Kia Optima K5

Have been driving K5 2.0 for about a month now and I am very impressed with the Koreans. The design of the car both interior and exterior wise has been nicely designed along with the features packed in the car, it's really worth the price. The car alone looks very sporty from outside. Rear seat passengers sits comfortably behind with plenty of leg room though if 3 over size adults were to sit behind, it would be a little squeezy. Driver seat is comfortable with its electronic seat adjustments with lumbar support. Center console is slightly tilt towards the driver which makes it convenient for the driver to access the info-tainment system. Having driven a 2.0 2006 camry before this, I must say that the K5 feels alot more comfortable and stable. This is mainly due to the fact the K5 lies low on the road and the handling makes it much more stable. In terms of power wise, k5 is just a normal 2.0L with no turbocharge. If Kia were to bring in the 1.6L/2.0L turbo model, I would believe the sale of the car would improve. If you are looking for comfort, style, features and not picky about engine performance and so so fuel comsumption, K5 is definitely a yes yes.

Test drove the K5 earlier this month. One of the more affordable Cat B cars as compared to the rest. Nice balance of features, performance and price.

I took no longer than 30 minutes to decide on this Korean beauty 2.5 years ago. It's sleek and sporty exterior, the spacious interior and the sheer number of features that you wouldn't have imagined from an Asian manufacturer. I haven't even got started with the drivetrain.

The ride was smooth but not the quietest. If you're looking for a car packed with power and torque, I suppose K5 might not be your favourite choice, but it is definitely a comfortable ride.

Well, to be honest, I wouldn't have considered a Kia or any Korean marquee 5 years ago - the reliability, the look and feel wasn't right.

I guess the ripple effect of the Korean wave definitely moved into the automotive industry and is here to stay. With the latest face-lift and added boost with a 2.4L variant, I give my two-thumbs up for this baby.

Have been hunting for a 2L cost effective full featured car since March 2014. The closest new variant of K5 is the Mazda 6. Nissan Trans is out for me as it's made in Thailand. Honda accord and Toyota Camry is too expensive as it's $150k++ for basic model. HYUNDAI i45 design is old.

While comparing between Mazda 6 and Kia K5, I realised that for the same specs( electric seat, xenon head light as etc..) , I need to pay around $10k more. After the test driving both car, I decided to go for K5 as it's valuable for $. I realised that I am paying for a Korean car price with continental feel and features.

K5 provides all the features( large boot, xenon head light, DRL and etc..etc

The exterior of k5 is futuristic and suave. The tiger grille is distinctive and nice. The DRL and LED fog light is stunning and very useful in dim places. Boot is big and can fit 5 golf bags. It definitely solved my grocery problem on weekends.

Although the 2000cc does not come with Sun roof , ventilated seats ,blind spot.assistant.( available in 2400cc) , the interior is comfortable both for the driver and passengers. One key note is that the seat for the front passenger is low and the seat cannot be adjusted higher.

From the driver seat perspective, this car is driver orientated w the console titled towards the driver. Majority of the controls are on the steering wheel. I like it coz I am a gadget man..

Coming from a 1.4turbo car, the paddle shift is the only way to drive fast. However the steering is very light.

K5 is the car for me at that moment with my budget.. value for $ for all the gadgets I want

I have done some comparisons between the Japanese cars and Korean cars before deciding giving the K5 a go. The models I considered are the teana, Camry, Mazda 6 and accord. Even though Japanese brands have been considered by many as more reliable, I decided to get the k5 for its gadgets as I'm more of a gadget person.

Comfort wise I still think the teana seats are better. Driving experience wise I feel u must go test drive all to see which one connects with u.

Before I got behind the steering for a test drive, I saw it featured on 2010 Korean series "Athena".

I was so drawn to it by its good looking styling & lines. What was most prominent about the K5 was its front LED lights (which is a standard item ",)... It seems as though the car is always on the move even when it's parked.

I'm even more impressed with the interior features & equipment as it matches or even bested most European cars on the same category.

I even find a lot of room for rear seats after I adjusted the driver's position (FYI, I'm not short to begin with :p)... That's another + point.

Finally, I put the car out for a drive... drove it... & to my disappoinment there was a significant frown on my face as the 2.0L engine was under-powered & the steering felt uncertain. It felt as though the K5 was just another utility vehicle to get people from point to point. Honestly, this is a kind if car I will not look forward to drive it - it is not a driver's car (if u know what I mean).

My conclusion, given the current price (including high COE) it is definitely worth putting your signature on the dotted lines. There is always a BUT... as there are a few European options like Citroen, Renault & VW that you might find it as an option.

Seriously, if you're not knick about its engine performance... GO FOR GREAT LOOKS, hi-5 for K5!

Went to Ubi showroom to try out this highly graded K5...

The exterior styling certainly looks nice and classy, the rims design is also captivating (but I will change design if to get, too common on the road).

Sitting in it, it comes with driver and passenger electric seats which you don't find in other makes...

Features like auto wipers and headlights are of good cause as other Asian makes tend to have one of them only, wonder why is this so....

Most loved is the panaromic roof which the front is a sunroof while the back is moonroof, letting passengers or even the driver itself enjoys the sky views.

Other features like bluetooth control on steering, iPod, paddle shift, push start (nice), rear aircon (can't remember if have) and the mounted in GPS.

The drive was ok, except the engine tend to roar it out when rev...maybe is the insulation of the car.

Turning bodyroll is minimum and cruising is pretty smooth on a stretch (for a Korean car).

Overall, from the features given, its a best deal comparing to many other Asian makes and with all these packed in, if you go conti, most likely have to pay heafty price for it.

SO, if you are ok with Korean make, WHY not consider the K5 ?

The main thing about the K5 is definitely the way it looks. This is followed by the shed load of equipment it comes with.

It really looks distinctive but I haven't quite made up my mind if it's all good. Up close it seems overly fussy- not as odd looking as the front end of an i45 but it just looks a bit too contrived.

Still I believe it will get admiring glances most of the time.

The hi spec model was not available for testing so the one I took out had no panoramic roof, HIDs etc.

The car doesn't feel that wide when driving though it is very long when parking (it's longer than a Camry). The test drive car also didn't have the rear view camera to help.

The engine sound is muted but does not have a very nice character to it. Performance is adequate for town driving but may be lacking for cross country drives up North.

The rear isn't as spacious as it looks from the outside. Certainly the Camry is better for this... but at $10K less than a 2L Camry and with lots more toys, it is a better buy.

All-black interior and no cream choice is not a good thing. The black trim only-option looks "beng" in a sporty-upmarket-beng style. Door handles feel hollow. The boot lid has very sharp edges. But overall, it's a great looking machine... at a good price point.

Tested drive the car on 27 Feb.

Very impressive, the features, the function, the styling, the drive feel...

Wow i must said, my my forte parking there lose out so much...

even in the show room the Koup parking beside seem pretty lose out.

K5 is the car that will outshine any other car out there in the same league within the price range.

One of the car to own, maybe you guys should try it for yourself.

test drive yesterday, shocked by the interior and the driving pleasure, should be one of the best in town!