Test Drive Kia Optima (K5) since 2010 Sedan

All photos Kia Optima (K5) since 2010

Family similarity

Kia Magentis
2.0 l, 136 liters p., 4-speed automatic, equipment of the entry level, $ 20,850.

Hyundai Sonata.
2.0 l, 133 hp, 4-speed automatic, GLS, $ 20 250.

Hyundai Sonata.
Hyunde Sonata of the fifth generation debuted in the summer of 2001. The front-wheel drive sedan is unified with Kia Madzhentis.
In the spring of 2004, the assembly was mastered
on Tagaza.
Engines: gasoline 2.0 l (133 liters.) And 2.7 liters (178 l.).
Gearbox: 5-speed
mechanical, 4-speed automatic.
Required: GL and GLS.
Price in Russia: $ 17,50024,600.

Kia Magentis.
Kia Madzhentis is shown in the late 2000th, and two years later his appearance was updated. Released with a sedan body, unified with Hyunda Sonata. In the spring of 2001, an assembly was established in Kaliningrad by Avtotor.
Engines: gasoline 2.0 l (136 liters.) And 2.5 liters (168 liters.).

Transmission: 5-speed mechanical or 4-speed automatic.
Two levels of configuration.
Price in Russia: $ 19,55022,600.

PRACTICAL PSYCHOLOGY
The traffic cop stepped on the roadway and, by skipping a solid Madzhentis, deftly the striped tackle of a frivolous silver sonata. A lesson of practical psychology on Kaliningrad sedans rides a lot of officials, so to slow down such a car, as before the nomenclature Volga, other times more expensive. Another thing is particular Hönde Sonata however, the situation can be aligned from now on, this is also a domestic car and ride on it now quite patriot.
However, leave hardware games. We are interested in another: in the middle class there was a very attractive offer. The price of a large two-liter sonate, assembled on the Taganrog Auto Plant, starts with $ 17,500. For dating, we took a car with an automatic transmission, which is only available in the GLS configuration with alloy wheels, anti-test system. , climate control for everything about all a little more than twenty thousand. A pair of her was another Russian Korean Kia Madzhentis Kaliningrad enterprise Avtotor, which is in very close configuration, also two-liter and with a machine gun, costs almost as much.

Sister Sonata and Brother Madzhentis

Sometimes we completely unequivocally attribute cars to female or male family especially when the name helps. Our couple is just from such: rounded, all of the soft lines of Sonata with coquettiously rumped corners of the diagonal headlights are clearly a lady in a silver dress. Serious, black with chrome Madzhentis, of course, a gentleman in a classic dressing suit with shine cufflinks, clocks and a cigarette.
At first glance, two completely different cars are combined, which only close sizes are related to the European D-class. However, they are generally more in them than it seems and even what can be learned from press releases. They are mentioned in the platform's unification is logical, because the company Kia Motors is included in Hönde Corporation. But the unification is the concept of tensile, here we see the maximum manifestation. Honestly, the larger similarity of two cars of different brands see has not yet been brought.
Automotive firms are sometimes shovel, releaseing a restyled version to the market under the guise of a new model, let us understand what is hidden under the modified appearance. However, there is a simple, but absolutely reliable way to find out the truth is enough to compare the shape of door and window openings, racks, roofs. They enter the power structure of the body, which in the course of cosmetic modernization does not affect. Just such a case before us, with all the external differences, Hyunde Sonata and Kia Madzhentis are based on the same spatial frame: the close relationship is obvious.

By the way, the steps between the body details of the Sonatas are reached by one and a half or two millimeters (this is a trifle, according to the standards of the domestic car industry!). Madzhentis also forgot to put the rear bumper fastening pistons. How not to remember the loop of the editorial focus or the wheel of the acent dropped during the test they also collected them in Russia

Damage of kinship
Absolutely expected, our pair turned out to be almost the same and spacious salons that can easily accommodate five non-good men. The general remark is a relatively small ceiling height of the back, which concerns the top of the passenger with growth above 180 cm. The driver will have to be pretty twisted the regulators of the vertical position before it finds a comfortable position of the chair spacious, but rather flat. In addition, the solid casing of the steering column does not torment the knees.
The similarity in the design of the salons is such that sometimes confused: seats, front panel, instruments, handles, blocks of buttons and switches, climate control panel, automatic selector handle and many other elements or completely identical, or allocated only by materials or shades.

