Used 2012 Kia Optima for sale 

The 2012 Kia Optima ranges across four trim lines at varying price points. The base-level LX trim starts at $19,500 and comes with a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine that produces 200 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque along with a lot of features such as 16" tires w/alloy wheels, performance dampers, chrome front grille, front fog lights, dual exhaust w/chrome tip, AM/FM/CD/MP3/SiriusXM14 audio system, 6 speakers w/dash-mounted tweeters, and Cloth seat trim.

The EX trim starts at $23,200. This trim is equipped with 17" tires w/alloy wheels, Push-button start/Smart Key, Driver and front passenger’s one-touch auto-up/down windows, Door mood lights, Rear reading lights, Dual-zone automatic temperature control w/rear vents, Auto-dimming rear-view mirror w/HomeLink & compass, and Leather seat trim.

Next in line is the EX Turbo trim, which starts at $25,100 and comes with a more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 274 hp and 269 lb-ft and features like LED taillights and Black gloss/chrome front grille. The top of the line SX trim starts at $26,500 and offers 18" tires w/alloy wheels, a Sport-tuned suspension, HID headlights w/auto leveling, Alloy pedals, Illuminated front-door scuff plates, Sculpted front & rear valence, side sills and rear lip spoiler, Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and Sport-leather/cloth seat trim.

We Recommend

The Kia Optima EX Turbo trim is the best one to opt for as it has all the features of the EX trim along with the more powerful engine inside. The EX Turbo trim comes equipped with features, including LED tail lights, Black gloss/chrome front grille, 17" tires w/alloy wheels, Push-button start/Smart Key, Driver and front passenger’s one-touch auto-up/down windows, Door mood lights, and Dual-zone automatic temperature control with rear vents.

The Kia Optima starts at $19,200 and comes with a 2.4L Inline-4 mated to a 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission churning out 200 hp of maximum power and 186 lb-ft of maximum torque. The EX Turbo and SX get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 274 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque.

The Kia Optima takes 7.9 seconds to reach a speed of 60mph and 16.1 seconds to cross the quarter-mile mark. The sedan is limited to a top speed of 152 mph. The performance of the Kia is decent with the base engine, but the stronger Turbocharged engine offers even better performance.

The Optima is the most powerful of the lot, outputting 200 hp and 186 lb-ft, followed by the Nissan that outputs 173 hp and torque of 166 lb-ft, whereas the Chrysler 200 produces 173 hp and 166 lb-ft of power and torque, respectively. The Optima is also the fastest to reach 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, followed by the Altima and Chrysler 200 in 8.8 and 9.3 seconds, respectively. The Kia has the highest top speed of 152 mph, followed by the Chrysler 200 and Nissan Altima, which are limited to 127 mph.

The Kia Optima is a very fuel-efficient car delivering the best fuel efficiency of the segment. It delivers fuel efficiency of 24 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway, and a combined efficiency of 27 mpg. The Kia Optima has a fuel capacity of 18.5 gallons, outputting a range of 444 miles in the city, 629 on the highway, and a combined range of 499 miles. 

In comparison, the Kia is the most fuel-efficient, offering an efficiency of 24 in the city, 34 on the highway, and a combined efficiency of 27 mpg, followed by the Altima and Chrysler offering 27 and 24 mpg of combined efficiency. The Nissan Altima has the largest fuel capacity of 20.0 gallons, followed by the Kia and the Chrysler with fuel capacities of 18.5 and 16.9 gallons. The Nissan delivers the best-combined range of 540 miles, followed by the Optima and Chrysler delivering 499 and 405 miles, respectively.

The 2012 Kia Optima has a very spacious cabin with plenty of space in the front row seats, which are comfortable and supportive. The materials and elements in the interior are now more premium and feel on par with the competition.

There is an ample amount of space in the second row. There are plenty of soft-touch materials and surfaces inside the cabin, offering a premium feel. The switchgear and plastic quality is also exceptionally good, making this one of the nicest interiors in its class.

The Kia is the most spacious on the interior, having the most legroom in the front row, whereas the Chrysler has more legroom in the second row. When it comes to cargo capacity, the Kia Optima has enough luggage space of 15.4 cu-ft, followed by the Nissan offering 15.3 cu-ft and the Chrysler offers significantly lower cargo space, measuring 14.0 cu-ft. Few key interior features include-

• Steering-wheel-mounted audio control buttons 
• Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters
• Cruise control 
• Leather seat trim
• Sport-leather/cloth seat trim 
• 8-way adjustable driver’s seat & power lumbar support 
• 60/40 split-folding rear seat 
• Alloy pedals
• Illuminated front-door scuff plates
• Dual-zone automatic temperature control with rear vents

How intuitive is the 2012 Kia Optima’s infotainment unit?

The Kia Optima features a UVO in-vehicle infotainment system with a rear-camera display, CD player, auxiliary audio jack, and steering wheel controls. There is also an audio system with speakers with dash-mounted tweeters. The infotainment unit also comes with a navigation system, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and an HD radio. Other major infotainment features include-

• AM/FM/CD/MP3/SiriusXM audio system
• Speakers with dash-mounted tweeters 
• UVO in-vehicle infotainment system w/rear-camera display
• USB/auxiliary input jacks 
• Bluetooth wireless technology

The 2012 Kia Optima looks classy and elegant with a stylish yet simple design language. The exterior of the Kia Optima is more on the sporty side compared to its more soft and family-centric designed segment rivals.

The Optima has an aggressive stance, and the angry eyelined headlamps do contribute to it. It is undoubtedly the sportiest-looking family midsize sedan. The Kia Optima has a ground clearance of 5.3-inches and weighs 3,223 lbs.

The Chrysler weighs the most, weighing in at 3,402 lbs, followed by the Kia which weighs a lower 3,223 lbs, followed by the Altima that weighs 3,180 lbs. The Chrysler is the longest and tallest with a length and height of 191.7 and 58.4 inches, respectively, followed by the Kia and the Nissan. The new Kia Optima has the longest wheelbase of 110.1 inches. Compared to the Altima and Kia having a ground clearance of 5.4 and 5.3 inches, the Chrysler has a higher clearance of 6.1 inches. Major exterior features of the sedan are-

• 17" tires w/alloy wheels 
• 18" tires w/alloy wheels 
• Performance dampers
• Black gloss/chrome front grille 
• Sculpted front & rear valence, side sills, and rear-lip spoiler (SX Trim)
• Clear-lens projection headlights 
• HID headlights with auto-leveling (SX Trim)
• Front fog lights 
• LED taillights 
• Dual exhaust with chrome tip

The 2012 Kia Optima comes with dual front advanced airbags, dual front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, and 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS. The Optima gets an excellent crash test rating of five stars from NHTSA under almost all test criteria. Even IIHS has given a ‘Good’ rating overall and in individual tests. The Optima stops from 60 mph at a distance of 121 ft. Major safety features include-

• 4-wheel disc brakes w/ABS
• Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Traction Control System (TCS) 
• Brake Assist System (BAS)
• Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) 
• Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) 
• Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

The 2012 Kia Optima is a great car, with two engine options offering enough power on disposal and offering good handling and driving dynamics. Even the base engine of the Kia Optima is a proper sporty one. The stronger turbocharged engine is again much more powerful. Other than the steering feeling numb sometimes, there are not any other drivability issues. Although not as spacious as its rivals, the Kia Optima still is a truly capable and spacious midsize sedan offering great ride quality and good safety tech.