Used 2018 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid Consumer Reviews
Used Optima Plug-In Hybrid for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Optima Plug-In Hybrid, so we've included reviews for other years of the Optima Plug-In Hybrid since its last redesign.
Manufacturer buyback - know what you are getting
Kia Shopper, 11/10/2018
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
15 of 15 people found this review helpful
What other Shoppers should know before buying this car? That all you have to do is call Kia with the VIN number and ask them to tell you all of the maintenance warranty and repairs done on the vehicle. You can even sign up for the owner portal just by having a VIN however the information on the vehicle I was shopping for was woefully incomplete. The customer service representative on the phone provided me with the full list of items repaired and replaced on the vehicle. I did not opt to buy it due to having 3 wire assembly replacements in 2018. Lemon Law requires repairs to be completed before the vehicle can be resold but since they were completing the same repair for the third and the vehicle had multiple other issues that it had been in for repeatedly I dared not take a chance on it even for the lower price. Buyer beware!
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Great plug-in Hybrid!
Grant Calkins, 02/25/2017
updated 02/27/2019
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
This car is everything you could want in a plug-in hybrid, with a few (relatively) minor exceptions such as no programmable garage door opener buttons, charging door tricky to close after charging. It's pretty much a grown-up Chevy Volt (which I also own and love!), but one thing Kia should have done differently: for smoothness in EV mode, have the electric motor directly power the wheels (ie eliminate the 6 speed auto trans in EV mode). Also take note that KIA sells cars in non-traditional ways - apparently they do not allow their dealers to order any specific vehicles; they only sell what arrives on the car hauler truck. This makes it difficult (sometimes impossible) to connect with the vehicle and dealer you like. That said, the dealers apparently can ATTEMPT to identify and divert vehicles immediately after manufacture. Also, Kia's web site makes it very convenient to view all dealer's inventories for specific vehicles. All said and done, I would definitely buy another Kia. Grant Calkins, Bend, OR
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I made the right choice
Volo R, 06/24/2017
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
I made the right choice, enjoy every ride. My daily commute is around 30 milrs, I've been driving just one thousand miles and still have a quarter of fuel tank! Electric drive is quiet and yet quite powerful!
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best plug in out there
samson, 06/06/2017
updated 12/11/2017
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
17 of 19 people found this review helpful
KIA OPTIMA PLUG IN HYBRID 2017 With so many cars on the market, one has to compare the many choices of the cars they are wanting to purchase. I had a Nissan Leaf for the last few years and loved that car, except I had to have another car to go out of town. That changed when I met this plug in Optima Kia in 2017. First, I got the Consumer Reports April 2017 Car issue in order to make the right decision as well as read, articles in Green Car Reports. I chose the 2017 Kia Optima plug in EX hybrid, based on many factors. First, the Kia warranty on their cars are the best in the industry, 5 year 60,000 miles bumper to bumper. Next, according to Consumer Reports the new car prediction and reliability is much better than average, this car is recommended as a car to purchase. Further, the price given to me from Kia was great and well below sticker price and also I am able to get a tax rebate for the 9.8 KWH battery of $4919 on my tax for 2017. Lastly, this Kia has an interior that is made of good quality and design. This mid sided sedan has plenty of room for the family. I have been performing tests on the cars performance. The main test was how many miles could I get out of a full charge of electricity. There are several modes of operation, HEV, EV, and CHG and eco mode. Driving in EV mode and (eco) for economical I was able to drive between 34 and 37 miles on electric only, and it did not seen to make a difference driving slow or a bit faster, however with this EV mode once you floor the gas pedal or accelerate a bit too fast the EV mode goes off to the HEV mode and then returns to EV mode. If you drive normally the EV mode remains on electric until the battery is about 14% charge, then the car switches to HEV hybrid electric vehicle. In HEV mode the car goes back and forth from gas engine to electric as all hybrids do. The interesting mode of operation is the charge mode CHG which charges your battery to full just by driving your car. This charge mode takes anywhere from an hour to two hours to charge the battery full. The kia Optima is probably the only car that has this great benefit. The CHG mode barely affects the gas mileage. I have not tested the car in the non- ECO mode but the acceleration in ECO mode is fast enough for anyone. The car also has a 6 speed manual transmission if your a real racer. In summary, as of year end 2017 the Kia Optima plug in EX hybrid is the best car for the price, quality and reliability.
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In the shop for more than 1 week. What the?
Alan Higashi, 06/18/2018
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
I am leasing this car for three years. After 3 months, I took it in for a recall (something to with the battery voltage protection device) and first oil change. The service department notified me that there was a milky substance in the oil. They could not diagnose the problem and had to call their own tech support for help. To make a long story short, my car has been in their repair shop for a week now. Hopefully, I can get it back in a couple of days. The service department took 5 days to diagnose the problem and they are replacing a high pressure pump. Even with this replacement, they aren't sure if this will solve the problem. The irony of this is I really intended on getting an all-electric vehicle because of the low maintenance required of electric motors. I settled on this plug-in hybrid because it allowed me to drive in all-electric mode for up to 29 miles. My commute to work is only 24 miles so the all-electric range was acceptable. I have driven the car for 3 months and still had a full tank of gas when I took the car in for service. I can't understand why the ICE engine has this major problem when I haven't even used the ICE engine when driving. Update: 7/10/18. I got my car back after being in the shop for a week. See the previous paragraph. After driving for a few weeks, the warning indicator light begins to blink on and off. The Hybrid system warning light also turns on. The manual recommends that I get the car back to the Kia Service Department. Again? You've got to be kidding me. I have driven this car for about 4 months and it is telling me it needs repair. Also, when charging the battery, the fan turns on and is quite loud. The fan never turned on before the warning lights started flashing so I'm assuming when charging, the battery is overheating. Pretty scary! I hope it doesn't catch fire. Anyway, I scheduled an appointment with the Kia Service Department and they can't look at the car for another week. I hope this problem is solved right away and the car is not in the shop for another week. So far, terribly disappointed in the reliability of this car.
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