Kia Optima beats Honda Accord

[gargantula99]

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/consumer-reports--kia-sedan-tops-honda-accord.html

I still wouldn't buy a Kia.  Hyundai, maybe, but not a Kia.  Bad experiences with them. 

[timot_one]

I guess they're getting better.

[Mike]

I can't say I'm surprised as much as I like my car it's got it's share of serious issues, and the 8th gen is even more down hill in my mind.

[accordguy04]

My mom and dad just traded in their Odyssey and Accord for a Forte and Sorrento.  The reason for this was the hospital my mom worked at shut down, so now her commute went from like 10 min. to over an hour.  She didn't like drivin the Accord because it was stick and she felt bad puttin the miles on my dads new car.  So she decided to trade the Odyssey in on something more fuel efficient, but then we would have nothing to tow the snowmobiles with.  So dad ended up tradin in his Accord for a Sorrento.

They are both REALLY nice.  I was deadset against it knowing Kia's past reputation and bein a hardcore Honda guy.  But Kia is definitely steppin their shit up.  I love the looks of the new Optima, just heard they are a bit lacking in the handling department.

Both cars have had no problems (had them for getting close to a year) and it doesn't matter as they are fully covered with the 10 year/100,000 miles warranty.  The only complaint has been the gas mileage for my mom with the Forte.  Kia claims that the Forte will get 38 mpg.  My mom even got some special package that supposedly boost the mileage (I have no idea what this means, haha, but it sounded like a scam to me).  Well my mom's commute is ALL highway and she hasnt pulled over 31 mpg... still not bad, but def not what thay are claiming.  And my mom is like the patron saint of driving, never speeding, yells at me when I do.

My dad went to Kia to ask if there was anything they could do, like reflash the ECU or something and they wont touch it. He is just annoyed because he knows he kinda turned his back on Honda for Kia and this is what he's getting.  He has had 4 Accords ('82, '84, '94 and '09) and with every single one, what Honda claimed their gas mileage would be, was always dead on, so he is just annoyed at not gettin what they claim.  And the Sorrento is even worse, he got the 4 cyl cause we didnt have an extra 3k layin around for the V6.  Well, I took it up to NYC last weekend and granted, we did have a car full of people and 3 bikes, but it only got 19 mpg on all highway?!?!?!  Rediculous, my V6 Accord will pull 29 on the highway with me beatin it. lol

But other than that I really do like the Kia's, the quality seems really good and all the features are really cool.

/BOOK

[Mike]

Can't really blame Kia on the reported milage all manafuctures are required to do the same testing and report accurate numbers by the EPA...

http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/420f06069.htm

[timot_one]

I know they've stepped up their game on improving the quality of their cars, but that's a bummer to hear about the mileage.  I think that for what I've done to my motor, on top of the amount of weight I have in my car, the fact that I just got 29-30 mpg on my drive to VA yesterday says a lot about Honda.  Considering that I have a TSX drivetrain, with a supercharger, and my Accord is heavier than the TSX by a few hundred pounds (because of my stereo and dynamat), I still got better gas mileage than claimed.

[accordguy04]

It was funny, two summers ago, I was makin like 27 mpg highway, then last summer I put my springs on and intake and it improved my mileage... guess the springs made it more aerodynamic.

But Mike, I know there is an industry standard, but then why do Honda's get exactly what Honda says they get and the actual mileage with Kia is almost 20% LESS than what they claim.  And like I said, thats really the only complaint we have with the cars. The Sorrento has a really cool like Blackwood accented interior, reverse camera in the rearview mirror, turn signals in the mirrors, bluetooth mp3 broadcasting.  And I actually found out that the baseline Sorrento comes in a 5 speed manual!  I didn't know that and I thought it was pretty cool.

[Mike]

Having a better tuning option aid in that Tim?

[alpha]

I love the looks of the new Optima, just heard they are a bit lacking in the handling department.

According to the linked Consumer Reports article, the reason the Optima won over the Accord was because of its superior handling, at least to that of the Accord.

[accordguy04]

Wow, yeah thats weird.  I mean I know our cars are not meant to be road handling demons, but most of the reviews I read said that the suspension feel didnt match the awesomely sleek looks of the car (my words).

[Mike]

Keep in mind they are likely matching it against the 8th gen!

[accordguy04]

Figured as much.  Oh well, well let em get excited for a while before comin back and crushin them with the 9th gen... maybe... i hope? 

[slipkord]

We need a smiley here jeff...honda beating up kia..doooo eeeeeet!!

[accordguy04]

How bout the H peeing on KIA haha

But seriously I saw this on a Forte in Vegas and I am gonna buy it and put it on my moms car, whether she likes it or not.

Alright, can't get any pics to work, but its just a new emblem that is just a K in the oval instead of the KIA in the oval.  It looks pretty cool, kinda like a tweaked Lexus emblem.  Just google "Forte K Emblem" and you'll see it. haha

[alpha]

Figured as much.  Oh well, well let em get excited for a while before comin back and crushin them with the 9th gen... maybe... i hope? 

maybe.. but they have a long way to go when they are #7 on CR's current list.