Used 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid Sedan Review & Ratings

The 2011 Kia Optima Sedan Hybrid is an attractive and stylish looking hybrid with a well designed and appealing front grille and headlamps design. The Hybrid has a 206 horsepower, 2.4 liter four cylinder engine that couples with an electric motor. The hybrid delivers 35-mpg city and 40-mpg highway. Overall, the fuel efficiency is not as good as competitor models, but the Optima Sedan leads the way in highway efficiency. The Optima hybrid spends the majority of the drive time in electric-only mode. The Optima Hybrid will run electric power until the battery is partially depleted, then start the engine and charge the battery while running on the gas engine.

Once the battery is fully charged, the hybrid will start running on electric power and stop using the gas engine. The hybrid offers a unique gauge cluster that displays the hybrid's power flow, and the efficiency of the driving style. The Optima also offers voice control of MP3 player, cell phones, and navigation through its new UVO system. The UVO system is very similar to Ford's SYNC system, and the UVO system does many of the same features as the SYNC system. The Hybrid has a lithium-polymer battery pack. This pack is technologically more advanced than most competitor hybrid models. A trade off of this battery pack though, is that trunk space is greatly reduced. There is a very limited space to store items in the trunk as a result of the battery packs presence. The hybrid is only available in one trim, which is basically the same as the EX trim for the Kia Optima Sedan. However, a premium package is offered which will satisfy most consumer's thirst for more lavish features.

The 2011 Kia Optima Sedan hybrid has an abundance of safety features and ranks high on government tests for safety. Standard safety features include dual front seat mounted side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags, which contains six standard airbags that are part of Optima's advanced supplement restraint system. The system monitors the severity of an impact and other factors to control airbag inflation accordingly. Furthermore, there is an impact absorbing steering column on every Optima. There are front seat-belt pretensioners that tighten seat belts in the event of certain collisions. The national Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Optima 5 out of 5 stars for front and side impact protection. In keeping with the Optima's goal of being family friendly, there are latches for children seats.