2012 Kia Optima
Hybrid
- A very well styled, hot looking hybrid, great for highway roadtrips
Updated March 29, 2012
The Kia Optima hybrid, like its Hyundai Sonata hybrid cousin, is an unusual hybrid sedan.
First, the Optima hybrid was the first non-luxury, plug-less hybrid to utilize a lithium battery pack. Second, Kia decided that Americans are still primarily highway drivers, not city drivers. Thus, the Optima hybrid is a bit more focused on improved highway fuel economy, rather than just city fuel economy.
So, does the Kia Optima hybrid make sense? Aren't hybrid cars all about congestion and urban traffic?
If the majority of your commuting is tough stop-and-go traffic, the Kia Optima hybrid will perform better than most other cars, but there are a few other hybrids out there that offer better fuel economy in such conditions.
However, if your commuting is more a mix of highway and stop and go, then the Optima hybrid is very competitive in the hybrid space based on its EPA numbers. Some outside testing, however, has found that the Optima hybrid doesn't always live up to its EPA billing.
Of course, the Optima hybrid is a sedan and many buy sedans because they know a good chunk of their driving will be on the highway, and that's where Kia put a lot of its focus in designing the Optima hybrid.
Again, if you're a hardcore city driver, regularly stuck in tough stop-and-go traffic, then the Optima hybrid probably isn't the best hybrid for you.
However, if you're more of a mixed driver, or even a commuter that puts on more highway miles than city miles, then the 2012 Kia Optima hybrid should definitely be on your shopping list.
-->
More
on the Kia Optima Hybrid
If you would like to
receive future information on the Kia Optima Hybrid,
please
Click here..
-- Read
more about the Optima hybrid on HybridCarBlog.com.
|
