Mick Kearns Citizen staff
Do yourself a favour. If you ever pinch a nerve in your shoulder/neck area or have a nice big knot in that same area, do not, I repeat, do not hammer the fun pedal in a sports sedan that has 274 horsepower under the hood.
I am telling you this in advance just in case the idea ever comes into your head, because I found out the hard way this week that it can be a real pain.
The guys at KIA had been telling me for a while about their new Optima turbo, but it would be a little while before I got to drive it as they didn't have any at the dealership yet.
So when I called there this week and was told it was in I hoped we wouldn't get any more snow before I got to drive it.
As usual while I am out test driving a vehicle, especially one as powerful and good looking as the Optima, I usually hammer the gas from a low speed to see what it is like for overtaking and for general get up and go.
However, on Tuesday morning as I was drying my hair something in my shoulder/neck area didn't like how I was handling the towel and decided it was going to give me gyp for the rest of the day. It was one of those pains where you have to turn your whole body to look over your shoulder.
Anyway, after several Robax and several Tylenol I figured it had loosened up enough, but as soon as I put the pedal to the floor, the Optima threw my neck and shoulders back against the leather seat and made me yelp like a dog who just got whacked on the nose by its master and the tears welling up in my eyes distorted my vision of the road ahead.
What a donkey.
Anyway, this Optima takes off like a scalded cat and keeps going until you think it is time to put out a saucer of milk and just sit and listen to it purr.
KIA has finally joined the big boys club with this car, and not only have they joined the club, they have surpassed a bunch of the members in many respects.
How many cars do you know of that get 274 horsepower out of a 2.0 litre engine, yet can manage 49 miles per gallon on the highway?
How many vehicles that cost a similar amount have heated rear seats as well as heated and cooled front seats with a power moonroof and power sunshade for the glass roof in the rear?
The Optima looks sharp from any angle and is equally as nice on the inside with its two-tone seats and a multitude of options including back-up camera, two memory settings for the driver's seat and self-levelling suspension that tightens the shocks on the outside two wheels when cornering so there is less roll while having fun.
There are three levels of driving in the Optima for motoring through the six gears. You have full automatic mode, sport shift mode where you can flip the shifter forward or back to change gears, or you can change gears via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
This thing also came with a built-in defibrillator just in case granddad has a bit of a coronary when you let all 274 horses loose. Just place him in the front passenger seat and crank the 530-watt infinity stereo to any of the satellite stations and turn the volume, preferably with something that has a little bass to it anywhere past the 20 mark. If this doesn't get the old codger up and complaining about the youth of today, then I'm afraid nothing will.
There is loads of knee room in the back for passengers, and believe me you will have a lot because your friends and even some of your enemies will want to drive in the Optima once they see and feel its power.
The rims on the Optima are especially nice to look at and the attached 18-inch rims and low-profile tires aide with the excellent handling.
The guys at KIA had been promising me a lot with this new Optima turbo and they sure didn't disappoint.
