2011 in Review: The best car I drove for <$40k

By John LeBlanc Korean cars aren't the punch line to a bad joke anymore. Rising from their former positioning as backwater makers of bottom-feeder cars with lowball sticker prices and extra-long warranties, the Hyundai and Kia sister brands have turned into builders of some of the most reliable, safe, smartly-styled, technically advanced and value priced cars on the market. And, for me, the new Kia Optima midsize sedan is the best example of what the Koreans are doing right. First, the Optima looks good. It's sized and priced right. And it comes standard with features that are not only class exclusives, but normally found only on cars costing two-fold, like a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. Although the Optima shares many of its underparts with the also-midsize and front-drive Hyundai Sonata, my Euro-centric sensibilities lean towards the Kia's German-car mimicking style. Inside, its centre stack is angled towards the driver (like a BMW). Outside, every line has a purpose (like an Audi). Underhood, a trio of four-cylinder engines (naturally aspirated, gas-electric, and turbocharged) offers a mill for everyone's needs. But the top of the line $33,695 Optima SX would be my pick. It blows its mainstream competition with power (274 hp) and torque (269 lb.-ft.), delvers an outstanding 9.2 L/100 km city and 5.8 L highway, and handles and rides well enough to get buyers thinking twice about base versions of the vaunted BMW 3 Series or Audi A4 — all for thousands less.

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