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And just when I was about to drink out of frustration because the Kia Magentis was no longer available, the Kia Optima TF appeared. So, I had to put down the bottle of antifreeze and stay awake.

Even though it’s very possible I’m talking to myself now about the Kia Optima TF. Not because the Magentis it replaces was particularly popular. The Optima too was a very rare car here in Europe but phenomenally popular across the Ocean and soon became one of the worst cars over there.
But at least here, it managed the feat of cannibalizing together with another obscure model, namely the Hyundai i40, its sister car. So, we have two models from manufacturers who were just beginning to make their presence felt in Europe, thanks to the Kia Cee’d revolution and then followed by the Hyundai i30. We had the Tucson and Sportage for a while, but that’s about all we knew about Asian cars. And if you look more recently, you’ll see the Kia Stinger revolution that started in 2016 when it came to replace the Optima. So, we didn’t necessarily have bad cars, just cars launched at the wrong time.

Plus, you can feel the Magentis/Sonata aura in the Kia Optima TF.

It’s the classic Kia/Hyundai recipe – it’s a large, decent sedan, but that’s it. If you think the VW Jetta or Avensis are uninspiring as cars, wait until you see the Kia Optima 1.7 diesel (90% of the ads are for the 1.7 CRDi). But if reliability is all that matters to you, then the Kia Optima might be worth it, especially since they have very good prices on the used market because no one really lusted for them. Why aren’t we interested in cheap and honest cars? Not cheerful, honest.

Kia Optima TF Engines

Petrol

• 2.0 CVVT Nu and Theta II G4KD of 165 horsepower – Aside from sounding like a diesel, there’s nothing notable about this engine. Probably the fuel economy, but it’s a 2 litre petrol so you probably knew what you were getting into. Oh, and there’s nothing you can do about the noise aside from replacing the CVVT timing chain. 


• 2.0 Turbo Theta II T-GDI G4KH of 278 horsepower – Carbon deposits and soot on the intake manifold. Oil leaks. Plus, the crankshaft on US-built engines would often break. However, the engine is great and much more reliable after 2014, but unfortunately, this generation was retired a year later.


• 2.4 MPI Theta II G4KJ of 180, 194, and 204 horsepower – A star in the US, also present here. Catches fire, breaks its crankshaft, things like that. If you occasionally see news about Hyundai and Kia being sued because too many cars caught fire and how many customers complain about the aftermath of those fires, it’s usually about the Nu engine.

Diesel

1.7 CRDi D4FD of 136 horsepower – Famous for clutch and manual gearbox issues. “It's not a bug, it's a feature” is Hyundai’s explanation. And they decided to leave it at that. Otherwise, it returns great fuel economy and runs a lot without issues. Alternatively, you can go for a model with an automatic gearbox and you’ll avoid the clutch and gearbox issue and have an excellent engine for an average car.

Kia Optima TF Reliability Issues

• And since I mentioned the automatic gearbox, we have a classic torque converter gearbox. It’s not the most refined piece possible, but at least it’s reliable as long as you change the oil on time.


• The steering column is a weak point for Kia and Hyundai from this period, and the Optima is no exception to this rule.


• A particular issue for the Optima, however are the power window motors, which frequently fail.


• I've mentioned it already but I will do it again, the US petrol engines are a good idea as having 5 shots of Brain Damage and then picking a fight with the bouncer. 

Kia Optima TF Verdict

If I were to place it in a car category, I think the 3rd gen Optima would fit best between the Peugeot 508 and Citroen C5. Alternatives to the classic German sedans but without the reliability issues of German saloons. The kind of car you buy because you want something different. And I see nothing wrong with that. It’s just a pity it came at a totally inappropriate time; it should have waited 1-2 more years to ride on the reputation of the Hyundai i30 and Kia Cee’d.

What engines do I recommend? For petrol power it's definitely the 165 horsepower 2.0 MPI, and for diesel the 1.7 CRDi with 136 horsepower, but I would still specifically look for an automatic gearbox with it.