Used 2017 Kia Optima Buyer’s Guide

The 2017 Kia Optima is a sensible car for sensible drivers. Here’s what you need to know before buying one.

2017 Kia Optima: Quick Overview

A 2017 Kia Optima might not be one of those cars you daydream about. It’s not the fastest thing on the road, it’s not the biggest, and it’s not the most luxurious. It is one of the most dependable. It is high in the running for best value in terms of bang for your buck. It’s a car that will save you hundreds of dollars a year at the pump, and hundreds more at the auto shop. It’s a car that will be running long after your buddy’s BMW has given up the ghost.

Kia has a reputation for producing sensible cars for sensible people, and the 2017 Optima fits that description to the letter. In fact, you’re probably reading this buyer’s guide specifically because you’re a sensible person looking for a sensible car. Therefore, we don’t need to sell you on the idea that a car doesn’t need 300+ horsepower or have a NASA-engineered cabin to be worthwhile.

In this guide, we’ve covered everything you need to know about the 2017 Kia Optima in order to make an informed decision. Feel free to browse it at your leisure, skip around, or read it all in one go.

If you don’t have time, we’ll cover the important points right here.

The first thing worth knowing is that the 2017 Optima does live up to its reputation. It’s safe, dependable, and affordable. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the car a Top Safety Pick + award, Repair Pal puts the annual maintenance cost at just $269, and used prices start at under $15,000 in the Kelley Blue Book.

While the 2017 Optima isn’t exactly a rebadged Hyundai Sonata (though the first-generation Optima was), they share enough features and options that if you’re shopping for one, you might as well be shopping for the other.

The 2017 Optima is an easy car to recommend, but truth be told, the 2017 Toyota Camry is even easier to recommend, as it’s had 40 years to prove itself as the most dependable midsize sedan on the American highways. The 2017 Optima is getting there, and in terms of specs and pricing, the two cars are neck and neck, but the Optima hasn’t quite earned its stripes yet.

The 2017 Optima is available in five trim levels: the base LX, which reviewers found to be a bit lacking in the performance department, the LX 1.6T, with Hyundai’s iconic, super-efficient 1.6L Turbo Gamma engine, the luxury-light EX, the performance-oriented 245 horsepower SX, and the SX Limited, which adds a handful of style and comfort upgrades to the SX.

The best way to describe the 2017 Optima may be that it’s the perfect car for someone who doesn’t want one more thing to worry about. Catastrophic failures are few and far between, the car is cheap to get into, cheap to fill up, and cheap to keep running. It’s comfortable, it’s capable, and the SX is actually sort of fun to drive.

It might not be the envy of all your gearhead buddies, but if you’re after a sensible, dependable auto that gets you where you’re going with no extra headaches, the 2017 Optima is unlikely to disappoint.

Why Trust Vehicle History?

If you’ve spent any time on the Internet, then we don’t need to tell you that there’s plenty of information out there to be found on your own. In fact, there’s too much of it, and a lot of it is junk.

A lot of what we’re doing in this guide is sifting through the white noise for you, gathering the facts, and putting our findings together into a comprehensive and concise guide, including some original research, some verified driver reviews directly from Vehicle History, and decades of combined experience in every corner of the automotive industry.

Ultimately, our job isn’t to sell you anything, it’s just to provide you with the information you need in order to make an informed decision when buying a used car. Once you know what you need to know, our job is done. We’ve provided plenty of links for you to click through to verify the contents of this guide.

2017 Kia Optima Debuted Sucesssfully with Few Changes

The Kia Optima isn’t really a single lineage of cars. The first-generation Optimas were actually Hyundai Sonatas with some minor styling changes. Those ran from 2000 to 2005, and then Kia launched the Kia Magentis, branded in the U.S. under the Optima nameplate. The third-generation Optimas were Kia K5s.

The fourth generation was based on the Hyundai Sonata platform, and then Kia went back to the K5 for the fifth generation.

The 2017 Kia Optima is part of the fourth generation, launched for the 2015 model year, and passing the torch to the fifth-generation Optima for the 2019 model year.

Basically, if you’ve driven a 2014 Optima, or a 2020 Optima, don’t expect the 2017 to feel the same. There are certain characteristics that are common across all midsize Kias and Hyundais, but 2020 Optimas and 2017 Optimas are as different from one another as Hyundai Sonatas are from Kia K5s.

