QUOTE(ericwen @ Feb 15 2013, 11:37 PM)
hi everyone,
few questions on k5 optima.
a. i haven't test drive this car but i sat on the car in the show room. 1 thing which i notice very obvious...
there's no hand brake. But instead there's a leg brake on the left side. Normally my car I can rest my left leg. But this left brake is kinda blocking it, feel uncomfortable. Is this normal?
I am 6" tall so I feel my legs not so comfortable.
b. What's the differences between k5 2013 over 2012?
c. The car interior,hmm.. a bit like plastic. I compare between vw jetta, mazda 6 (new one) and optima (not sure which version, but seen an old show room car before CNY at Kia federal highway). Plus the leather seats like a bit whitish. I wonder whether the leathers can last long?
d. How about the power? I tried mazda cx-5, really underpowered. Jetta is really powerful. How about this car? Coz the body is long and the engine is 2.0 only, can it tahan?
I noticed a lot of people buy Kia Optima K5. Despite the features, how about the resale value of this car?
I need some help on deciding what to buy my next car. K5 seems to fall within my budget.
Any help? Thanks.
a) Im 6 feet tall as well and i havent had any issues with the brake pedal blocking my left leg. You can still rest your leg well enuf since the brake pedal is way higher than the foot rest which gives you ample space. The leg brake needs some getting used to but it serves to save space near the centre console giving it a more streamlined look.
b) The 2013 model has a different (and slightly more powerful) Nu engine. It also comes with a few minor add-on's e.g rear seatbelt indicator, passenger airbag deactivator, etc. But all at the same price.
c) Touch the dashboard and side door panels and ull notice that its not plastic but a soft felt material. If u wanna know what plastic is, go check out the new Honda City. The leather seats are surely not the BMW grade. Not sure if it will last but what do u expect with a car that only costs RM 143K? When u compare cars, u need to take into account the price difference. If u compare with say a VW Passat and claim this and that is better, i mean wouldnt u expect that since ure paying like 30K more?
d) The K5 is underpowered because of the body weight. Most 2.0 normal petrol engines for a D segment will be underpowered. You cant compare with a Jetta which has a turbo engine. There is a K5 2.0L Turbo which isn't available in Malaysia because of the fuel quality here. But that 2.0L turbo thrashes even the new BMW 3 Series 320i twin power turbo. The K5 2.0T has 274Hp, 365Nm torque compared to only 184Hp, 270Nm torque on the 320i. So compare 2.0NA engines with other 2.0NA engines. Pointless comparing with a turbo.
But the K5 has the most power output (on paper) compared to other 2.0L cars in the market e.g Camry, Accord, etc. But that's where the pedal shifters come in. Once u get the hang of it, u can easily use the gears to give you that additional power. If u look at the K5 torque curve, its main power kicks in mid cycle not during the initial stage. So if ure cruising at say 110kmph and u wanna suddenly accelerate, the K5 will provide that power easily enough. But in town driving, use the Eco mode to keep FC down.
When ure talking about D segment cars, you shouldnt be focused on resale value. The only ppl who talk about resale values are those owning B & C segment cars. D segment owners are a different breed of ppl. D segment cars resale value is no where as good as a B or C segment. Yes cars like Camry and Accord will get better resale values for sure but then again those who buy the K5 dont buy it for the resale value. We buy for the specs, value for money, safety and design.
The K5 is very much value for money. For the specs on offer, design, interior space, safety and the 5 yr unlimited mileage warranty, RM 143K is a very reasonable price to pay. Ive been using my K5 for 10 months so far and except for a few issues with my aircon smell and wipers initially, ive had no other issues so far. Although my car is only 10 months old on paper but ive covered about 34,000km to date. Not a single rattle or creak anywhere in the car. After sales service has also improved alot although Kia is still behind Toyota's standards. But i like Kia's warranty terms. They will easily replace a part for u FOC just to satisfy you unlike Toyota where getting them to admit to a fault would take a miracle.
So overall, im quite satisfied with the K5. I bought the car after about 6 months of detailed research and 9 test drives. I believe ive made a good decision. Since i drive alot, ive had the benefit of seeing the various types of cars on the road. Im seeing more and more K5 since Nov 2012. So i think more and more ppl are beginning to see that the K5 is really value for money compared to that overpriced Camry. Its design also stands out. Till today i still keep getting the looks at traffic light stops, restaurants, etc. Ask any K5 owner and they'll tell u the same.
Go for it. You will not regret. Join the K5 Club Facebook Page as well. Ull get more info there too.
Cheers!
This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Feb 16 2013, 08:41 AM 
Feb 4 2013, 05:46 PM
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are u the one tat pm me at fb?
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