2009 Kia Optima

laflair

Hi, I have been lurking on the Hyundai and Optima threads for some time, listening to the excellent advice of various members including Backy, Csandste, Ray_h71 and many others. I currently have an 04' Sonata with 84 K miles and wondering if it's soon time to get an 09' or 2010 Optima (I don't like the new Sonata as much, but I love the Genesis). I suspect I will soon be in need of a lot of costly preventative maintenance (tires, brakes and many here say sensors start going etc..). So I guess my question is, do I wait until year end for some Optima deals (as Backy expects) or do I try to get another year or two out of this car? Thanks in advance for all your advice.

mickeyrom

I saw a commercial from KIA yesterday where they are offering cash back as big as $9000 for your trade inn,depending on the model KIA you purchase.Worth a look at your local KIA dealer.

laflair

Thanks mickeyrom, I meant to mention you in the list of helpful people. I think I will take a ride over to a Long Island KIA dealership and see what they have to offer. My wife has on 05' Tucson that has been rock solid (55K). Another idea is to get a car now that would replace her Tucson in 2-3 years. I would drive this new car until her Tucson was retired, allowing me to get another new car in a few years ( I am sure she would love the idea of me doing this )

mickeyrom

No problem man...I don't need credit.Good luck on your car shopping.For me it's always been an exciting time.

backy

I think you might find the best deal near year-end or even January as the 2009s are being closed out, but as mickeyrom suggested you might find a dealer with a great deal now. For some reason my local dealers are not offering as good a deal now on Optimas as they were earlier in the year. Aftereffect of the C4C perhaps? The other thing is an all-new Optima is expected for the 2011 MY, and spy photos show it will be a bigger car. So if you like the size of the current Optima, you will probably see great deals on the 2010s early next year (depending on when the 2011s come out). You might want to trade before 90k because that is a fairly expensive service. If you are the original owner of the Sonata, then at least you don't need to worry about powertrain repairs for awhile (up to 100k).

laflair

I went to two dealerships today. One had many a dozen Optimas.I walked around the lot and into the showroom without being approached once! This is over a 30-40 minute period so I simply left. The sign in front "Under new Management" may need some clarification. The second dealership was quite helpful but had only 1 Optima, a SX 4 cylinder in red, which is not my ideal color. They wanted like 20 K for the car, which included the Premium Package. Several people on the message boards have mentioned an "Appearance Package". but I did not see it anywhere and the salesman said he was unfamiliar with this package on the 09' models. He told me to give him a day or 2 as several Optimas were coming in. I am not sure if Kia re-instates the 2000 rebate after today ( the 31st) but I will take my chances with that. He told me they sold 81 cars in August during the cash for clunkers. There were tons of Fortes in stock but I can't see buying one of them without some discounts and they cost around the price of the Optima.

michaelbug1

Hi everyone on the Optima forum,

I've been following this forum for a while as I am planning to buy an Optima in the near future. At first I was looking at a used 08 4-cyl (either LX or EX)-but due to both the total non-existance of any with the ABS/ESC pkg for sale here in Southeastern PA, plus the IRS sales tax credit for new cars in 09, I am now looking at a 09 LX 4-cyl with the convenience package.

There are a few 09s coming off rentals with 7k-12k miles showing up in my area in the $15k range. That seems on the high side to me. I don't think that the shorter warranty period & no sales tax credit (6% here in PA) would be worth the difference from new at that price range-esp. with the recent Kia $2K rebate which has now expired.

Given the above, would it be best for me to wait a while for a better deal on a new 09? I don't know if Kia will continue the rebate or not. However, I do want to take advantage of the IRS sales tax credit if I buy new. (I now drive a 03 Toyota Matrix with 135k miles, which I am planning to trade in for the Optima. The Matrix is basically sound but I've outgrown it given my driving habits. I also have a 95 Ford Escort with 247k(!) miles which would qualify me for a Kia Competitive Bonus as well.)

