RUNNINGS

BY HARRY KIRSBAUM I PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

m fr

As'

he 2006 Kia
Optima earned
a "Good" rating
— the highest
possible — from
the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety for its safety
performance in frontal- and
rear-impact tests, according to
a press release from the Korean
auto manufacturer.
But I'm a reviewer, and I
had to find out for myself.
It's "good" enough. And it's
worth the price. With a base
cost of $20,400, the Optima
EX I drove sells for $23,700
and included the leather seat
package, electronic stability
package and a sunroof. The
2.7-liter 24V DOHC V6
engine has 185 horses and 182
lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm —
big enough to get the job done.

It also gets 22 mpg in the city
and 30 mpg on the highway.
An Infinity 360-watt sound
system with seven speakers,
including a subwoofer, handles
CDs, MP3s and cassette tapes.
The only thing missing is room
for eight-track tapes and a
turntable.
The Optima's interior is
comfortable and roomier than
the Toyota Camry or Honda
Accord, the displays are easy
to read and the center console
has a special tray for your cell
phone and charger.
The car comes with a 10-
year or 100,000-mile limited
powertrain warranty and five-
year or 60,000-mile, 24-hour
roadside assistance.
The Optima EX is comfort-
able, reliable and "safe."
And I need some Motrin.

Special thanks to Glassman Kia in Southfield for allowing
Cool Runnings to test the safety of Optima EX

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