Kia Optima Hybrid to BEECH Retreat

“Maybe there just might be a Kia in our future…”

Those are the words I heard from my husband as I drove him around to show him all the features of this economical vehicle. What impressed him? The headlights. The seat warmers. The fuel economy screen.

This Kia Optima Hybrid holds great memories for me. It took me to and from BEECH Retreat last week – roughly 1,100 miles round trip. Saved me money on gas. Helped me pick up my long-time friend from the airport. (More on BEECH Retreat here).

Why do I love the Kia Optima Hybrid? Let me count the ways…

Let us start at the start. First of all – it is a hybrid!

The biggest impressions for me were the wonderful gas mileage, the start button and how very quietly the car runs.

The Kia hybrid has what is called a proximity key. What that meant to me was I only needed this ‘key’ to lock and unlock the car doors. I didn’t actually have to place any key in the ignition.

I just needed to have the ‘key’ close by, place my foot on the brake pedal, make sure the Eco Guide EV level was at ready and press the start button.

Thanks to my friend Mary of Homegrown Learners for taking the navigational photos! She was my driving buddy on the way home.

Love the Navigation

Fully loaded navigational system helped me feel safe while driving solo down to Florida. I entered my destination: Captiva, Island Fl. Then added a waypoint stop at the Ft. Myers airport. It was an easy, straight shot down I-75 but I’m not sure I would have made it to the cell phone waiting lot at the Ft. Myers airport had it not been for the voice navigation system.

Love the steering wheel

A steering wheel that warms your hands? How brilliant is that? That cold morning I drove the girls to drama troupe, my hands stayed toasty. Other features on the steering wheel:

• volume and tuning control for the radio
• the ability to answer and end phone calls (my iPhone synced easily with the vehicle so my contact list was available with the push of a button)
• plus I really liked the ‘handle’ at 6:00 – easy for highway cruising

Love the entertainment options

Satellite radio made me happy when I was in middle Georgia out of range of my favorite 104.7 The Fish. Plus, with my iPhone synced, all the music Hodgepodgedad had updated on my phone the night before was readily available.

Love the sunroof

As you can see, the sunroof was a favorite of the children! The sunroof was also a bonus for driving the island roads. My friend, Barb of Harmony Fine Arts, and I soaked up the Florida sunshine while out on our nature adventures. We saw so many birds and even a Florida gator.

Love the room

Though the Kia Optima is sleek and compact from the outside, just take a look at all the room on the inside!

Cup holders galore – both front and back seats and in each of the doors as well.

Plus plenty of leg room in the back for even the tallest folks.

But the best part is the storage. In the hybrid the battery takes up a portion of the trunk space. Even so, two blogging women were able to pack all of their luggage – including laptops and camera gear – into the vehicle.

In contrast, the regular Kia Optima offers even more trunk compartment space. The back seats fold down very nicely to haul all kinds of groceries or organizational items from IKEA (not that I’d have experience with that 🙂  )

Gas mileage

Technically I could have made it all the way from my home near Atlanta, Georgia all the way to Ft. Myers airport on one tank of gas. 35 miles per gallon! But I didn’t cut it that close. I did cruise well at a steady speed thanks to the cruise control and the options to adjust it on the steering wheel.

Absolute Fun

There were a couple of neat experiences with the Kia hybrid. One was the ‘special’ parking spot Barb and I discovered at the ‘Ding’ Darling Nature Reserve. A parking spot reserved only for hybrid vehicles.

And another was when my friend Mary and I stopped to fill the tank on the way home and pulled up to an old timey gas pump. Am I dating myself to say I remember these? Old gas pump and a hybrid.

In Conclusion

The Kia Optima hybrid is an outstanding vehicle. Quiet, economical, full of fun features – it’s definitely a different experience than the family mini van!

Thank you Kia!