Used 2014 Kia Optima Consumer Reviews
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My second turbo Optima, and still love it
Leased a 2011 turbo and thought the car was great. I only had a few small nits to pick and it was like the engineers were listening to me since the 2014 model addressed virtually all my issues. Steering wheel lights up brighter, ride is more controlled, sound deadening improved. Economy and performance still top notch. Seats more comfy, and back-up camera very slick. It makes if virtually impossible to seriously find another car with the value for the money. Tried Audi, Fusion. A4 Audi was slick, but if equipped like the Optima, it was over $41K...not a good deal. I highly recommend the Optima. Update: For the three years I had the vehicle it had zero problems, consistently gave mileage over 32 on trips. It was comfortable in short and long trips. I wish they had a all-wheel drive version since I live in snow country, but regardless when I wanted to go places it was up to the task. I ended up replacing it with a 2017 Kia Sorento mainly for the 4 wheel drive capability. I would definitely be open to owning another Kia Optima. Great, great car.
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Optima SXL 1yr review
Bought the loaded Optima SXL a year ago for 32k after rebates. The car so far has been a pleasure to own - spacious trunk, soft ride, comfy seats, quiet interior. However, there are some downsides. First of all, the mileage on the turbo is terrible. I drive mostly in the city, and I get 15mpg on average in normal mode. Tried putting it in Eco, but the car becomes completely unresponsive and dangerous. Second, the moonroof takes a lot of space: I'm 5'10 and I repeatedly hit my head on the roof when going over bumps. Finally, Pandora integration is terrible compared to Mazda and Accord. Overall, it's a decent car for the money, but I wish I've gotten Optima Hybrid or new Sonata Eco instead.
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- EX Hybrid SedanMSRP: $5,99923 mi away
- LX SedanMSRP: $6,9707 mi away
- LX SedanMSRP: $7,99816 mi away
Great car for the price
Have had my 14 Optima LX with the convenience package for a month now and I still smile every time I sit in it. Was not looking to buy a mid size sedan but loved it as soon as I took the first test drive. Steering could be a little stiffer and provide a bit of feedback, and the front passenger seat is way to low without the power upgrade. Have a couple of friends who don't like not being able to see over the dashboard when riding with me. Mileage could be better, but for a mid size car with a trunk I could sleep in its not bad at all. Over all a great car for the price when I walk up to it in a parking lot I still cant believe its a KIA. 4 years and 80k miles still love the car. Finish is showing it’s age but not a single mechanical problem.
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It's got its pros and cons.
I bought my Optima in late May of this year and have been in love with it ever since. I went with an LX model but opted to get the convenience package for the back up camera. With any car though here will be issues and the 2014 Optima has a big steering issue. Everyone I talk with agrees that they don't have control of their car at high speeds and that the slightest correction to the steering grows the car too fast and far to the other side of the lane. I'm also not a huge fan of the grey and beige options as well as the gas mileage.
2014 Optima LX
We have owned our Optima LX for almost a year now. We are very happy with the car. We like the design, the sporty feel when driving it, and so far we have had no problems. We were amazed that the car could be purchased for about 20K. Other midsized cars we looked at were 3 or 4 grand more. Overall, a very good car at a very reasonable price. The long warranty was also a factor in our purchase.
Style, Price & Performance
For the money, you can't beat a Kia. The service from Kia is excellent and they are good about fixing issues that come up. Yes, there have been some recalls but they have issued notices and dealers have honored the work needed. I have an SX sedan, non-turbo. I love the design. In fact, this model was designed by a former Jaguar designer. This car hasn't had any issues so far and I'm glad I got this year. I'm not too excited about the newer models. One thing I don't like is where the heat vents are and the lack of fan power. I live in MN and need a good powerful heater. For some reason, this doesn't have it. It blows but not real strong. My car gets warm and cool but better vent placement and fan power would have been nice. It's not a deal breaker. This is a big, safe sedan with style and is holding up well. I bought it new and am happy with my purchase.
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A SPORTY LUXURY CAR
If you are looking for a vehicle with all the bells & whistles PLUS a sporty feel & exterior profile....this is the car for you! Once you test drive it you will be in love with it. Heated & cooled front seats are a wonderful feature for Texas weather. Never owned a hybrid before & Kia made me a believer. I will continue to own hybrid vehicles in the future.
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Our 2014 Optima LX
We have owned our 2014 Optima LX for over a year now. over all, we are happy with the car. Plenty of power, good cornering, nice ride, very sharp design. The front passenger seat is very low. I had to buy a cushion for my wife. The back seats are a bit low also. The steering could be a bit firmer. We have the car in for service now with a coolant leak. This is our first Kia so we will see about the reliability. It is fun to drive so I hope it is a keeper.