I plan to keep the Optima to at least 150k miles. Finally, I would rather try to complete any purchase before winter hits. Any thoughts welcome! Michael B.

mickeyrom

Have you considered a 2007 OR 2008 MODEL? they are probably just as good, and if you get an EX,you get more stuff than you would on a 2009 EX(such as the 6 CD changer standard)With the savings you could get a nice extended warranty.I realize finding the ESC and ABS is problematic,but they are out there if you look.

backy

As the poster noted, 07s and 08s with ABS/ESC are almost non-existent. When I was looking for an Optima last year I found only two within 500 miles of me, over a span of about 6 months--a new EX that was sold quickly, in Chicago, and a used 07 EX that also sold before I could get to it. The 09s also have many improvements, including a more powerful but fuel efficient I4 in addition to the standard ABS/ESC. And what I really wanted was an LX.

This question has come up recently in the main Optima discussion. My advice is, if you can wait to year's end, do it. That is when the 09s will be closed out (Kia tends to chang-over late in the year) and dealers are driving to pump up their annual sales totals. Or if you like the current design, wait until next year when the redesigned 2011 Optima will be introduced, and there should be great deals on the remaining 2010s.

mickeyrom

www.autotrader.com

Try this.I bet you will find one.This is the best finder I haver ever seen.

mickeyrom

I just spent 5 minutes and found a 2007 Optima LX with ABS which means it also has ESC because that is how they seel them
35,000 miles,alloy wheels and the usual toys.Balance of the warranty...only $9,900.00 in Pontiac Illinois.

mickeyrom

Found an 07 LX in Pontiac Il with ABS ESC plus wheels.Took ess than 5 minutes.Maybe I'm just lucky.It was the 5th used car on the list. $9,900

backy

Well, when I did a similar search (with autotrader and other search engines) a few months ago I found one car with ABS also--a new EX in Chicago. When I searched a couple of weeks later, it was gone. I also found (at a different time) a used EX in my metro area. By the time I could go look at it a couple of days later, it was gone.

So with some luck, and willingness to travel maybe, it is possible to find a used Optima with ABS/ESC. But they are very rare.

mickeyrom

Dang...I thought all the new 2009 Optimas had the ABS/ESC combo stadard.

michaelbug1

The 09 Optimas DO have ABS/ESC standard. Backy & I were referring to the 07-08s not having ABS/ESC.

laflair

It looks like Kia extended the $2000 rebate and the others as well. I am now tempted to wait until year end. The new 2011 Sonata has caught my eye as well.

backy

If you want one of those 2011 Sonatas and want a deal on it, be prepared to wait a bit. What will likely happen I think, based on what happened when the all-new 2006 Sonata debuted and other new Hyundai models like the Azera, is that there will be few discounts or rebates for the first few months. Then as supplies build up, the old cars move off the lots, and the "gotta be the first one on my block" buyers are satiated, prices will start moderating. But it's a great looking car--worth the wait maybe?

danieldkk

I just picked one up yesterday after reading many of the posts here. There are 3 things that bother me about the car. One is the tire/suspension noise over bumps and uneven pavement. I read about this in earlier posts, but it's a little worse than I thought. I'm hoping that this is a tire issue and not a suspension issue. Car came with Kumho tires. Two is there is a slight (plastic/rubber/oil) burning smell. I hope this goes away as the car breaks in. The third is it's hard to drive the car smoothly. The acceleration is pretty abrupt from start. I guess most people wouldn't complain about this, but I'm used to 1997 and 2004 Camrys. But it's still worth the money. I'll post on the mileage and such in the days to come.

mickeyrom

The suspension noises are an old issue with Optimas,as is the sudden start sensation which you will eventually eliminate with your pressure on the accelerator.I have a 3 year old one and I love it.Give it a few weeks and I think you will love yours too.

danieldkk

I'm very happy with it. Just minor annoyances, that's all. By the way, I appreciate your past posts they were very informative.

danieldkk

First tank 360 miles. mpg 27.6, mixed freeway and surface street. I can drive it smoothly with a light foot, but the tire/suspension noise over bad road could be better. But still a good value for the price.

mickeyrom

Thank you.I'm glad that they were of some use to you.My 2006.5 is still purring along after 36,000 miles.It's a great little car.

mohatu

To start smoothly from stop, do it in manual mode and shift to 2nd before moving.

capt4

Lost my 2004 EX

Now have a new Kia 2009 LX anything I should know?

netranger4

Hello Backy, Mickeyrom & Csandste. After searching for nearly year now, this Winter has brought three candidates. All LX's. (1) An unusually low mileage '09 (1875 miles) with the trunk tray and cargo net. Black. at $14100. (2) A low miler '09 (8700 miles) Dk Red at $13450. and finally (3) An ex-rental. Brown 2010 (20000) at $13900.

