Used 2005 Kia Optima Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Watch out if you have infants...
sesasalt, 04/21/2005
2005 Kia Optima LX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We bought this car when we had a one year old child, and now we have a two year old and another baby on the way. We are out of luck on using the nicer strollers though because the trunk is very short (as in height). We are unable to fit our single seater Graco stroller in it w/o scratching the top of the stroller handle, and almost all the tandem strollers are too big... We are just unsatisfied with the size of the trunk... Other than that, we don't have any major problems with this car.
Great Car
KiaLover, 04/28/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
So far no problems great car
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Tim A, 05/10/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I never thought I would own a KIA. After looking at the Mazada 3, and 6, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry there was no comparison when you looked at what you got for your dollar. I am very satisfied with my dollar return, crash ratings and most importantly the warranty that was standard. Great car for the value. Look out Honda and Toyota.
Love MY KIA
jasonE., 07/16/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I purchased my Kia on the 13th of June after i got a letter in the mail from a Kia dealer stating that they were looking for a used 2004 Kia Optimas with less than 40,000 miles on them.I had a 2004 LX 4cyl and thought i could UPGRADE!!!!
Kia Optima
Sam, 07/30/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Pros: Dealership maintenance service is superior; no appointment needed, just roll in and the service rep is more than happy to assist. Fuel mileage good, but could be better for its size. No questions asked on warranty; 10 year/100K coverage areas. Kia, in general, is a very real vehicle seen on the ordinary used car lot! Excellent value package over Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Cons: Insurance rating is higher than a 1999 Durango because of side impact risks to the driver. An occasional transmission slip upon initial startup. Not attracting a large number of mature buyers; considered the beginner's car choice, not a family vehicle.
Love This Car
jafarmer1, 07/30/2005
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is my first Kia, and it won't be my last! I just drove to Georgia, and I couldn't have asked for more from my Optima, I can't wait for my next trip. The gas mileage was awesome, and it handled beautifully.
Glad We Got It...
MLegend, 08/05/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
So far, so good. The very first week, we took it on a round trip of 500 miles and it averaged right at 30 mpg. That should increase somewhat as the engine breaks in. We feel we got a good deal on the car. The warranty and extras are what sold me as compared to what the local Toyota dealer was willing to give us. With the price of gas continuing on an upward spiral, we're glad we got the 4-cylinder engine. It's got enough zip for us.
Great Car for The Money
LarryP, 08/25/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I am very impressed with the quality of this car. Only have 6K miles on it but NO problems at all. This car has all the bells and whistles and compared to comparable cars, cannot be beat! After lots of research and driving the other brands, this car was hands down the best bang for the buck. Will definitely consider another Kia, especially the Amanti.
2004 Kia Optima V6
Lynda Schwartz, 09/06/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is easy to handle, responds quickly and has excellent heat, air and defrost systems.
Good Car
Nick, 09/06/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
In the current market of rising gas prices this is a very sound vehicle with good gas mileage. I have gotten an average of 25 MPG city/hwy. There is plenty of necessary pep available with the slide shift transmission for entering freeway traffic. I hate it when my baby is dirty because she looks so pretty when she is clean.
Impressed
Jan, 09/08/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Honestly I was skeptical about buying a KIA. However, after checking reviews and safety ratings, I thought I would give it a try. Man, am I glad I did. Great power in the V6 and what a comfortable car! Also, the salesman and finance department went out of their way to help me, seeing as I was upside down on my trade. I even ended up with a cheaper payment than I expected. I am impressed with the interior, the sound system and the performance. This will be a keeper for me ... after three non keepers in a row! Fun to drive, love the sport shifter too. Great car for the price. Great warranty. Not a single complaint!
Solid Car
OnlyHonda, 09/21/2005
2005 Kia Optima LX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I am converted to Kia. This car excels all of my expectations for the money. You know that if a company backs up a car with such a warranty, they know they are going to still make a profit. With the new innovations of the sister company Hyundai, I can see even better things coming from Kia and for this specific model.
the gas miser
kia of greer, 10/14/2005
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is a tight handling car; handles curves with ease; good on gas; has plenty of power on mountains -- in other words a great car.
Kia Krazy
Kia Krazy, 11/13/2005
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is well built for a Kia. The 2.7 liter v6 is quite peppy and smooth. The transmission is very smooth and the Infinity sound system is great. The leather seat are more comfortable than I expected and with all these options and quality it's weird to see the price.
Overall....
