As you know from my previous posts here, and here, I recently had the chance to test drive the 2012 KIA Optima Hybrid for a week. Now, I have been reviewing different vehicles for a few years now, and I can say that the KIA Optima Hybrid is by far my favorite so far.

Hybrids normally have the reputation of being small little cars, nothing like a sedan or family vehicle, that is until KIA moved into the spotlight with their Optima Hybrid. This 4 door sedan fit my family like a glove. Normally we have a few issues, my husband being 6’1” and my oldest daughter with legs that go on forever, she a lot of the time doesn’t have the room she needs if she’s sitting behind him. Not an issue at all in this vehicle. They both have a ton of leg room, head room and space between them.

Gas mileage is phenomenal! For the majority of my time with the Optima I did a lot of city driving. My normal routines, what I fell in love with…Even with city driving, it took me almost a week for my gas gauge to go below FULL!

We decided to take the KIA Optima Hybrid on a little road trip, about a 3 hour drive to Muncie Indiana where we used to live, and where my oldest was born. I wanted to take it on a highway trip just to see how we would do on gas. About ½ hr into our trip, my gauge finally went to below a full tank. The three hour trip there and then another 3 hours back, even with using the A/C all the way, it left me at about a ½ tank, much better than what my Sebring would have done for us.

The trip was comfortable for everyone, lots of room, and with the XM Sirius radio, the kids were entertained for a while with Radio Disney, and we were entertained for a while with our favorite station The Heat.

Check out the video below to get a peak at what I had to drive around for the week with the 2012 KIA Optima Hybrid….

This car is aerodynamically designed, so it is lower to the ground than what I was used to, which meant I was able to hear every pebble that we ran over, kind of freaked me out at first but not a big deal. The car also has a push start button which I love, no more keys! I can simply leave my keys in my purse and start the car, even lock and unlock it with the push of a button on my driver side door handle, as long as the keys are with me.

The electric battery for the car is in the trunk, however, it doesn’t mean lack of trunk space. The trunk is very deep and we were able to get groceries in and out without a problem.

With the touch screen menu in the car, you can also sync your cell phone, which is perfect when driving and you have the controls right on the steering wheel as well, hands free, no fumbling around trying to make a phone call and putting your safety in danger. The car also has built in navigation, and you can even see how eco friendly your car is being! There are settings on the screen where you can view how your car is working while your driving as well.

Everything in the car is mainly digital, my only real complaint about the KIA Optima Hybrid is something small and petty and probably most people wouldn’t even notice. Your left and right blinkers, VERY hard to hear when your in the car, meaning that if you turn left and it doesn’t automatically shut off, it might be a while before you notice your blinker is on (one of my big pet peeves).

The KIA Optima Hybrid also has climate control for both the driver and passenger, so if you’re hot and your passenger is not, turn up your side of the air conditioning! Heated AND Cooling seats are also included on the driver and passenger side, as well as two A/C Adapters and a port for USB and your iPod.

The ride itself is smooth and QUIET!! If you’ve never driven a hybrid before, when the electric battery kicks in, you might think the car stopped or stalled out, that’s how quiet it is. Love it!

I could go on for days about how much I love the KIA Optima Hybrid. If you’re in the market for a new family vehicle this is definitely one to check out, find your local KIA dealer and go check them out for yourself, take a test drive, even if your not in the market right now, it can be something to keep in the back of your mind for a future purchase, I know it’s in the back of ours….