The Kia Optima is a five-passenger, front-drive, mid-size sedan which places it in the most competitive car class today.

The Optima is available in three trim levels; LX, EX and SX. The LX is equipped with a 175-hp 2.4-liter DOHC four-cylinder. The EX and SX trims can be had with the same 175-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder, or a 190-hp 2.7-liter V6. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the LX, while a Sportmatic five-speed automatic is available on the LX and standard on EX and SX trims. The SX upgrades to sport-tuned suspension, a black mesh grille, blacked-out headlights and hyper-silver 17" alloy wheels. Standard safety features include traction-control, stability-control, four-wheel antilock brakes and a tire pressure monitor.

The Optima continues on for 2010 with minimal changes.

There's nothing cheap or flimsy to be seen in the Optima. Tasteful titanium-hued accent plates lock together with the rest of the interior trim with aircraft accuracy, most of the seams carefully lap-jointed to hide fissures. All drawers and hand grips slide with spring-damped motion. It's a soft-touch, low-gloss, fine-grained home run. -- Car and Driver

While the V6 won't inspire thrills, it's smooth and quiet, and offers decent acceleration and enough thrust for confident merging on the highway. -- Edmunds.com