Best car around for the price
Working in the car business I see a lot of different cars and my SX Turbo Optima is the best car I have ever seen or owned hands down! I got the Corsa Blue that stands out. I can't tell you how many times I have been stopped and asked what kind of car I drive! The turbo is so fast I'm suprised I haven't gotten any tickets yet! For the money you turely can't beat it!
Nice car w/ some issues.
Car is comfortable, stylish and peppy. Stated gas mileage is a total lie. Manual transmission is terrible. Headlights do not illuminate road. Service advisers are not correctly informed of issues.
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What a great car!!
I have a 14 optima sxl and I love it. If you are looking for a car around 40,000 definitely look at Kia. It drives beautifully the turbo is a must! Ok fuel economy .
Looks aren't everything
I purchased a new Kia Optima in 2014. It was a good looking car, but by the time I had 30k miles I started having problems: rattling Windows that after 3 visits to the dealership was never resolved; hit a bump in the road, no audio or display until I learned to pull the fuse and re-insert it to force a reboot; I had to replace the tires twice and purchase a new battery before 40k miles and the last straw was when I learned I needed new brakes at 45k, at which time I traded it in for a new Toyota. Save yourself the frustration - bypass this brand. I've had many cars in my lifetime and only Mazda was as bad as Kia.
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Good bang for your buck vehicle!
Bought this vehicle with only 24000 miles on it and in excellent condition. Very pleased with it so far. The original Kumho tires on it are going to have to be replaced soon. It has everything except a sunroof and traffic assist. Getting 36 mpg in town and 39 mpg highway-great for a vehicle this size. The only complaint is that the front passenger seat is TOO LOW! Why Kia???
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Low Mileage and several problems
2014 Kia optima 32,000 miles when I bought the car five months ago. Entire engine seized at 36,000 miles Kia at least covered to put a new engine in it but was without a car for two weeks. Then at 38 500 miles my O2 sensors go bad. $675 to fix. Not happy with so many problems with such low mileage on the car only owned for five months.
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Can't believe the quality for the price
Going on one month now for the 2014 LX. The car is half the price of the Lexus I used to own and the ride is better, its quieter, the 4 cyl gives me all the power I can use not to mention the gas mileage, warranty, all in a beautiful car. I cannot believe they build this great car for the low price. Its about three years...the car is still great...much better than my wife's BMW which is double the price I no longer own the Kia, but do remember it as a great car. I am now driving a 2018 Toyota Camry SE which has more features and advanced safety equipment as standard.
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Look out
Engine on recall. It blew up with 70k + miles on it.
Dissapointed
I bought this car from a dealership about 2 years ago and its been somewhat of a nightmare. The check ev engine light constantly flashed every other time i turned it on forcing me to pull over and shut it off to reset it. After close to a year the starter battery died and in order to find the proper lead battery I had to drive from waterbury to bridgeport to get the only battery in stock. It has been 2 years of making payments and now i am hit with a 6,500 mechanic bill to replace the short engine block after it exploded driving 60 with no warning or check engine light. I have been calling the kia customer service hotline for almost 2 months now because they claimed to have “documented” my incident and said that they would connect me with a case manager to see if i could get a possible reimbursement. I call every week for updates but again and again im told that my case manager is busy and that they will send him an email. I bought this car because i thought that i would save money on gas on my daily commutes to campus and work, but now i am ending up paying an extra half of the price of the whole car to not be able to drive it as kia is in a deficit of replacement engines and i have been waiting over a month and a half for my mechanic to be able to finally acquire a new engine that isnt from another scrapped kia. I had to find a local repair shop to do the replacement as i felt that i was being taken advantage of by my kia dealership. I was appraised 2,000 for my 12,000 dollar car and when i declined the lady i spoke to suggested that i get some buddy’s and roll it on neutral into a tree. In conclusion i am really upset about this purchase as it has put a serious detriment on my emotional, social, and financial health and I urge anybody Who is a college student and thinking of buying this vehicle to save money on gas to do extra research and invest your money into a different and more reliable brand.
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Engine
Google Kia Optima engine problems and you will find a number of suprisingly similar complaints to mine. Had for 4 months regular maintenance and suddenly engine just goes.
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Loved this car until...
