Kia tuned the suspension for comfort, not handling. That doesn't mean a floaty, imprecise ride. Indeed, hustling down some California backroads between Sonoma and Bodega Bay, the Optima displayed remarkable poise over bumps and lumps in mid-corner, its track not diverted by bump steer. There's considerable understeer, however, which should keep the expected driver of the Optima safe and secure. Pushing the Optima, however, is a lot of work and although the Michelins never complain, even sports-minded drivers will dial back a notch to let the Optima operate in its comfort zone, which is what the Optima does best.
Kia engineers have managed to filter out most road and tire noise, but there's a ruffle of wind noise from the top of the windshield. It's not particularly loud, so our hearing it may be more a result of everything else being so quiet. At highway speeds, conversations between front and back seat were easy at normal speaking volume. Next Page