While 2017 didn’t see any dramatic changes to the car itself over the 2016 model, it was a big year for the brand. Kia saw the introduction of retail deliveries, with Optima Hybrids delivered right to the buyer’s front door, and the fourth generation finally made its way to Malaysia, starting with an exclusive Theta II 2.0L turbo-powered Optima GT, which never made its way to the U.S.

2017 Kia Optima Trim Levels

Not counting special editions, there are five different trim levels for the 2017 Kia Optima, all starting at under $20,000. That should come as no surprise for Kia fans. The brand long has maintained a reputation for producing some of the better budget-priced cars on the market.

LX

This is the base trim level. The LX is fairly basic in terms of styling, power, and luxury, but not entirely bare-bones. You get a few neat features like FOB controls and remote keyless entry, plus a solid lineup of safety features.

The LX is one of the better midsize sedans in its price range, but many drivers will overlook the base-level Kias simply because the next tier up can be had for a pretty marginal price bump. That makes more sense if you’re trying to get the most value for your dollar.

• Front map light
• Fade-to-off interior lighting
• Spare tire mobility kit
• Trip computer
• Speed compensated volume control

LX 1.6T

As the name implies, the key difference with the LX 1.6T is the 1.6L turbo-four engine under the hood, compared to the 2.4L inline-four in the standard LX. This is the 1.6T-GDI G4FJ version of the super-efficient Hyundai Gamma engine. While it’s not exactly a sports car, it’s a worthy upgrade for the price.

• Heated side mirrors
• Smart trunk proximity cargo access
• Proximity key for doors and push button start

EX

This has the same performance as the LX, but with a touch more class: leather power seats, better air-conditioning, memory settings, and a few more upgrades. It is not exactly a Lexus, but it is a fair bit of luxury for the price.

• Fully automatic projector beam halogen headlamps
• Heated 12-way front bucket power seats
• Heated leather steering wheel

SX

This is the sporty, performance-oriented trim level, with a big horsepower bump over the LX and EX. Add to that some style upgrades, like a metal-look grille with a chrome surround, and a slick lip spoiler.

• Steel spare wheel
• Lip spoiler
• LED brake lights
• Heated front bucket seats

SX Limited

This is a tasteful style and comfort upgrade on the SX. The differences are minor, but both trims start at around the same price in the Kelley Blue Book. If you’re set on the SX and you can find an SX Limited, get the SX Limited.

• Heated and ventilated front bucket seats
• Nappa leather seat trim
• 10-way power passenger seat
• Blind spot detection
• Rear parking sensors

Hybrid Options

Besides the standard gas-powered models, Kia also offered a hybrid lineup in 2017 (pictured above), available in Base and EX trim levels. In terms of features, the Base is comparable to an Optima LX, while the Hybrid EX is comparable to an EX, with a heated steering wheel, 12-way power seats, and a Harman/Kardon sound system.

Under the hood, both cars pack a 2.0L Dual CVVT i4 HEV engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, cranking out 192 horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque at 39/46 miles to the gallon city/highway. That’s paired with front-wheel drive and a 15.9 gallon tank.

Kia generally treats the Optima and the Optima Hybrid as two different cars that share a name and a lot of features, so we’re mostly focusing on the gas-powered Optimas for this guide. If you’re considering a hybrid, go ahead and check out some of our user reviews for the 2017 plug-in Optima.

What’s a 2017 Kia Optima Going to Cost You?

Kia’s reputation is such that they might not offer the best cars in their class, but they offer some of the best cars for the price. The 2017 Optima is no exception, with five trim levels all starting at under $20,000.

These numbers are based on the price ranges found in the Kelley Blue Book. The lowest end would be buying the car directly from the previous buyer. The higher end would be certified pre-owned, which comes with screening, full inspection, and warranty.

• LX: $14,493 – $17,658
• LX 1.6T: $15,307 – $18,506
• EX: $18,275 – $22,122
• SX: $19,143 – $23,392
• SX Limited: $18,951 – $23,604

You can get into an LX for under $15,000, while the priciest Optima, a mint-condition certified pre-owned SX Limited (seen above), only would run you less than $25,000. This is a big part of why you see so many Kias on the road.

While not a lot of kids grow up daydreaming about owning an Optima, just about anyone with a steady source of income can budget for a 2017 LX.

