Bill Parents Magazine Gives Kia Optima, Soul Family Car Nod

Jul 7, 2016

Kia drivers know that the Optima and Soul are among the best cars for families thanks to their safety, reliability, convenient features, and value price. Parents Magazine recently confirmed what hundreds of thousands of Kia customers have experienced for themselves, naming the Optima and Soul as two of the Best Family Cars of 2016.

Parents Magazine collaborates with Edmunds on their annual rankings. The Best Family Cars list names the top 10 vehicles in a variety of segments – crossover, sedan, compact, etc. – for families. Ratings are based on a variety of factors, including ride quality, kid-friendly features, safety, interior and exterior workmanship, price and value, reliability, comfort and capacity, and fuel efficiency.

The Kia Optima was named the best sedan, and the Kia Soul was named the best budget vehicle on the list. The inclusion of both models on the list was a big coup for Kia dealers, as the South Korean automaker was the only car manufacturer to have two vehicles designated as Best Family Cars of 2016.

For families seeking safe, reliable, and affordable transportation, the Kia Optima and Soul provide excellent options. Visiting a Kia dealership for a consultation with a sales representative can help car consumers learn more about how the Optima, Soul, or another great Kia vehicle best fit their families.

2016 Kia Soul

For 2016, Kia made a few tweaks to its funky Kia Soul compact, adding standard equipment and also providing new electronic safety features for its top tier trim level. The Soul remains a unique, fun vehicle to drive and, with lots of included features, it’s a value buy at its low starting price.

The Soul is a very popular vehicle, selling more than 147,000 units in 2015. Kia dealerships are expecting another banner year for the Soul, as it continues to capture the public’s imagination with its unique design and surprising level of craftsmanship.

The 2016 Kia Soul offers buyers two engine choices. The base Soul offers a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine that generates 130 horsepower and 118 lb. ft. of torque. Drivers can opt for a six speed manual transmission or a six speed automatic. The base Soul gets about 24 mpg in urban driving and 30 mpg on the highway.

Upper trim levels of the new Kia Soul provide a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine that puts out 164 horsepower and 151 lb. ft. of torque. The 2.0 liter engine is paired with a six speed auto transmission. This engine option gets better fuel economy than the base engine, getting 24 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. Automotive journalists say the Soul has pretty good handling and the base engine offers adequate acceleration, while its upper level engine has more oomph.

The Soul comes in three trim levels: Base, Plus, and Exclaim. The Base level of the Soul has lots of great standard features, including 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, rear privacy glass and more. Upper level trims have a variety of further options, including rear view cameras, a touchscreen, Kia’s UVO infotainment system, and other great features.

The Soul’s boxy design gives it more vertical room, making it an ideal compact for taller drivers and passengers. The interior of the vehicle has better than expected seating and surface materials, and the Soul also offers ample cargo room – 19 cubic feet to start with, and 60 cubic feet when the back seats are folded down.

The 2016 Kia Soul has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $19,320, and many sell for less than this, according to Edmunds. The many amenities the Soul comes equipped with compared to this relatively low entry price make the Soul a smart pick for consumers.

The 2016 Kia Optima

The Kia Optima is the South Korean automaker’s top-selling vehicle, with nearly 160,000 vehicles sold in the United States last year.

Kia redesigned the Optima for 2016 and made a number of changes to refresh its flagship vehicle. The new Optima is wider and longer than previous models, giving it more cabin room. On the exterior, Kia has designed the Optima’s face to be a little more aggressive looking, projecting an image of confidence and power. The Optima comes in four trim levels: LX, EX, SX, and SXL.

Consumers shopping Optimas at Kia dealerships now have three engine options to choose from – a 2.4 liter four cylinder and two turbocharged engines. The 2.4 liter four cylinder generates 185 horsepower and 178 lb. ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a six speed automatic transmission.

Buyers who purchase the LX trim Optima will get a turbocharged 1.6 four cylinder engine that generates 178 horsepower and 195 lb. ft. of torque. This engine is mated with a seven-speed auto transmission.

For the 2016 Kia Optima’s top SX and SXL trims, buyers will get a turbocharged 2.0 liter engine that generates 245 horsepower and 260 lb. ft. of torque.

The Optima has average fuel economy numbers. The base engine gets 24 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. The 1.6 liter gets 28 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. The 2.0 liter gets 22 mpg in urban driving and 32 mpg on the highway.

Automotive journalists have given the Optima high marks for its quiet ride and handling. The turbocharged 2.0 liter engine gives the Optima acceleration comparable to V6 engines available on competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

The new Optima doesn’t stint on creature comforts for its buyers. The vehicle’s interior is attractive and spacious, with the added benefit of being functional and convenient. The Optima’s interior abounds with soft touch plastics, but there are also hard touch surfaces near the center stack and on the door armrests. The Optima’s seats are quite comfy and, at the upper trim levels, buyers can opt for quilted leather upholstery.

The 2016 Kia Optima makes good use of the added space created by its redesign. The vehicle offers plenty of legroom for the front and rear seats, and the vehicle offers 15.8 cubic feet of trunk space, providing plenty of room for groceries or luggage.

Optima buyers can opt for a very nice 8-inch touchscreen with conveniently sized touchpad buttons. The Optima’s touchscreen uses physical buttons for its most important navigation features, thus reducing driver distraction. The new Optima also allows buyers to integrate their smartphones with the vehicle via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

According to Edmunds, the new Optima has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of about $23,920, and most sell for around $22,550. This makes the Optima a deal compared to other, pricier rivals like the Honda Accord and the Hyundai Sonata. The Optima is covered by Kia’s 10-year, 100,000 mile warranty – one of the best warranties offered by the automotive industry.

Kia has vastly improved the quality of its vehicles in the last decade, and the automaker’s winning streak in collecting accolades such as the Parents Magazine’s Best Family Cars of 2016 designation reflect growing recognition of Kia’s leadership in the auto industry. Kia vehicles are rapidly becoming synonymous with quality and innovation, recently ranking No. 2 in J.D. Power’s survey of initial quality.

Consumers in North Dakota looking for a great deal on a new Kia Optima should visit Bill Barth Kia. With a wide selection and knowledgeable staff, the Bill Barth Kia dealership provides customers with a convenient and fun car buying experience. In addition to the dealership’s large inventory of new vehicles, Bill Barth Kia also carries many pre-owned vehicles. For a quality Kia to meet any budget, visit the Bill Barth Kia dealership in Mandan, N.D.

For more information, call us at 701-205-3261.