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"No doubt Kia has improved its build quality and design. But there&amp;#039;s only one way to validate how much, and that&amp;#039;s by driving one for longer than a week or two. So that&amp;#039;s just what we&amp;#039;re doing.   In particular, we wanted to try out Kia&amp;#039;s Optima SX, and we got one in Corsa Blue. What intrigued us about this car was its unique and fresh exterior, paired with a functional interior. Combined with a 274-bhp 2.0-liter twincam inline-4, we ended up with a surprisingly sporty sedan. Our initial testing reinforced the feeling: With an acceleration time of 6.1 seconds to 60 mph and 14.5 sec. through the quarter mile at a trap speed of 99.4 mph, this midsize family sedan compares nicely with sport compacts like Mazda&amp;#039;s potently turbocharged Mazdaspeed3, or even Mini&amp;#039;s John Cooper Works Cooper S. Unlike those smaller cars, though, the Optima&amp;#039;s handling is nothing to write home about.   While our Optima SX comes with sport-tuned suspension, the lack of a true summer tire and its merely average steering feedback contribute to middle-of-the-road handling. Still, a slalom time of 65.6 mph and a skidpad rating of 0.81g are not completely bad for a midsize family sedan, and the SX is just a tire change away from being genuinely grippy.   The lazy 6-speed automatic transmission, though, does not give the turbo its due. Although not offered, a real 6-speed manual would give enthusiasts a legitimate choice in this otherwise bland market segment. We hope a year spent behind the wheel in traffic will endear us to the auto-box.   If not, at least we&amp;#039;ll be entertained. We received our Optima SX fully loaded with the Technology and Premium Touring Package comprising a touchscreen audio and navigation system, rearview camera, Bluetooth, an 8-speaker Infinity audio system, garish 18-in. wheels, heated and cooled front seats, and heated rear seats. In other words, stuff you&amp;#039;d find on cars costing about $10K to $15K more. For our test, we hope to see how durable the well-designed and executed bucket seats hold up, as well as to assess the claim that Kia&amp;#039;s build quality has gone up. We&amp;#039;ll back up our initial testing with another round when we hand the keys back in one year. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/reviews/a17632/2011-kia-optima-sx/>