Powertrain Options in the 2017 Kia Optima

The base engine in the 2017 Kia Optima is the 2.4L DOHC inline-four. It cranks out 185 horsepower and 178 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine comes married to a six-speed automatic with overdrive in the LX and EX. It’s a capable engine for a midsize car, but very basic.

Next up is the 1.6L turbo-four Hyundai Gamma. This engine is packed with a twin-scroll turbocharger, a direct fuel injection system, and a pressurized cooling system.

This means that it’s really efficient and has a bit more kick to it than the 2.4L. Packed into a compact Hyundai, it might even qualify as sporty, but in a midsize it’s just sportier than you expect out of a Kia Optima. The 2017 Optima carries a 2011 Gamma engine, which earned Hyundai a spot on Ward’s “10 Best Engines” list.

In the 2017 Kia Optima, the Gamma delivers 178 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque to the LX 1.6T, with a seven-speed, auto-shift manual transmission with overdrive.

Finally, there’s the 2.0L DOHC turbo found in the SX and SX Limited. This engine cranks out a hefty 260 lb.-ft. of torque and 245 horsepower. The 2.0L DOHC is married to a six-speed automatic with overdrive.

All five trim levels rely on a front-wheel-drive setup.

2017 Kia Optima Fuel Efficiency

Kias are famously fuel efficient. These are the sister cars to Hyundais, after all. Some of these numbers climb pretty close to the efficiency you’d get out of a hybrid engine.

The base 2.4L engine averages 25/36 miles to the gallon city/highway in the LX, or 24/34 in the EX.

The 2.0L Turbo delivers an average of 22/31 miles to the gallon city/highway in both the SX and the SX Limited.

The 1.6L Hyundai Gamma engine has won awards for efficiency, having been the smallest engine named on Ward’s 2011 10 Best Engines list. The engine averages 28/37 miles to the gallon city/highway. The 1.6L is only available in the LX 1.6T trim level.

The 1.6L’s numbers, admittedly, don’t quite place it in the top 10 list for non-hybrid fuel efficiency, but if you’re not interested in driving a compact that struggles to crank out more than 100 horsepower, this is about as lean and clean as it gets.

All three engines run on an 18.5 gallon tank, no matter your trim level.

2017 Kia Optima Performance

The base 2.4L engine found in the LX and EX Optima is the kind of motor that would feel like a V6 if you packed it into a one-ton Mitsubishi Mirage. In a midsize sedan that starts at a little over 3,000 pounds in curb weight, it gets the job done.

The car’s saving grace is the front-wheel drive, which lends the 2.4L enough traction that you’re not going to stall out on hills or get stuck in a quarter-inch of mud.

The car is capable; it’s not underpowered, but it doesn’t feel like someone put a dirt bike engine under the hood. Still, the driving experience in the LX and EX generally is regarded to be mediocre.

My Car Specs puts the 0-60 time for the LX at a hair under nine seconds, and the quarter-mile time at 16.5 seconds. That’s in the range of decent for a budget-priced midsize sedan, but you should expect to miss out on a parking space now and then.

Fortunately, both the 2.0L and 1.6L Turbo options offer considerably more kick.

Zero to Sixty Times tested the 2016 model LX 1.6T. They report the car hitting 60 miles per hour in 7.4 seconds, and the quarter-mile finish line in 15.8 seconds. It is no Dodge Demon, but this is a good second and a half faster than the base LX.

What’s really cool about the Gamma engine isn’t so much sheer performance, but the amount of performance you’re getting out of the 28/37 miles to the gallon city/highway. While there are more powerful midsize cars, it’s hard to beat the 1.6T in terms of value at the pump.

The 2.0L found in the SX easily competes with some of the lighter V6 engines out there, with a quarter-mile time of 15 seconds and a 0-60 of 6.9 seconds, according to Automobile Catalog.

Something worth noting: You’ve probably driven front-wheel-drive compacts and midsizes that proved to be capable of some light off-roading. The front-wheel configuration does give the car a little extra pull through moderately rough conditions, but the Optima’s ground clearance is just under six inches, which makes it a poor choice for thick mud and broken roads.

2017 Kia Optima Cargo Space

When automakers classify their car sizes, they’re not just eyeballing it. The EPA has a specific set of rules: A midsize car is any car with 110 to 120 cubic feet of interior space, including the passenger and cargo areas.