To her, it's easier to list the differences: a little overlook the shape of the steering wheel and the levers of the parking brake, more or less original door panels, and the central console of Kia is visually combined with a tunnel at Hyunda these elements separately. The overall impression: the interiors are quite neat, but are unnecessarily modest, places on the verge of cheapness incompatible with the class. What are slippery, with bisps plastic handbones, not to the place crowned with chrome-plated buttons!
If you retreat from the requirements of stylistic unity, Magentis's salon looks a little richer: there are inserts under the tree, on the thresholds metal lining, and the steering wheel and the selector are covered with skin, which is really convenient. Installed and radio tape recorder, although quite simple. On the other hand, he does not have a headlight regulator, without which cars are now, I thought at all. Sonata can not boast a radio tape recorder in a standard configuration: the one that blesses in the test machine, is installed by the dealer.
The originality of the equipment of cars is not exhausted. For example, there is a central castle, but without a remote control, to be honest, I have already forgotten when I had to open the car with the key. Four power windows are installed, but the automatic mode is only at the driver's and only for lowering. The blocks of the keys are as if twice the cheapest Kia Rio hinged the steering column for a long time, trying to adjust it along the length, until I realized that it would be possible to lift-omit. And just a pair of frontal airbags, albeit in the basic configuration! In general, the filling of our pair of Koreans is different from the fact that the European buyer is used to see in this class. And from what we get used to getting slowly.

Footwear different, characters are similar

Almost identical power units are installed on both machines: two-liter sixteenthly populated motors differ only in the electronics setting. Sonata has a characteristic of a slightly more than a 64 N.MM with 4500 rpm, Madzhentis 180 NM at 4600 rpm. But the last slightly more powerful than 136 liters. with. Against 133 with the same 6000 revolutions. The transmissions with automatic boxes repeat each other until hundredths in the values \u200b\u200bof the gear ratios. And they would not have to talk about differences in dynamic qualities, if not alone but.
The fact is that cars are equipped with wheels of various dimensions 205/60R16 in Hönde and 205 / 60R15 in Kia. Logical explanation is difficult to find, since the wheel arches are the same in size, but the results are obvious: an excess inch diameter provides a very good road clearance of 170 mm, however, increases the radius of the turn to 5.6 m. Magentis, respectively, 160 mm and 5.2 m. The main thing: a big wheel, with other things being equal, implements a smaller traction to a hundred silver car accelerates for 14.6 s, more than a second yielding to the opponent.
However, these are nuances. Subjectively, both Russian Koreans are calm, comfortable liners capable of smoothly, with a sense of self-dignity to accelerate and then fly to the highway, swaying on the soft, ignoring the sides of the suspensions (we also note are also completely identical). But shoot from the traffic light or on overtaking, just to prescribe a bundle of steep aggregates is not very working. And the power does not seem to be small, but multiplied by four viscous transmissions of the hydromechanical machine (by the way, with the possibility of manual control), and then referred to a small one and a half tons of the curb mass, gives a very moderate tutorial.

Payback for the lulling comfort is a strong routing on gentle waves, which, in combination with large rolls in turns, sometimes threatens to just throw the car to the roadside. It is difficult to catch it due to slow, folding reactions and almost weightless steering wheel without reliable feedback. In such a situation, the limited performance of the steering hydraulic power plant looks like a dignity: with a sharp turn, he seems to be resting in a slowly retreating limiter, not allowing to do an excessive bold evolution. Note that Kia Madzhentis seemed a little more assembled and accurately possible because it was lower?

I CHOOSE
Perhaps still Madzhentis. No, not only for those few advantages that he demonstrated in comparison with Sonata. Yes, I look externally, I like it more, but this is a subjective thing. But the manufacturer's warranty factor is objective. The Taganrog plant promises disinterestedly to take care of his Hyunda Sonata only two years or 40 thousand km, but the autotort will be devoted to my Kia Madzhentis for a whole five years or 120 thousand km! Of course, the incomplete failure of the machine is almost the same, but what is the buyer's business? A long-known truth is confirmed: the warranty does not reflect the reliability or technical perfection of the car, but only indicates the desire of the manufacturer to sell their goods. We will assume that I bought this move. However, the situation can soon change. Tagaz dealers seriously consider the possibility of increasing the guarantee presumably up to three years and 100 thousand km.

SUMMARY
Hönde Sonata in the minimum configuration is perhaps the most advantageous offer in the classroom.
+ Spacious interior, comfortable suspension, big ground clearance, good noise insulation, attractive price.
- Poor equipment and decoration, modest dynamics, sluggish fuzzy reactions, non-informative steering.

Kia Madzhentis maximum of representativeness for each nested dennaution.
+ Spacious interior, comfortable suspension, considerable ground clearance, good noise insulation, solid appearance, attractive price, long warranty.
- modest equipment and decoration, moderate dynamics, folding reactions, non-informative steering.

EQUIPMENT
Hyundai Kia.
Sonata Magentis
Fog lights
Headlights corrector
Light alloy
wheel disks

central locking
Power windows
(Before. / Back) / /
Electrozerkala
Adjustable
steering column
Climate control
Audio preparation
Audio system
Belts tensioners
Airbags
(count) 2 2
Transformable
trunk
Full-size
spare wheel
Price, $ 20 250 20 850