2013 Kia Optima Hybrid EX: Luxury That’s Easy On the Wallet, and the Earth
Affordable Luxury and Gas Mileage to Keep You On the Road, Not In Line at the Gas Station
Finding a fuel efficient vehicle that meets the wide range of our personal needs is something many of us want, as somehow we have reached a point where we are thankful for gasoline prices in the mid $3.00 range. With gas prices at this new constant high and the natural mileage output that comes from living in a large metro area, my husband and I frequently talk about ways to reduce the amount of money we spend on gas each month. With the trips we make just on our routine travels, to and from work, school and activities,the cost of gas adds up: One and a half to two tanks a week at about $60 each. $400-$500 a month.
But what can we do? One option—and one that is becoming more and more popular—is to drive a more efficient car. We put this idea to the test last month when we test drove the Kia Optima Hybrid EX for a week.
The 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid EX features a 2.4L 4 cylinder hybrid engine with a 6 speed automatic transmission that was able to handle the demands we put on it in Southern California. A normal week for our family involves about 40% city driving and about 60% highway driving. However, the highway driving can sometimes feel like you are on city streets with the stop and go of traffic.
A Week Of Driving, and Not One Stop For Gas
Throughout the week, we put over 320 miles on the Kia Optima Hybrid. In a normal week of driving, we would go through at least one and a half tanks of gas, often we burn through two tanks. During our week in the Kia Optima Hybrid with our normal city driving, one round-trip commute to LA from Southern Orange County and eight additional hours of highway driving, we used a half tank of gas. The Kia Optima Hybrid’s EPA rating is 36 MPG city and 40 MPG highway, which is about what we experienced.
Time In the Car: Tech Smart and Comfortable
The miles we drove—and hours we spent—in the Optima Hybrid EX were not a sacrifice, either. The EX edition is fully outfitted with pretty much every luxury Kia can think of: an Infinity Surround Sound system, a media console that connects to your phone, navigation system with touch screen and real time traffic display, Bluetooth, push button start, rear view camera, smart key (which unlocks the door when you’re holding the key, no button pressing necessary), leather seat details, heated power seats, a cooling glove box, and more.
The Optima Hybrid EX has a starting price of about $32,000, which is a very good price for the number of luxuries that come standard, and makes the gas savings all the sweeter.
Disclosure: We test drove this vehicle so we could share our opinions with you. No fees were received for this article and opinions expressed here are all our own.
Categorized:Car Reviews
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