Used 2019 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid Consumer Reviews
Used Optima Plug-In Hybrid for sale
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2019 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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2018 With all the Bells and Whistles
THOMAS, 02/16/2018
updated 08/21/2018
2018 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
I had own a Kia Forte before and I enjoyed the car, it was the EX with four doors and it's was pretty simple and good mileage, the Kia Optima Plug In hybrid-Everything is pretty simple to use, it is alot heavier than the Forte, better gas mileage because of hybrid and plugin, the inside interior (I have the technology package) everything is good, from the sunroof, leather, the 10 speaker sound system is really good-dont believe me just go to a dealership and test out the sound, I had a after market speakers in my forte, I do miss my subwoofer extra kick but the optima sound makes it pretty good overall, smaller trunk space is little disheartening but everything else with the car is amazing, my friend has a Camry and I can definitely say this kia feels alot more luxorious and I like the handling better the one thing about the camry is that you can sit in the middle in the backseat more naturally but I don't usually have five people riding with me Update 8 months later: the biggest gripe I can find with this car is the trunk space, if you are someone who likes to use the trunk it's going to be really handicapped
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Fixable problems, but a little tricky.
Keven Jackson, 11/02/2022
updated 05/09/2025
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
We bought this in March 2021 with 37000 miles on it, now in October of 2022, we have 77,000 miles on it. It's a great car, but the hybrid system check light came on soon after we bought it. We took care of that problem by replacing the 12 volt battery, which unfortunately has to be done at the dealership for $300. We had another problem with the check engine light coming on caused by a misfiring cylinder. Over about a six month period they replaced the mass air sensor, the spark plugs- they said the oil level was too high, and finally replaced the ignition coil in the offending cylinder which fixed the problem. One thing we found is that if the oil is changed to specifications, it is half a quart too much! So you have to ask them to put in a half quart less than the specifications require. Despite the problems, the car has never stranded us, even out in the middle of nowhere in southern Utah, though I was worried. We have had no problems for about 5000 miles now. There are other minor things that others have mentioned such as the usb port is sometimes slow to kick in, trunk space in small but overall I am very happy with this car. Update (May 2 2024): Now at 104000 miles, no problems, everything is working great. Have lost one mile (out of 29) of electric range. I ran over a grapefruit size rock on I-5 going 60 miles per hour that blew the right front tire and bent the wheel, but the car kept going straight as an arrow. Had to get it towed since there is no spare tire. Update November 2024- 117000 miles. Running great, no problems. Down to 26 miles of electric range from 29. Update May 2025- 124000 miles. Currently on a 3200 mile road trip. Runs fine, but a message came up about system overheating (not the engine) so it would remain in hybrid mode. Didn't affect performance or gas mileage, and we are not plugging it in on the trip.
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A Sexy Entry into the EV World
Christopher D, 09/28/2019
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
My Kia Optima PHev is a Sexy Beauty. It drives smoothly and the range from a full tank is music to my wallet. The interior cabin looks like new (reminds me of a BMW 3 Series) and has a bright 8in LCD screen to play with. I'm delighted I bought this car over the Hyundai Ionic and Ford Fusion. I highly recommend to vehicle to anyone looking to dip their toes in the EV World. PS - Look into a Home Charger pronto.
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Let Down by Poor Technology
SeikoD, 01/22/2018
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I am an automotive enthusiast used to driving more sports-oriented cars but wanted something better for the environment as I live in a city with terrible air quality. To that end, the car is working exactly as advertised: for my frequent around town trips, I use almost no gas (I think 7 gallons over my first 1,000 miles of driving). So, while I love the car for its electric range, appearance, and comfort, the infotainment system is driving me absolutely crazy. I wouldn't have thought a poor touchscreen experience would be a big deal before I bought the car, but just imagine having to wait 15 - 30 seconds for it to boot up before you can adjust the climate control, use the backup camera, or listen to the music you want. Infuriating! Also, you have to plug in your iphone to use apple car play (no bluetooth capability in 2017? give me a break). Also, the app is a joke, it takes FOREVER to connect to the car for monitoring battery charge, security, and turning on climate control (so long that I usually sign in and walk away from my phone because I know it will take an eternity to connect, and even then it still fails quite often). On top of that, the Kia financing website where I pay for my lease is a joke as well, always seeming to have some excuse as to why I can't set up auto payments (again, unacceptable in this day and age). So overall I am enjoying the car for what it is, heck, even the acceleration and handling aren't too bad, but all of Kia's tech issues are going to scare me away to another manufacturer for my next car.
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Fantastic Choice/vehicle
Paul G, 04/22/2018
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Car gets great gas mileage, plenty of room and comfort, and all the bells and whistles you need. Averaging nearly 80mph!! The only minor flaw with this vehicle is the undersized trunk space. Other than that great choice with nearly $13,000 in rebates!
Great car
MBaisden, 06/19/2022
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Very nice car and excellent gas mileage
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Very happy with the car so far, albeit only 2 days
SDDriver, 06/17/2021
2018 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I was looking to replace a 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid SE that got totaled in an accident. I was considering a 2019 Hyundai Ioniq as well as the Prius and Ford Fusion Hybrid. I was intrigued with the Optima because it had the plug-in component. Although electric only is only good for 29 miles (mine always says 27 when fully charged), it is enough for a trip to my work and back home. I test drove the Optima along with the Ioniq and the others. What I liked about this Optima was that it drove very much like a regular car and much more sporty and composed than the Ioniq and Prius, which drive very light and flighty. The Fusion Hybrid was too bouncy and the seats sucked. The sound system is great and the layout is excellent. Reminds me a lot of the BMWs. Looking forward to keeping this as my daily driver for a long time.
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Incentive couldn’t be passed up.
Rich, 12/03/2017
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Have a Tesla 3 on order. With the EV credit in 2018 in jepody, I couldn’t pass up on this deal.
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Great car on a cheap lease
Big Al, 01/24/2018
2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Huge rebate made the car very affordable. The information system allows me to drive efficiently. Very roomy interior.
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