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2016 Kia Optima vs Volkswagen Passat

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The family sedan segment is utter of safe choices.

The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are solid yet unadventurous picks, but for people who want something a bit different, there are other comparable yet not as popular family sedans that have a lot to suggest. The two thousand sixteen Kia Optima and Volkswagen Passat are two of these picks.

These two sedans seem to be forgotten cars in their segment, but they are both solid alternatives to the more mainstream picks. They are both good at different things and appeal to two very different types of buyers, but have their outsider status in common.

Kicking off in the Style Department

Put side by side, it’s demonstrable that the Kia wins in the style category. A more modern-looking sedan, the Optima’s high beltline and sculpted front end makes the car look more dramatic. In comparison, the Passat’s look is fairly bland, however it is not ugly.

And that style carries over to the inwards as well. The Kia’s quilted leather seats, brushed aluminum trim, and flat-bottomed, dimpled leather steering wheel truly makes the interior look upscale. The Passat’s interior design, on the other mitt, while luxurious and classy, gives off some old man vibes. The wood trim, analog clock, and typical VW styling indeed make this interior look uninspired in comparison. The Kia’s interior is more visually interesting and more youthful.

How Do the Drives Compare?

Again, this youthfull versus old theme repeats itself in the driving dynamics of both sedans. The Optima’s steering is much more powerful and direct, where the Passat’s steering has a dead zone in the middle, so it doesn’t have a solid on-center feel and isn’t as responsive. The Optima also has selectable driving modes and aluminum pedals, two things that emphasize the concentrate on driving.

The Optima is powered by a Two.0 -liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes two hundred forty five hp and two hundred sixty lb-ft of torque, which comes online early at 1,300 rpm.

The Passat, on the other forearm, is motivated by VW’s ubiquitous and award-winning turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder with one hundred seventy hp and one hundred eighty four lb-ft or torque. If you did want to match the Optima’s numbers, you would have to upgrade to the Three.6-liter V6, which puts out two hundred eighty hp and two hundred fifty eight lb-ft of torque.

There is a big power disparity inbetween the two sedans on paper, but on the road, the difference doesn’t feel that drastic. The 1.8L turbo is well-suited to the Passat, and even tho’ it seems like such a puny engine for a car this size, its spectacle is decent and it doesn’t feel any slower than the Kia, very likely because the Passat is a duo hundred pounds lighter. The Passat is also much more fuel efficient, with the VW rated at 32.6 mpg while the Optima gets 27.6 mpg. I choose the VW engine because spectacle feels comparable to the Kia’s, but is much more fuel efficient and feels more refined.

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