BabyBlue, 12/17/2005
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Well, I love my Kia. However, I was recently in a car accident, about 2 days ago actually. I hit a semi-truck, his fault, but it happened, the car has remarkably held up, no air bag deployed, which is a major concern of mine. However I received only minor injuries and was released from the hospital. The safety of this car is outstanding! Too bad I had to find out the hard way. On a regular basis, the city mileage is averaging about 20 miles to the gallon. Interstate is awesome! With an average of about 30/32 miles to the gallon! Comfortable, FUN and a car I can be proud of!
Don't get hit!
Brad Zimmerman, 01/31/2006
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Overall, car was good looking and fun to drive. Lots of pick up for a 4 cylinder. Comfortable on long trips with ok mileage (29 hwy). 2 days after I got it, battery was dead - faulty alternator was replaced. Then, battery failed. After that, the car was trouble free. Then, I was rear ended by an SUV at about 20 miles an hour. My car was pushed into the car ahead of me. This low speed collision caused $17,000+ damage to the Optima, totaling it. My 8 month old car with 6500 miles on it was totaled with this small wreck! The body shop said repair parts for Kia's are overpriced and hard to get, sometimes requiring a long wait for the parts. The car did protect me as I wasn't hurt.
Chancing a KIA
Walter Nowak, 08/03/2007
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Our 2005 Optima is most impressive in terms of value versus performance/confidence in driving. It is quite comfortable driving with the manual adjustable lumbar and seat adjustments. We have a 5 speed with overdrive and, although it doesn't have the power I am used to, the mileage we get more the compensates for the lack in overtaking other vehicles on the open road. Now, don't get me wrong we cruise at 74 mph at a little of 3,000 RPMs very comfortably and experience much less road noise and vibration than the Corolla we've rented a number of times with intent to purchase. My wife and I realize the South Korean automakers are serious contenders in the market and our decision was sound.
2005 Kia Optima EX V6
H Gerike, 03/25/2008
2005 Kia Optima EX V6 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Having bought this vehicle only 2 months ago, but in that time I have enjoyed driving it very much. Compared to my previous vehicle, a 1998 Olds Intrigue, my Kia Optima has as much interior room even though its exterior size is smaller. The ride is as comfortable, if not more so, than the Intrigue. The design is also quite striking. I look forward to a long tenure with the Kia Optima.
I love this car!
rockport3, 05/18/2008
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I totaled a Honda Civic, and rented an identical Kia for 2 weeks. I liked it so much I bought one! Compared to the Civic, this car has much greater visibility, greater safety features, and equal economy. The headlights are brighter and covered 1/3 more area, and the Kia is the quietest car I have ever owned, better than a Caprice Classic. The seats are a luxury and I am far safer in this car. I used the balance of the 60,000 mile warranty at 3 different dealers, who were far more courteous than any GM rival! A happier owner you will not find!
Not a good car
Owen, 05/13/2017
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car November of 2016. Had been in a crash before and was half-assed as far as repairs go. Needed a new control arm because it was pulling left, also very difficult car to work on. I don't know what Kia was thinking when they designed it. Awful. However the ride was very comfortable and i was surprised at how easy it was to drive. Easy and fun to drive, hard and frustrating to work on. Eventually sold it last week for parts after a catastrophic computer failure.
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Engine Seized
Ron C., 07/28/2017
2005 Kia Optima EX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Just bought a used Optima. Owned less than 3 weeks and a few hundred miles driven. Balance shaft in engine seized. Needs new engine. Total JUNK.
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Not bad if you maintain it properly
Maliik M, 07/31/2019
2005 Kia Optima LX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car in 2016 as my first car for less than $2k. It was a high mileage vehicle when I bought it and currently sits at over 170k miles now. I didn’t have any issues the first year, but eventually I started having issues with the engine burning oil. I took a 2 hour drive once on I4 and the car kept stalling. I later found out there was no oil in the engine. Thank God it didn’t explode. A few months later the timing belt broke and I had to replace the engine with a used one. Fast forward a year later and one of the original radiator hoses ripped. I’ve replaced so many parts in this car, but most of these issues were due to lack of maintenance on my part, and wear and tear on the original parts. It’s not really a bad car if you know how to take care of it, but it’s not as easy to maintain as a newer vehicle either. I will say the transmission starts to get a little rough after a while so keep that in mind too. The interior of my car is very cheap. There’s lots of plastic and being in the hot Florida sun has caused the dashboard to start warping. The fabric seats hold up well though, and the ac works really well if you keep it tuned up. What I dislike most about this car is that it has a CD player but no AUX cord, and the radio/antenna are very weak so I normally get a lot of static when I try to use one of those FM tuners to play my music. Overall it’s a decent car if you can keep it maintained and have enough money to replace worn parts.
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