I carry a handicapped person out to my Winter home in Arizona and plan on leaving around the 20th of January, 2011. According to my never ending research, the '09/'10 models have a good reliability rating. The pricing is all asked, so some negotiating will be in order. Your valued opinions will be most appreciated.

backy

My recommendation is, spend a few more bucks and get a new 2010 LX. Kia dealers in my area are selling new ones for around $14k before special rebates like military rebates. You'll then have the full 5 and 10 year warranties.

If you must go used, I'd stay away from rentals. Rentals can get hard use (I know, I rent a lot of cars). Be sure to check the Carfax reports (not infallible, but useful) and get the service records, and talk with the prior owner if possible. Also check the original in-service date (will be on the Carfax), as that tells you how much warranty time the car has left. (A '09 could have as much as four years of warranty left, or as little as three.)

Personally I don't think I'd want to drive a black or red car in AZ, but at least it's winter.

netranger4

Backy, thanks for the input. Regretably, around here, in the middle of autoland, Optimas are scarce. The local dealer has ONE SX V6 loaded. Within a 75 mile area there are a lot of high milers and it took some digging to locate these three.

I'd hoped that with the new Optima drawing buyers quite rapidly, that there might be some trade-ins. The dealers are all beefing that nothing is coming through the auctions that meets my criteria. Dark colors abound here. A lot of conservative folks populate this area and light colored cars are hard to see even in the other makes.

One '08 with 16K showed up at a Ford dealer 39 miles north of me. I'm almost tempted, since it was a one owner trade in to go and look at it at least. I wanted the ESC, ABS and BA, but they don't exist on the '08's. At least the available ones.

I have a light grey Ford at present and it's not too bad to a/c. I'm usually back from AZ before the blazing hot season starts.

jaxs1

I was having my car repaired at a body shop and got a 2009 or 2010 Optima LX rental.
On paper, it looks like a good car with OK gas mileage, plenty of room, improved styling on the 2009 and 2010s, good crash test results and most features I would want are standard other than bluetooth. Low resale prices seem to make it a good used car buy.

However, when I actually drove the car, I could not get comfortable in the drivers seat. If I raised the seat up off the floor so I wasn't sitting in a hole, it started tilting forward so it felt like it was dumping me forwards out of the seat and had no thigh support. If I lowered it so it the seat cushion tilted back and provided a bit of thigh support, it was way too close to the floor.
Maybe optional power the seat would help.

I see you need the Convenience Package on the LX or else an EX to get the power drivers seat. The Convenience Package also adds an outside temperature gauge that I also missed in the rental. The only other annoyance I noticed in a 20 minute drive is that the outside lights don't turn off unless you manually turn them off when you park and remove the key and there isn't a warning buzzer. The headlights turned off, but the parking lights stayed on. I waited a couple minutes to see if it would eventually fully turn off, but it didn't. Are full auto-off lights available?

Does anyone have one with power seat and does it let you raise the seat up high and still dip the back of the cushion downward so the cushion supports your thighs?

backy

If the lights work anything like Hyundais with auto-off lights, the parking lights don't go off until you remove the key AND open the door.

I found the manual driver's seat on the Optima OK, but I know what you are saying about the tipping forward. Many cars with the single-lever height adjuster do that. That's why I always liked the cars (including some Kias and Hyundais) with dual manual height adjusters. Very few new cars have that now. The Cruze is the only one I can think of offhand. You'll probably find the power seat more to your liking.

jaxs1

The lights all went off once and then the next time I was gone for an hour and the parking lights were still on when I got back, so it doesn't look like it works properly.
I may shop around for a used 2009 Optima LX or Sonata GLS or SE with power seat.
Otherwise I might look at 2009 Chevy Impala LT 3.5 V6s as they are much smoother, quieter and more comfortable to drive and get close to the same gas mileage cars like of the Optima 4 cylinder (easily beats Optima V6's in MPG) and seems to also be in close the same price range used.
Camry is comfortable enough, but I'm looking for cars that have lower resale values than a Camry.

backy

So either that Optima doesn't have auto-off lights, or maybe the lights were on the parking light setting (one click), not headlights (two clicks).