In short, a 2017 Kia Optima almost certainly will fit in your garage without having to remove the weight bench or the bicycles. Here are the key dimensions:

• Length: 191″
• Width: 73″
• Height: 5’8″
• Front headroom: 39’8″
• Rear headroom: 37’8″
• Front legroom: 45’5″
• Rear legroom: 35’6″

Adding up every available inch, you have a total interior volume of 120 cubic feet, putting the Optima right at the upper limit of midsize.

How Safe is a 2017 Kia Optima?

The 2017 Kia Optima holds the highest honor possible with the IIHS, the Top Safety Pick + award, plus a near-perfect score from top to bottom.

In every category but two, the 2017 Optima scored a G for Good, their highest rating. The exceptions were three A, or Acceptable, ratings: LATCH ease of use, structure and safety cage, and lower leg protection for the driver.

The top score only applies to the SX trim, owing to inferior headlight design on the lower trims.

The car earned similarly high marks from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), scoring a perfect five out of five stars in every single category except for front passenger side.

You might be marginally safer in a full-size pickup or SUV with a similar rating, but at that point, we’re splitting hairs. This Kia is as safe as it gets in a midsize sedan.

Technology Features in the 2017 Kia Optima

When it comes to entertainment and comfort features, all the really good stuff can be found in the EX and SX trim levels. That’s not to say that the LX totally skimps out on the gadgets.

The base-level trim offers steering-mounted cruise control, a full floor console with 12-volt power outlets, Bluetooth, FOB controls with remote keyless entry, and an MP3 and SiriusXM-capable radio with two USB ports, voice activation, and a 5″ touchscreen.

That’s pretty much what you’ll find in the LX 1.6T as well, as that trim level is just an LX with a better engine and a bit of styling to set it apart visually.

The EX offers a similar radio setup but with a 7″ touchscreen and Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and UVO eServices. Plus, it has steering wheel controls for the audio system.

The SX audio system is the same as the EX, but with an 8″ touchscreen, and the SX Limited is all that, plus 10-speaker Harman/Kardon surround sound. Since the Kelley Blue Book puts the SX and SX Limited in the same price range, this is as good a reason as any to go with the Limited if you have the option.

Whatever trim level you go with, you’re getting all the basic safety tech: rear camera display, ABS and driveline traction control, electronic stability control, pretty much everything that’s standard these days.

The SX Limited comes with a few bonus features, including left, right, and front cameras, sensors for rear parking and blind spot detection, and autonomous emergency braking with rear cross traffic alert. If you wanted to be so darn good at parking that your friends will think you’re psychic, the SX Limited has all the features you’ll need.

2017 Kia Optima: Exterior Color Options

When it comes to stock colors for the 2017 Kia Optima, you won’t find anything too flashy. The boldest color available probably would be the Remington Red (pictured above) found on the LX 1.6T and SX trim levels, and still it’s a dark, wine-red shade. That’s what you typically expect from Kia: They’ve made their name on modest, understated, sensible cars, so their color palette matches their brand.

2017 Kia Optima: Interior Color Options

For interior colors in the 2017 Kia Optima, you have three options: beige, black, and gray (only available on EX). You always can throw down a flashy red aftermarket floor mat or pop a hot pink steering wheel cover on there to add a splash of color.

LX

• Beige
• Black

LX 1.6T

• Beige
• Black

EX

• Beige
• Black
• Gray

SX

• Black

SX Limited

• Black

Are 2017 Kia Optimas Easy to Maintain?

A big part of the appeal of the 2017 Kia Optima is that it’s a cheap car. If that’s all you’re after, you can buy a $500 rust bucket and put $1,000 of parts and labor into it every month. A car isn’t truly affordable unless it’s easy to keep running.

According to Repair Pal, a 2017 Optima should cost you somewhere in the area of $269 a year to maintain. Comparing the 2017 Optima to other midsize cars, a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu will cost you more than twice that, at $613 a year, and a 2017 Toyota Camry will cost you about $429 a year. An Optima is definitely on the lower end, barely costing more than $20 a month to keep on the road.

Repair Pal puts the most expensive common repair, a camshaft replacement, at $965 to $1,119, and the cheapest, a parking brake system adjustment, at $27 to $34. The average repair is estimated somewhere in the middle, at $242 to $296.

