Oxymoronic Optima; Kia's midsize entry borrows from the best.(Brief Article)

Call it an oxymoron on wheels, the top-of-the-line luxury Optima from the bare-bones Korean-carmaker-that-could, Kia.

Say what? Top end? From lowly Kia?

Once staffers finished shuddering at the thought of spending more than an overnight with Kia's entry in the fiercely competitive midsize segment, most admitted they were, well, almost smitten by the time they pushed the lock button on the key fob for the last time.

No, the Optima won't overwhelm with its good looks, but from its Cadillac-like egg-crate grille to its BMW-ish tail, it's attractive enough in its own way-or rather, its own deriva-tive way. Neither will the Optima win many races, but its 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter dohc V6 is more than capable of getting you to dinner on time (and is due for a boost to a 185-hp 2.7-liter engine when the 2002 model comes out this summer). Nor was it the best handler in the stable, but it's a short list of under-$23,000 midsize cars that puts a premium on apex-clipping ability.

For all of Kia's bluster about being the cheapest transportation on the planet short of a Schwinn, the Optima is neither inexpensive nor cheaply made. Therein lies the irony: From a features and quality perspective, Optima is the most competitive Kia in the marketplace, but it lacks Kia's biggest competitive advantage-a significantly lower price-when stacked up against the plethora of midsize models available.

Optima must overcome the competition with something-anything-that will set it apart from the Buick Centurys, Ford Tauruses, Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys of the world. It strives to do this mostly by borrowing everything from styling cues to comfort features from highbrow marques of all nationalities.

In our brief fling, we noted a number of big-name knockoffs found on the Optima: the previously mentioned Caddy grille and BMW tail; a strong-running, almost Benz-sounding V6; a ``Sportmatic'' automanual shifter that works like a Porsche Tiptronic (no surprise here-it's licensed from Porsche); Saab-like door-mounted trunk release; and BMW-like easy-to-use controls. Other features on loan from the rich boys' toys ...