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Until recently, Kia was known chiefly as the automaker with the funny commercials featuring hip-hop hamsters.
But now, with its sales surging (up 56% in April), Kia has taken another step toward serious consideration by shoppers: Consumer Reports, after a comparison test, ranks theKia Optima midsize sedanahead of big seller Honda Accord.
Consumer Reports test drivers gave the Optima the edge over the Accord for its superior handling, although the magazine kept Accord on its Recommended list. They cited these additional attributes for the 2011 Optima (list price $21,885 in the test model), which has had a complete redesign:
- The 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine, which delivers strong performance
- Good fuel economy, with an EPA ratings of 24 mpg in city driving, 35 mpg highway.Smooth shifting by the six-speed automatic transmission
- An attractive interior and plenty of trunk space
- Crash test performance - the Optima garnered a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Optima ranks sixth overall among four-cylinder family sedans. The top five are Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Subaru Legacy andSuzuki Kizashi. The Accord came in at No. 7. The review is in the June issue or available on the CR website if you are a subscriber.
Both Kia and its Korean corporate stablemate, Hyundai, already sell well, but the two have benefited further from tight supplies of Japanese cars and parts after the recent earthquake and tsunami.
In addition to the Optima, sales have been strong for Kia vehicles like the midsize Sorento SUV and the small, boxy Soul (promoted by the hip-hop hamsters). At the recent New York Auto Show, Kia introduced the 2012 subcompact Rio, which is rated for 40 mpg in highway driving.
In a separate round of testing, Consumer Reports looked at midsize SUVs and gave mediocre ratings to Ford’s redesigned Explorer, which has been a strong seller so far. Here’s a closer look at those ratings:
Ford Explorer: Test drivers found the 2011 Explorer improved over the previous generation. They gave the Explorer credit for a comfortable ride and decent fuel economy (rated 17 mpg city, 25 highway). But they found the engine noisy and handling sluggish. The six-speed automatic transmissions is sometimes slow to downshift, they said. And they reiterated their distaste for the latest version of the SYNC system called MyFord Touch as too complicated and distracting. (The test vehicle was priced at $39,725.) Other reviewers have ranked the Explorer more favorably.
Toyota Highlander Hybrid: CR’s favorite among the three SUVs tested in this round, this hybrid SUV boasts faster acceleration than the standard gas model. It has a 280-horsepower V-6 engine combined with three electric motors and a smooth continuously variable transmission. The combination is rated 28 mpg city and 28 highway; in CR’s own test, the Highlander Hybrid (limited-run test model listed at $47,255) got a combined 27 mpg - closer than usual to the EPA ratings.
Volkswagen Touareg: Test drivers also liked the Touareg as a luxurious SUV with a comfortable and roomy cabin. The TDI Sport model ($47,255 list price as tested) is powered by a 225-horsepower V-6 diesel that delivers smooth power. The turbocharged engine is rated at 19 mpg city, 28 highway.
Of the vehicles reviewed in the June issue, only the slightly updated Honda Accord and Toyota Highlander Hybrid appear on Consumer Reports’ Recommended list. That, CR says, is because the totally redesigned Kia Optima, Ford Explorer and VW Touareg are too new in the current version to have sufficient reliability data in its reader surveys.
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- Slideshow:White House Correspondents Dinner
- Barack Obama Video:Meyers skewers Obama, Trump at Washington dinner AP
- Barack Obama Video:Obama takes jabs at Trump WWL-TV, Channel 4 New OrleansPresident Barack Obama exacted his revenge Saturday after weeks of attacks from his would-be Republican challenger Donald Trump, joking that the billionaire businessman could bring change to the White House, transforming it from a stately mansion into a tacky casino with a whirlpool in the garden.
President Barack Obama exacted his revenge Saturday after weeks of attacks from his would-be Republican challenger Donald Trump, joking that the billionaire businessman could bring change to the White House, transforming it from a stately mansion into a tacky casino with a whirlpool in the garden
With Trump in attendance, Obama used the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner to mock the reality TV star's presidential ambitions. The president said Trump has shown the acumen of a future president, from firing Gary Busey on a recent episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" to focusing so much time on conspiracy theories about Obama's birthplace.
After a week when Obama released his long-form Hawaii birth certificate, he said Trump could now focus on the serious issues, from whether the moon landing actually happened to "where are Biggie and Tupac?"
"No one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than 'the Donald,'" Obama said, referring to Trump's claims the same day that he was responsible for solving the issue.
For Trump's decision to fire actor Busey instead of rock singer Meat Loaf from his TV show earlier this month, Obama quipped: "These are the types of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir."
And then, as a coup de grace, Obama showed a screen with his vision of how Trump could bring change to the White House. "Trump" was prominently displayed in glittery letters and girls could be seen with cocktails on a Jacuzzi-augmented front lawn.
Trump chuckled at some of the earlier jokes, but was clearly less amused as comedian Seth Meyers picked up where Obama left off.
"Donald Trump often talks about running as a Republican, which is surprising," said the Saturday Night Live actor, entrusted with providing some of the comedy for the evening. "I just assumed he was running as a joke."
Trump stared icily at Meyers as he continued to criticize the real estate tycoon.
Obama and Trump found themselves in the same room after an intense week of attacks from Trump, who has piggybacked on the birther conspiracies and even Obama's refusal to release his university grades to raise the profile of his possible presidential bid.
And the birth certificate was clearly the key punchline for the evening, which typically offers the president a chance to show off his humorous side and a town consumed by politics and partisanship to enjoy a light-hearted affair.
Obama's presentation started after the wrestler Hulk Hogan's patriotic anthem, "Real American," played. Images of Americana from Mount Rushmore to Uncle Sam were shown on the screen, alongside his birth certificate. And then he offered to show his live birth video, which turned out to be a clip from the Disney film, "The Lion King."
On the serious side, Obama took time to thank the troops for their service overseas and noted that the people of the South, especially Alabama, have suffered heart-wrenching losses.
"The devastation is unbelievable and it is heartbreaking," he said. He encouraged the journalists in the room to help tell the stories of those who have been hurt by the storms and saluted those who lost their lives while covering the news.
Other possible Republican presidential hopefuls in attendance were former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Rep. Michele Bachmann and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. And stars such as Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson also were among the more than 2,500 people who attended.
The association was formed in 1914 as a liaison between the press and the president. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has attended the dinner. Some of the proceeds from the dinner pay for journalism scholarships for college students.
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