I bought my car “certified used” still smelt brand new, only had 13k miles on it. Looked to be in mint condition. Loved it! I only had it for a little over a year. I took GOOD car of my baby since this was the first car I was able to buy 100% on my own at the age of 32. This past May I just dropped my two kids off at school, just jumped on the highway to go to work. This particular day it was mild out in New England. It wasn’t quite roll down your windows mild, but open the slider for your panoramic sun roof let the sun shine come in kinda mild day. So I did. Wasn’t going highway speed yet, considering I was still on the one lane highway I was approximately driving 50 mph following a good distance behind another car, had two cars behind me. I was looking down at my car radio because my iPod suddenly stopped (my car sometimes did that) radio dock was recalled but passed the timeframe (cause I just bought my car to have it replaced under factory warranty so I had to bite the bullet there, and make due) oh well, I digress. — So I was driving looking down at my radio (good thing too) because just as I passed a transport truck coming from the opposite direction from me I hear this LOUD explosion. I was like OMG that truck must’ve blown a tire or something. Then the realization that pieces of glass was falling down all over me, and inside my car hit. I immediately looked in my rear view mirror to see if it was okay for me to pull over, and I did. I was shaking, I glanced quickly up seen a huge hole in my sun roof above my head. I then recalled reading about sun roofs spontaneously exploding. I was like just my luck it happened to me two weeks later after reading that. I drive to the closest exit still having glass falling in on me. I had to get off the corner of this highway. I call my husband with the call button on the steering wheel afraid to move because I don’t know what size chunk of glass just slid down my back. I didn’t want it to puncture me. I say with a quivering voice “I’m on exit 18 at the park, and ride get her as fast as you can the sun roof just exploded on me I’m covered in glass”. He left our showroom locked the doors didn’t turn off the lights, and got to me in under 15 minutes which should’ve been a 25 minute drive. I got out of my car, and was completely covered in glass, glass splinters, and shards. My car was covered in the same. The glass looked like the explosion happened from the inside out the way the glass was bumped out. I called AAA they drove it over an hour away to the closest Kia. Long story short... I didn’t get my car back for a whole month. First Kia tried to blame me, said I did it. Or a rock hit it or someone tossed something at my car. They had people investigate the highway looking for bumps, or road construction (there wasn’t any) they FINALLY said we’ll fix it for free but we can’t say we’re responsible or liable for the damages. Because then they could be sued. I had to pay out of pocket $50/day for a rental (which they have yet to reimburse me for like they said they would) . They removed the glass put in the new one only to find out there was now issues with the track. Had to wait for word if they’d replace those. They did, oh by the way I also needed a new car battery which I had to pay for. I repeatedly asked them to keep me updated which they didn’t. I repeatedly had to call them. I asked them to kindly vaccume the inside of the car to rid it of the small glass. They told me they would. I go to pick up my car, and find the glass still inside. I freaked out on the guy. It now just turned August, and I’m still waiting to be reimbursed. We called a few times, and left messages only to go unanswered. I’m considering contacting a lawyer now. I’m petrified to drive in my car now especially around trucks. Also, inside my car there was scratches, grease stains on the inside and outside of my car, and it smells like feet now. Kia needs to take care of their customers, and they clearly don’t. I don’t recommend them whatsoever. Looking to trade in my car now.
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Headlights are my only issue with this car
The headlights are not the greatest they are not bright and there is a distance line that it makes it very hard to see ahead at night and when one light goes out they both go out.
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Very nice love the feel
Feels light on the feet super quiet just looks so clean and very low to maintain luxury without the cost
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Best car I have ever owned
I have 2010 Acura TL when i totaled i got this it was with 158K on it already, they car looks so elegant so it took my heart and i didn’t care much about the milage, But man i sawer the car didn’t give me any hard time at all, I drive it a lot in three years and i already at 219K no issues what so ever. I m really surprised with this car and i loved the whole Kia brand and i recommend to everyone becoz how good this car did to me. In some cases i was going to be involved in bad accident but the stability and brake in this car saved my life many times i didn’t feel the same with my Acura, the car still drive great and i think it can go even more.
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One of the best cars in the market today
I have no complaints about this vehicle. It has power as i want it. Has 6 speed auto trans. Saves me gas and looks awesome. Good price. Its a great car.
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Love it
Great so far
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Kia optima ex
Car has new engine with less than 20k miles
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Awesome car for the money
This is my wife's driver. We have had several BMYW 7's, Jaguar XJ's, and two Audi A6's. At one third the price this thing gives them all a run for the money IMHO. I am a guy that has bought eight new Porsches and i am amazed that Kia can make a car of this quality and deliver it at that price. At this price point, it is definitely the best car out there. Update after a few years, still the greatest deal out there. Does whatever you want, zero defects.
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Kiki
It drives smooth I only have to fill up once a week. Nice car so far no complaints
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Wmckay65
Get the turbo...car is little sluggish
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Long time driver
Many extras for less money!
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Loaded
Everything for a used car standpoint.
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CREME PUFF
The car is a great value. The car performed perfectly, as well as being a grreat looking car.
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Just a fantastic car overall!
My parents bought their 2014 Optima used with 50K miles and haven’t did much maintenance but oil changes, tires and breaks and this car runs like new! One check engine light that was cleared and never came back. Never had one issue ever compared to previous year optima’s. Only complaint would be lacking technology for the upgraded model I had.
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2014
Great ride
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Black Peal
Love my Kia.
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