Used Kia Optima estate PHEV: good or bad idea?
Discussion
Contemplating the pros and cons of replacing my old and slightly shabby diesel Galaxy with an Optima PHEV estate, and having my fiancé use it as her daily driver, rather than our Giulietta which she currently uses (and which I'd keep, as I'm quite fond of the car, and it's worth the square root of naff all given its mileage!).
Just wondering how much sense these make as a used car purchase.
On the face of it, £15-16k would get a 3 year old estate car with around 50-60000 miles on it, in theory still with 4 years' worth of manufacturers warranty remaining. They all appear to be well kitted out, on paper at least it looks to have a decent amount of poke, automatic transmission is a big benefit IMO, and the PHEV has the ability (on paper) to complete her ~25 mile daily round trip to work on battery power alone.
Being a PHEV it would be useful for longer runs (e.g. family holidays), where my Niro EV would become a pain with stopping to charge. It does sacrifice a little of the Galaxy's practicality, but we rarely use the full 7 seat capability anyway, and the Optima still looks to be big enough for tip run/mountain biking duties. Reviews suggest that it prioritises refinement over sportiness or fun, which for the intended purpose is absolutely fine by me.
So, a few questions if anyone has owned one...
Just wondering how much sense these make as a used car purchase.
On the face of it, £15-16k would get a 3 year old estate car with around 50-60000 miles on it, in theory still with 4 years' worth of manufacturers warranty remaining. They all appear to be well kitted out, on paper at least it looks to have a decent amount of poke, automatic transmission is a big benefit IMO, and the PHEV has the ability (on paper) to complete her ~25 mile daily round trip to work on battery power alone.
Being a PHEV it would be useful for longer runs (e.g. family holidays), where my Niro EV would become a pain with stopping to charge. It does sacrifice a little of the Galaxy's practicality, but we rarely use the full 7 seat capability anyway, and the Optima still looks to be big enough for tip run/mountain biking duties. Reviews suggest that it prioritises refinement over sportiness or fun, which for the intended purpose is absolutely fine by me.
So, a few questions if anyone has owned one...
- Are there any pitfalls with transferring the warranty to a new owner?
- Are the any known/common/"run for the hills" issues with these cars to watch out for?
- How well does the electric range hold up in reality?
- Does it rely upon the engine to provide heating in the winter like the early Outlander PHEVs?
- What's the realistic fuel economy once the battery is discharged?
- Any expensive horrors lurking in the service schedule?
Edited by Jonny_ on Monday 12th July 18:17
Jonny_ said:
Contemplating the pros and cons of replacing my old and slightly shabby diesel Galaxy with an Optima PHEV estate, and having my fiancé use it as her daily driver, rather than our Giulietta which she currently uses (and which I'd keep, as I'm quite fond of the car, and it's worth the square root of naff all given its mileage!).
Just wondering how much sense these make as a used car purchase.
On the face of it, £15-16k would get a 3 year old estate car with around 50-60000 miles on it, in theory still with 4 years' worth of manufacturers warranty remaining. They all appear to be well kitted out, on paper at least it looks to have a decent amount of poke, automatic transmission is a big benefit IMO, and the PHEV has the ability (on paper) to complete her ~25 mile daily round trip to work on battery power alone.
Being a PHEV it would be useful for longer runs (e.g. family holidays), where my Niro EV would become a pain with stopping to charge. It does sacrifice a little of the Galaxy's practicality, but we rarely use the full 7 seat capability anyway, and the Optima still looks to be big enough for tip run/mountain biking duties. Reviews suggest that it prioritises refinement over sportiness or fun, which for the intended purpose is absolutely fine by me.
So, a few questions if anyone has owned one...
I've not lived with one but supplied a few, all the clients seem happy with them.Just wondering how much sense these make as a used car purchase.
On the face of it, £15-16k would get a 3 year old estate car with around 50-60000 miles on it, in theory still with 4 years' worth of manufacturers warranty remaining. They all appear to be well kitted out, on paper at least it looks to have a decent amount of poke, automatic transmission is a big benefit IMO, and the PHEV has the ability (on paper) to complete her ~25 mile daily round trip to work on battery power alone.
Being a PHEV it would be useful for longer runs (e.g. family holidays), where my Niro EV would become a pain with stopping to charge. It does sacrifice a little of the Galaxy's practicality, but we rarely use the full 7 seat capability anyway, and the Optima still looks to be big enough for tip run/mountain biking duties. Reviews suggest that it prioritises refinement over sportiness or fun, which for the intended purpose is absolutely fine by me.
So, a few questions if anyone has owned one...
- Are there any pitfalls with transferring the warranty to a new owner?
- Are the any known/common/"run for the hills" issues with these cars to watch out for?
- How well does the electric range hold up in reality?
- Does it rely upon the engine to provide heating in the winter like the early Outlander PHEVs?
- What's the realistic fuel economy once the battery is discharged?
- Any expensive horrors lurking in the service schedule?
Edited by Jonny_ on Monday 12th July 18:17
Transferring the Warranty isn't an issue especially if it has FMDSH.
No known issues yet.
22-27 miles.
No idea.
It's a heavy car & feels a bit sluggish especially when the battery power is low as it torque fills for the 2.0 N/A engine so expect mid to low 30's
Fixed price servicing is an option so there should be no horror bills.
ZX10R NIN said:
I've not lived with one but supplied a few, all the clients seem happy with them.
Transferring the Warranty isn't an issue especially if it has FMDSH.
No known issues yet.
22-27 miles.
No idea.
It's a heavy car & feels a bit sluggish especially when the battery power is low as it torque fills for the 2.0 N/A engine so expect mid to low 30's
Fixed price servicing is an option so there should be no horror bills.
Cheers ZX10R, helpful as always! If only you weren't at the opposite end of the country to me, I'd be asking you about supplying one to me as well Transferring the Warranty isn't an issue especially if it has FMDSH.
No known issues yet.
22-27 miles.
No idea.
It's a heavy car & feels a bit sluggish especially when the battery power is low as it torque fills for the 2.0 N/A engine so expect mid to low 30's
Fixed price servicing is an option so there should be no horror bills.
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