Across all model years, they rank the Optima in the eighth spot of 24 midsize cars for reliability, giving the car an Excellent four-star rating out of a possible five.

If you’ve ever owned a Kia, this probably isn’t too surprising. Gearheads may dismiss these cars for being a bit basic, but you can count on them to get you where you’re going. An Optima is a difficult car to run into the ground.

Retro Reviews of the 2017 Kia Optima

If we’re talking about a big purchase like a car, it’s not really going to cut it to take one source’s opinion, and that includes ours.

You want to compare and contrast several reviews from users and professionals alike before you put any money down on a set of wheels. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what professional reviewers were saying within the first year of the 2017 Kia Optima’s debut.

Starting with Car and Driver, reviewer Tony Markovich was impressed with the simple, yet broad range of options. While the 2017 Optima’s list of trim levels may seem a bit short at just five options, those five options cover more drivers than not, from the budget-minded to the performance-focused.

Markovich gives special mention to the LX for being a bit more feature-generous than the base-level trims of its nearest competitors. Given the touchscreen interface and steering-wheel-mounted controls, the LX doesn’t feel nearly as cheap as its pricing would suggest.

That said, Markovich expressed some disappointment in the “somewhat underdeveloped and unrefined” feel of the SX and SX Limited trims, with their “twitchy and unsettled” Sport-mode steering.

Markovich ultimately concludes that the Optima easily competes with the Camry and the Accord in terms of performance, options, and pricing, even if it “can’t touch the sales numbers” of the midsize market leaders.

Andrew Ganz at The Car Connection also praised the range of engine choices and general value of the car, but expressed some disappointment in a lack of any significant visual touch-up over the 2016.

Ganz suggests that while the 1.6T is “more fuel efficient on paper,” the less-efficient 2.4L is more fun to drive, so going on specs alone, the car might not be the gas-sipper it seems to be.

Ganz liked the roomy interior, but noted that the backseat offers a bit less headroom than similar midsizes. While the car’s optional safety features like parking sensors and front, back, left, and right cameras may earn it a perfect safety score with the NHTSA and the IIHS, the jump in cost for that perfect score was a bit steep at the brand-new price point. Ganz gives the car a 7.3 out of a possible 10.

Jay Traugott at Car Buzz calls the 2017 Optima, “one of the the best-looking cars in its segment today.” Reviewing an SX model with an SXT Technology package, Traugott admits that the car isn’t as much fun to drive as that year’s Ford Fusion, but otherwise loves the experience of being in one, from the panoramic sunroof to the robust technology package.

He wasn’t a fan of the plastic paddle shifters and worried that the touchscreen may be shifted at an angle that will have passengers craning their necks to adjust the radio. He otherwise praises the luxury-light feel of the car’s interior, stating that it, “puts (the competition) to shame a little bit.”

Matt Maran of Matt Maran Motoring likes the straightforward layout and easy to navigate interface in the interior, appreciating some of the little features like a manual volume knob so you don’t need to fiddle with the touchscreen to adjust the sound.

He notes that the steering wheel heats quickly, you’ve got plenty of storage space with “leg room to spare,” and there are little pockets, slots, holders, and cubbies all over the car. There’s room for everything you want to tote with you, from wallets and phones to sunglasses and sodas.

Matt noted the “very respectable” and “punchy” acceleration, and he liked the extra-smooth ride on the road, but found the automatic shifting a bit slow. Though he wasn’t exactly head over heels on the handling, he was a little more generous than most reviewers, saying that he liked the heavier feeling of the car’s steering, ultimately concluding that the car is a “really great daily driver.” That’s really what the Optima is aiming to be: A cut above what you expect for the price, though not a serious contender as a luxury or sports car.

Current Reviews of the 2017 Kia Optima

The reviews covered in the previous section were all first-year, and they were all first impressions. The real test of a car like a Kia Optima is not whether it dazzles on day one, but whether it can go the distance. Fortunately, the more recent reviews tend to be just as positive as the year-one reviews, if not more so.

Motor Biscuit‘s Leigh Fields had plenty of good things to say about the 2017 Kia Optima in August 2020, recommending it over that year’s model. Leigh points out that the engine options in both cars are basically the same, and the 2020’s newer features aren’t new enough to be quite worth the new-car price. For Motor Biscuit, the 2017’s superior safety ratings, superior ranking with Consumer Reports, and superior comfort all make the 2017 a preferred buy over a 2020.

