Guys, another piece of info (if u dont already know). The Optima comes with a automatic steering locking mechanism which only activates when u off the engine and open the driver's door. If u off the engine but keep the door closed, it doesnt activate. Another point to add on the list of features on the first page.

Today i tested the auto wipers. It seems that when u lower the stick 1 notch into intermittent, the auto wipers are engaged no matter how u turn the dial to increase/decrease intermittent speed. Quite different from other auto wipers ive tested. Has anybody experienced this? Also, is there a way to off the HID cleaner? I find it irritating for both cleaners to activate at the same time when i only wanna clean the windscreen. Besides that the wipers still has that irritating squeek at the drivers side of the windscreen.

Also, my instant fuel consumption jammed for a few hours the other day despite me restarting the engine twice and changing my driving styles. Only after the 3rd try did it function. Got me worried a bit.

Bro, if i remember correctly u did you service at Kia Jalan Lahat right? Was it good? Any complaints? Who was the person in charge? Somasunderam? My car has now reached 1400km. Long overdue for its first service.

What else do they do during the first service? Any washing or interior cleaning? Im familiar with the Branch Manager, Joe. Chinese guy. Quite friendly.

In my case, the HID was off and yet both the windscreen cleaner and headlight cleaner activated at the same time. Messed up my front bonnet.

The problem with the instant fuel consumption is not about resetting. In my case, it was constant at max consumption despite me changing driving styles and restarting the engine twice. I also drove fast and slow in an attempt to solve the problem. The average consumption was working fine.

RM700 and can pay with credit card with no charge

So u dont mind paying the same price for a car with only half the specs as the Optima? No brainer actually. U are beyond help if ure still considering the Sonata unless ure going for 2.4L.

Bro, u need to check your understanding of the English language first. No brains is different from no brainer. No brains means stupid while a no brainer means an obvious thing which doesnt require much analysis. Nobody called u stupid.

Feel free to comment here:

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...t=0&p=51192128&

Have u test driven it yet? If u havent, then go a few rounds. Ull be impressed.

Izputra has done a maintenance comparison between various makes. He is usually on the Kia Forte thread.

Bro, its common knowledge that Honda has the most expensive maintenance among the Jap brands.

You cannot make a direct comparision like that. Most normal servicing will cost approx the same as the only variable is the engine oil and filters with labor costs being a percentage of that. So costs wouldnt differ much.

But dont get carried away with the low initial cost of servicing for Kia. I have a 2006 Kia in my house and servicing isnt cheap. Trust me. The main cost of servicing comes when u have to change wear & tear parts. The normal periodic servicing is nothing actually. These parts used to be quite expensive for Kia. Not sure if prices have improved since. But be prepared to incure higher costs once u cross the 20,000km mark.

The problem with Kia's in the past was durability of parts which required more constant replacement as compared to say Toyota. I sure hope this has now changed. The shock absorbers on my 2003 Toyota Vios lasted till end 2011. Will it be the same for the Optima? I can only hope.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: May 9 2012, 08:15 AM

Warranties cover defects not wear & tear. Im refering to replacement of parts due to wear & tear. So absorbers or any other part changed will not be covered unless its defective.

New BMW promo for old E90 3 Series:

http://paultan.org/2012/05/09/own-an-e90-b...ancing-package/

Its 2012 manufactured & pre-registered BMW 320i with zero mileage. Comes with 5 years / 100,000km BMW service package. Costs RM 214,800 not inclusive insurance and road tax. SO if u have 55% NCB, your total OTR price would be approx RM 219,000.

This is a step up loan for 7 years with only the first year at RM1,888 with a RM80 increase very year for the next 6 years.

Something like that. Its a step up loan system. But i think the price is still high. If im gonna pay about RM 220K for the older E90 model, i might as well top up 35K and get the new 320i since there are some major differences.

The side lights only light up when the steering wheel reaches a certain degree of turn. Not sure what it is. Try taking sharper corners and see if it works.

High beam is not to be used during misty conditions. Thats why u have fog lights. If u use high beam in thick fog, ull just get a wall of light in front.

Do allow me to give my views since i tested both models extensively.

I think u got the suspension mixed up. For your info, the suspension on the 508 is firmer than the Optima. The Optima has High Performance Dampers to improve ride comfort. That's why the ride comfort on the Optima is better than the 508 not the other way around as u claimed. But with better comfort, the handling takes a back seat compared to the 508. You cant have better handling and comfort at the same time unless ure driving a premium brand e.g VW or a make with adaptive suspension. Plus u cannot really test comfort unless u take the car over bumpy roads with passengers at the back. Ive done that a number of times and my passengers at the back really felt the difference in the rear suspension. They said the 508 is feels uncomfortable going over unven roads and this is true. I know this for a fact cuz this was 1 of the reasons why i didnt go for the 508.

If you wanna test both cars over the same terrain, the best place to do it is at TTDI. The Peugeot and Kia showrooms are side by side but you may not get test cars at the same time though.

Regarding the steering, ive mentioned earlier that the Optima has a small 'problem' with its steering. Its called 'steering kickback' and it results in you feeling a lack of response from the steering and it jumps when you go over bumps. Kia should have installed a speed dependent steering system instead.

As for the engine, didnt u read the specs? The 508 uses a 1.6L Turbo engine with 240Nm of torque compared to the normal 2L petrol engine with 198Nm of torque on the Optima. Of course ure gonna get more power and better performance on the 508. U cant really compare a Turbo with a normal engine. For your info, the Optima 2.0L Turbo churns out 365Nm of torque but sadly we cant get this here in Malaysia due to the fuel. But yes, i agree that the Optima's engine sounds loud once u rev past 3,000. But that only happens during acceleration. If ure cruising at about 140kmph, you dont really hear the engine. During traffic light stops for instance, you will find it very hard to even know the engine is on except if you look at the RPM meter and thats quite good for a 2L engine.

As for noise, most of the noise you hear when ure driving comes from the Nexen tyres except when ure accelerating hard, then the engine sounds louder. Dont forget the 508 comes with Michelin Premacy as stock tyres so surely the tyre noise is reduced by about 50% as compared to the Nexen. Also remember that bigger rim tyres e.g 18 inch are known for their road noise but what you get in return is better handling. But yes i too would prefer smaller rims on the Optima. Cheaper to maintain too.

The specs on the 508 is not comparable to the Optima. Its better. The 508 also has a better quality and better designed interior. But its the exterior which put me off especially the rear end. Put 2 adults in the back seat and the rear end of the car really becomes low. Besides that, the 508 is a good car.

But do keep in mind that the Optima is RM26K cheaper than the 508 with a better exterior design and more interior space. Safety is also very important and the Optima scores high here. The Optima was given higher frontal crash ratings by NHTSA compared to the even the BMW 5 Series. Also dont forget that the Optima comes with better warranty terms compared to the 508.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: May 14 2012, 09:17 AM

Why do u want WWX when you can wait 2 weeks more and get WXA?

I dont think Nasim will reduce the price by RM23K. That would improve 508 sales now but kill the confidence in future CBU models just like whats happening with Mitsubishi now.