Optima I4 is rated 25 mpg EPA overall, Impala 3.5L is 22. Not too far off.

Sandman6472

Did test drive a 2010 Sonata with the power seat after my failed Volvo test drives & loved it...comfortable seat easily manipulated for my spinal issues. But things just didn't work out $ wise to swap out my Civic for it. Kept the Civic & am using my special cushion which gets the job done for now. But Jaxs1, might be a great solution for you. Keep me posted.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

papabearkrb

I recently got a 2009 Optima, 2.4L Auto. I used my CarMD on it and got a stored code of P0171 which does NOT exist in this engine according to Leith Kia. So much for CarMD.

The problem is that I am getting around 20mpg on combined city/highway driving. Most of the mileage is on the Interstate for about 70 miles round trip 2X a week, max speed of 75. Kia reports NO trouble codes and left it at that.

Suggestions?

stefi14

Ohhh, don't get me started. I bought my 2009 Kia Optima LX brand new. The dealer pressured me into buying this POS car. I've spoken to lawyers about lemon law rights, and even considered having my finance company repo the POS just to get rid of it.

The day I bought it, I noticed how bad it drove. I've kept track of my mileage since day 1 and I average city/hwy 25 MPG (majority hwy). The dealer sticker said I should get close to 36 MPG HWY. Laws stipulate you should get no less than 2 MPG under what the sticker shows. Same deal as yours..."computer doesn't show anything wrong". The gears stick, I have sudden acceleration, already had to have a seat belt buckle replaced causing all my airbags to malfunction, gas cap replaced because it kept causing check engine codes, and the mileage isn't ANY better than the 7 passenger SUV I traded in for it. The dealership actually told me "MPG is only an estimate". They did a 1.6 mile test drive and it came back saying they got 38 MPG on their test. I told them it's the entire tank and I don't think 1.6 mile test is accurate. They then proceeded to explain it was more than likely my driving habits causing the low gas mileage. I explained to them that I don't run the AC because I have such poor acceleration that I look like a grandma behind the wheel, and I don't keep anything in my trunk causing excessive "weight". I also go the speed limit now. On a full tank, Im lucky if I get 360 miles. On a 16 gallon tank, filling up..my average is crap. I hate this car with ALL MY HEART. If I could run it off a cliff, I would. Biggest mistake I have ever made in my car buying decisions. Too bad my payments on an $11k car are almost $500 for 6 years...ya, Im getting raped.

stefi14

Oh and now my ESC OFF light is on, and I didn't press the d@mn button, can't turn it back on either. Something else in my growing stack of papers for this POS. Grrrrr

hart_man

I own a 2009 Kia Optima SX, and the sun visors drive me up the wall! They are cheap vinyl covered things with sharp edges and no pull out extensions. Does anyone know if there is a different visor that will fit my car? I would love something that has an extension, and possibly cloth? I thought maybe something from a Sonata would fit... Thanks.

capt4

Not really, I went to a dollar store and bought a cheap CD holder
strapped it over the visor and slide when needed for sun

The 04-05s had the one with the extension in it. :

capt4

Since new I had this issue with speed bumps and curbs
where you hear a thump/ clump, best I can describe.
On the left side of the front end, they changed the strut and
still could not find it. Went to the NTB tire franchise, they found it to be
a front sway bar and bushing. The issue started at around 8900 miles.

Just a heads up if anyone had the same issue. Tell the dealer what it is
they might not catch the issue. :shades:

capt4

Yokohama Avid's helped

bapetersmn

I purchased a 2009 Optima with 40K miles last week. I really like this car. Nice ride, comfortable and I'm getting nearly 30 MPG on my daily commute. I am looking forward to enjoying this car for many years to come.