If you’re considering a hybrid version, Leigh was a big fan of that one too, reviewing it that same month and calling it a “well-rounded performer.” Leigh suggested that while, “its new sticker price tag was a little off-putting,” a more affordable used hybrid is a “serious deal.”

In a Kelley Blue Book review updated in November 2019, Joe Tralongo actually found the handling to be “a cut above most of its peers,” in contrast to the disappointment most reviewers have expressed regarding the car’s handling. Likewise, he didn’t mind the lack of meaningful change to the exterior styling, as there was nothing that really needed to be fixed in the 2016’s style. Or as Joe puts it, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Checking in with Vehicle History owner reviews, Michaelah C. loves that, “It is so reliable!” In a June 2021 review, she stated, “We haven’t really had any problems with our vehicle at all.”

Dom C., however, reports in a September 2019 review that, “The engine is weak. I wish I would’ve spent a little bit more money to get a stronger engine.” Most of the professional reviewers have reported the same: The 2.0L found in the SX and SX Limited is a solid performer, the 1.5L found in the LX and EX, not so much.

A more measured three-star review comes from Mark in March 2021, stating, “The car is reliable and gets good mileage,” but, “The electronics are a little slow to engage … The body scratches a bit too easily.” While he has “no regrets,” he’ll probably trade it in for something else when the time comes.

Overall, the Kia Optima has a user review rating of 4.55 stars out of a possible five on Vehicle History, and that’s based off of 282 reviews: 64% rate the car five stars, 29% four stars, 5% three stars, and the remaining 2% are the one- and two-star reviews.

Known Issues in the 2017 Kia Optima

The 2017 Optima has two recalls on file with the NHTSA and 63 complaints, plus one open investigation.

The investigation has to do with airbag control units (ACUs) that may fail to deploy the airbags as necessary. It sounds scary, but Kia already has run an independent recall in relation to this investigation, pulling a number of unreliable ACUs from the market. The investigation seeks to ensure that the unrecalled cars are safe.

The NHTSA recalls involve a possible leak in a high pressure fuel pipe, which creates a fire hazard, and a voltage protection device in the hybrid models. The high pressure fuel pipe leak was addressed in December 2018, affecting 71,653 Kia vehicles, while the voltage protection device recall was issued to just 1,710 drivers in March 2018.

The most common complaints concerning the 2017 Optima have to do with the engine and the electrical system, and most of these complaints concern the voltage protection device issue addressed by the March 2018 recall on Optima Hybrids.

If you’re driving a standard gas-powered Optima, you may need to be on the lookout for transmission issues, with a handful of drivers reporting that the car loses speed on the highway or fails to shift gears. Repair Pal points to transmission software issues as one the most common fixes for the car, so if you are affected by these problems, you simply may need an update for the onboard computer system. Repair Pal also has reported that a faulty throttle position switch is a common concern.

Overall, the Optima has its share of issues, but it’s a relatively small share.

The 2017 Kia Optima vs. the Competition

The Kia Optima stands as an unsung hero of the midsize market. It may not sell in the same numbers as the Chevy Malibu, Toyota Camry, or its sister car, the Hyundai Sonata, but the car’s fans will tell you that it deserves to be a front-runner alongside those sedans.

Are they right, or is the Optima the cheapest of the four for a reason? Let’s compare and find out.

2017 Kia Optima vs. 2017 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Premier is one of the more performance-oriented options available in the low-$20,000 midsize market. The 2.0L turbo engine cranks out 250 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. On paper, that puts it neck and neck with the 2017 Optima SX. When you get behind the wheel, it’s a different story.

Though both cars share similar specs on engine output, and both are front-wheel drive, the Malibu generally is reviewed to be a much more fun car to drive compared to the relatively numb, heavy feeling of steering an Optima.

In terms of price, the SX beats the Premier by a couple thousand dollars in the Kelley Blue Book, and it’s a bit cheaper to maintain, too. If you want a car that feels good to drive, you’ll know where that extra money went when you’re operating a Malibu.

To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.

2017 Kia Optima vs. 2017 Toyota Camry

The 2017 Toyota Camry starts out in about the same price range as the Optima, in the mid-$10,000 range, and the Camry’s XSE V6 is comparable to the Optima’s SX and SX Limited on price. Performance specs are comparable from trim level to trim level as well, and the Camry is famously reliable.

