features
My car has power everything as standard equipment rather than as options. The trunk is huge and can be expanded by letting the back seats down inside the cabin.
Suggested Improvements
Better gas mileage can always be a good improvement.
5 out 5 people found this review helpful
Big Car with Big MPG!
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 10 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2006 Kia Optima New EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
We tried both the v6 and the 4 cylinder, and found that the performance was almost identical due to the lighter curb weight of the 4 cylinder and only about 20 hp difference. I measured a zero to 60 time of 9 seconds, which is almost the same as the v6, but the 4 is good for a rated highway mpg of 34, and on a trip I got a full 35 mpg, and have averaged over 25 mpg average with lots of city driving.Why buy a tiny car when you can get a larger car that does equally well in mpg? I love the appearance package and the black perforated leather interior, and am glad that for 2007 they have added a couple of options that were not available on mine. This is my third Kia, and all have been great.
Favorite Features
The 4 cylinder engine with the 5 speed automatic. Hyundai should do the same with the new Sonata. The 315 Watt Stereo with 6 cd changer and 6 speakers plus subwoofer rocks! The Automatic Climate Control wonks flawlessly. The Supervision Meter Cluster is great, should be offered on all models.
Suggested Improvements
For 2007, no improvements are needed, because they added the convenience package as on option with the appearance package.
2 out 2 people found this review helpful
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