First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/" rel="tag">Sedan</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/kia/" rel="tag">Kia</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/" rel="tag">First Drive</a></p><em> <big>You've Come a Long Way, Baby</big></em><br />
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<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-first-drive/"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" alt="2011 Kia Optima" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01kiaoptimafd2011opt.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><sma ll>2011 Kia Optima - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></em></strong></div>
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We admit it - we're genetically preprogrammed to be shallow creatures. Despite our moms' best efforts, recognizing inner beauty is all well and good, but it's physical beauty that first puts both people and consumables on our radar. <br />
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Exhibit A? The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/optima">2011 Kia Optima</a>. You see, while exactly nobody was paying attention, the outgoing Optima actually became a reasonably competitive mid-size sedan. But with the lackluster reputation of its predecessor compounded by styling so banal that it might as well have had "John Doe" as a model designation, the Optima was seemingly forgotten by everyone but fleet managers. <br />
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That's not going to be a problem any more.<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-first-drive">2011 Kia Optima: First Drive</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01kiaoptimafd2011_thumbna il.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/02kiaoptimafd2011_thumbna il.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/03kiaoptimafd2011_thumbna il.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/04kiaoptimafd2011_thumbna il.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/05kiaoptimafd2011_thumbna il.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<strong><em><font size="1">Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert </font></em></strong><strong><em><font size="1">/ AOL</font></em></strong><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/02/2011-kia-optima-first-drive-review-road-test/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/02/2011-kia-optima-first-drive-review-road-test/">First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/02/2011-kia-optima-first-drive-review-road-test/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19618162/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/02/2011-kia-optima-first-drive-review-road-test/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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