The typical on 2011 Kia Optima is the 2.4-liter, four cylinder 200 horsepower, and 186 lb torque engine. It’s a good engine, not a great engine for these Optima. Both engines are respectable, reliable, and solid for most drivers. The standard will give the driver a 24 mpg city and 35 mpg on the highway experience. With both the standard and turbo, the Optima drive can have the choice of standard or manual transmission. When taken out and pushed a bit, the Kia Optima driving experience can be a lot of fun. The Optima tends to take turns well and though when revved up, the motor can be a little bit loud.

If you’ve been shopping for a midsize car, you may notice that there is no V-6 available for the Optima. The new shape of the 2011 Kia Optima is a far cry from the forgettable lines of the current Kia Optima. Crisp and clean, they feature bold fog lights, a geometric grille opening, front fender vents and an overall tautness that looks downright European. Inside, the Optima offers up first-class safety and creature comforts, with stability, brake assist, hill assist control and a plethora of airbags all standard. A Microsoft-sourced entertainment system called UVO (short for “Your Voice”) is similar to Ford’s groundbreaking SYNC system, allowing voice activation of your connected phone or audio player.

For consumers looking for even more sporty appeal, the Optima SX adds unique black leather woven seat trim, black interior trim with carbon insert film and metal accent, Supervision™ meter cluster with LCD display, center fascia and meter housing, soft trim with French seams, steering wheel paddle shifters, metal pedals and lighted metal door scuff plates.

Available upgrades for the Optima EX and SX trims include a power panoramic sunroof, leather seat trim, and memory driver’s seat, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel for additional interior refinement.

Kia has been famous as the car corporation that caters and markets its cars to the innovative and funky crowd. Though, this new Kia Optima is a much slicker, more serious look at the mid-sized sedan. With a option in hybrid or turbo will satisfy most middle of the road drivers and truly brings the Kia Optima into what many will call real family car.

Audi’s A6 2.7 TDI promises the right measure of power, class, sophistication and price, all of which seem to be perfect for chauffeur-driven entrepreneurs. Audi will be looking at launching a refreshed A6 next year, though we do not expect any dramatic change in design, as it will follow the lines of the recently launched new A8 and new A7. The A6 2.7 TDI proposes to be a smart buy, taking into consideration the price, low running cost and the premium size.