Add to that, the Camry is one of the most popular cars on the road today, selling 387,081 units in the U.S. in 2017 alone. There’s a big community of Camry owners, and it’ll be easy to find junkyard cars to pull parts from if you like to do your own repairs.

The Camry is the top-selling midsize car overall, and we’re calling it the winner here, but only because of its proven track record. The Optima is still a relatively new car, so while it competes with the Camry on specs and price, nobody’s reported their Optima crossing the million-mile mark just yet. Give it a few more years.

To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.

2017 Kia Optima vs. 2017 Hyundai Sonata

The 2017 Kia Optima and the 2017 Hyundai Sonata are based on the same platform, they’re both budget-friendly midsize sedans, and they were both developed within the Hyundai family. Does that make them the exact same car?

In many ways, yes.

There are some key differences between the two, but squint and you won’t be able to tell them apart. The Sonata Eco even carries the same groundbreaking 1.6L turbo engine as the Optima LX 1.6T.

The Sonata is a touch roomier, the Optima is a hair cheaper, and there are some subtle differences in how the two cars handle, but that mostly comes down to preference. The Optima isn’t quite a rebadged Sonata, but it’s close enough that if you’re shopping for one, you might as well shop for the other, and buy whichever you can get a better deal on.

To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.

Does a 2017 Kia Optima Hold its Value?

The only car you really can call an investment is the fixer-upper that you work on and resell. If you can find an old Roadrunner or Mustang and bring it up to like-new condition, that’s an investment; otherwise, expect to lose money on the resale.

Some cars depreciate faster than the others, and the Optima depreciates quickly.

According to Car Edge, a Kia Optima has a very steep early drop-off, losing about a third of its sticker price in the first year. The rate of depreciation slows down from there, but stays on a pretty steady decline, landing on 48% of its original value after five years, and 31% after a decade.

These numbers assume normal mileage of about 12,000 a year, estimating 120,000 after 10. Drive it more than that, and you’ll be lucky to get a third of the value back after a decade. Drive it less, and you’ll have a little more power to negotiate a good price. Optimas are meant to be daily drivers, so it’s unlikely you’re going to reach 2027 with just 50k on the odometer.

These numbers are almost identical to the Optima’s sister car, the Hyundai Sonata. Compared to a Chevrolet Malibu, the Chevy holds a little stronger for the first year, losing only a quarter of its value on the first 12,000 miles. After a decade, the Optima comes out ahead, with the Malibu losing over three-quarters of the sticker price.

Unsurprisingly, the Toyota Camry takes the lead here. After a decade, it lands at about one-third the original price, like the Optima, but it loses less than 20% of its value in the first year, and less than 50% in the first five. Everybody knows that the Camry is a trooper, so it tends to command a solid price on the used market.

In order to get the maximum possible value on your purchase price versus your resale price, a two- or three-year-old Optima probably will be your best bet. However, it’s a Kia; there’s not much point in worrying yourself sick over the resale value. It’s meant to be a daily driver. A 2017 Optima probably is not going to become a sought-after classic. It’s a functional, practical, fuel-efficient way to get you and your family from point A to point B and back again. Take care of it, handle small repairs before they become expensive repairs, and trade it in when it’s time for a new one.

Conclusion: Is a Used 2017 Optima a Good Buy?

If you were to call an Optima boring, Kia probably wouldn’t take offense. They know that these are basic, simple cars for the budget-minded buyer. That’s the market they’re trying to corner.

While the Camry remains the market leader for dependable, affordable midsize sedans, the Optima isn’t too far behind. The biggest difference between the two comes down to the fact that the Camry has had around 40 years to prove its worth, while the Optima only has been around for the last 20. Give it time, and we may see some half-million- and million-mile Optimas elevating the nameplate to legend status right alongside those Toyotas.

This is all to say simply that the 2017 Optima might not be the most exciting thing on four wheels, but it’s comfortable, it’s roomy, it’s cheap, it’s fuel efficient, and the 2.0L is kinda fun to drive, even if the steering could stand to feel a bit tighter.

Sure, you can say that the 2017 Kia Optima is nothing to write home about, but it’s nothing to complain about, either.

Photos: Kia; Chevrolet; Toyota; Hyundai