Kia Optima GDI Query

[generalprime]

Hi guys,

Me again!

After weeks of going through every vehicle possible I have fallen in love with the Optima GDI.

If Anybody has answers or insight into the below questions please provide me with some feedback!

I have read that the Optima is underpowered - has this been solved with the GDI?
Des the vehicle struggle to make it up a hill?
What is the real fuel economy like?

Thanks a mill,

GP

 

[Cool E]

Tested one yesterday. I rather keep my bmw 320i instead of getting this. Too much of bling bling.

 

[Quantum Theory]

You should go and test it, but to answer your 3 questions...

It will be underpowered, when compared to super- and turbocharged German rivals, by journalists and drivers of those german cars. For the rest it will be perfectly fine.

Are you mad? It is not a Spark Lite.

Real world consumption is probably just under 10l/100km.

 

[Quantum Theory]

Tested one yesterday. I rather keep my bmw 320i instead of getting this. Too much of bling bling.

How does it compare to your Toyota Quantum?

 

[Cool E]

How does it compare to your Toyota Quantum?

Quantum is much better than this bling bling car. But really you Can't compare the two.

 

[generalprime]

Tested one yesterday. I rather keep my bmw 320i instead of getting this. Too much of bling bling.

Fair comment, but what did you think of the actual drive? Power etc?

 

[generalprime]

You should go and test it, but to answer your 3 questions...

It will be underpowered, when compared to super- and turbocharged German rivals, by journalists and drivers of those german cars. For the rest it will be perfectly fine.

Are you mad? It is not a Spark Lite.

Real world consumption is probably just under 10l/100km.

I'm currently driving a 2011 Astra 1.6T Sport - it has 132kw.

I have test driven it but couldn't take it onto the highway...

 

[Paul_S]

I have read that the Optima is underpowered - has this been solved with the GDI?
Des the vehicle struggle to make it up a hill?

That's a subjective question.
Up on the Highveld any vehicle with a an engine capacity of less than 3.0 litres weighing more 1.5 tons feels underpowered.
Take the previous non-turbo 320i. People were always complaining about it being a slouch. Now with the new turbo charged model, it's another story.

The one thing I hate is all these skinny (low profile) tyres.
They are not suited to South African road conditions and put me off.
I'd rather have a vehicle that is practical than Boksburg Bling.

 

[Brawler]

Decent car but at its price its no longer such a great option.
You might as well go for a BMW 316i. It has a twin scroll turbo and is actually faster than the 2.4l Optima (0-100 8.9 vs 9.5), if you are in the highveld the difference will be even more noticeable.

Not to mention you will get a better quality vehicle, better motorplan, better drive(legendary RWD), resale. Practically everything.

 

[Wide]

I have read that the Optima is underpowered - has this been solved with the GDI?
Des the vehicle struggle to make it up a hill?
What is the real fuel economy like?
GP

I was about to ask the same questions. I went to Kia to see another vehicle and fell in love with the Optima. Test drove it and it seems like a really great car with excellent value. I understand that the non GDI version has a sluggish engine and not fuel wise. Many people as well as overseas reveiws suggest that the GDI version (Apr 2013) sorted out these problems and the car is really great but fuel around 7-9l/100km for urban driving

However, yesterday I read an article in the local papers that this is not the case

http://www.looklocal.co.za/lookloca...l&pid=null&Kia’s-optimistic--luxurious-Optima

This article just put me off - I was about to buy one but very hesitant now. Hope someone who has one can advise true consumption ?

 

[Paul_S]

I think one needs to look at the torque curve, the gearing and the altitude the car will operate at to figure out how well it will perform.

I drive a 2.0 Cerato and it only pulls nicely from around 3000 RPM and the 5 speed gearbox (2010) is geared quite long.
This means that if I'm doing 80km/h and want to accelerate quickly I need to drop down to 3rd and then if pulls very nicely up to 140km/h.
So on the Cerato I think the torque below 3000 RPM is a bit low. Once you stir it using the gear shift it's quite nippy (certainly a lot more athletic than most of the N/A 1600 hatchbacks).
The 2.0 Cerato and 2.4 Optima engines share a lot of the same hardware - they're both Theta II engines.

 

[Inviter]

I think one needs to look at the torque curve, the gearing and the altitude the car will operate at to figure out how well it will perform.

I drive a 2.0 Cerato and it only pulls nicely from around 3000 RPM and the 5 speed gearbox (2010) is geared quite long.
This means that if I'm doing 80km/h and want to accelerate quickly I need to drop down to 3rd and then if pulls very nicely up to 140km/h.
So on the Cerato I think the torque below 3000 RPM is a bit low. Once you stir it using the gear shift it's quite nippy (certainly a lot more athletic than most of the N/A 1600 hatchbacks).
The 2.0 Cerato and 2.4 Optima engines share a lot of the same hardware - they're both Theta II engines.

New optima got the GDI engines and not the theta II engines. They supposed to be more powerful but I never yet drive one

 

[Brawler]

New optima got the GDI engines and not the theta II engines. They supposed to be more powerful but I never yet drive one

Its a new "GDI" engine but its still a theta II engine..