When I really like a company, I have a habit of saying (or thinking) that I want them to sponsor me. Not sponsorship for a trip or to a conference, but sponsor my life, as in this company’s products and I could live happily ever after together. Amen. This imaginary please-sponsor-my-life list includes Apple, Merrell, Lucky, Bose, Fossil, Levis—okay, you get the picture. I won’t even start on restaurants and shoes.
Kia definitely makes my list.
My 17-year-old son and I recently made a weekend trip to Mississippi in the Kia Optima Hybrid. This was my second chance to test drive a Kia (we drove a Sportage to the Relevant Conference—now renamed Allume—last year) and I easily recalled all the things I liked about it.
Robin and Deidra will meet me in Atlanta for a road trip to our annual (in)courage Hilton Head authors’ retreat in a Sorento (working my way through the Kia line-up!) next month.
We’re downright giddy about the trip and the Kia is a big part of it!
Since my usual ride is a 15-passenger van, driving a vehicle with built-in GPS; seats that can be either heated or cooled; dual sun roofs; satellite radio; and that just looks so good is a serious treat. The Optima Hybrid’s biggest wow factor, however, is fuel efficiency. Oh. My. Word. It started with a pretty full tank when dropped off at the house, and on an 800 mile round trip we only bought gas ONE time, with over 1/4 of a tank remaining when we got home.
Not understanding how a hybrid works, I was concerned about the whole battery thing and how to keep it charged. To be honest, I envisioned carrying around a large plug and extension cord looking for a place to plug in the car.
I planned to ask lots of questions when the car was dropped off at our house, but I misunderstood the arrival date and wasn’t home! My son said the battery was fully charged and we wouldn’t have to worry about it during the five days we drove the car. All I know is we averaged over 34 miles per gallon. Impressive.
This week I found out that I’ve got a ticket and a roommate if I go to Allume again this year and the Kia Optima Hybrid would be my first choice for a sponsored vehicle on this 1400-mile round trip, especially with current gas prices!
What kind of gas mileage does your car get (my van gets 12 mpg)?
[In addition to testing a Kia Optima Hybrid, somehow I also scored a press kit for Nik Software’s new HDR Efex Pro, which accounts for the slightly surreal quality of some of the photos. What—your reality doesn’t look like this?]
What a great looking car. The mileage is amazing. We get about 20 miles per gallon with our 2000 Nissan Altima.
WOW! I want one!! 🙂
Wow, that car looks incredible!
Anything with good gas mileage is impressive to me (since my crossover’s gas mileage stinks, and my husband drives a giant truck), and this Kia sounds awesome! And looks great, too – I love your photos. AND, I’m super excited that I might see you at Allume! Woohoo! (Trying to ignore how sad I am to miss the road trip with Deidra and Robin…)
Yay, yay, yay! We are going to be riding in style, girlfriend! Look out, HHI! Here we come!
I CALL SHOTGUN! I’ve had heated seats before but NEVER cooled seats. I cannot wait to have air blown up my skirt quite literally :).
Dawn, the reason you’ve had opportunity to test these cars is because you’re a wonderful, enthusiastic voice for the brands you believe in; I know you don’t just say things to say ’em, you MEAN it!
I’m excited to ride with you because if I REALLY like the Kia, we’re going to be in the market for a new vehicle this time next year. 🙂
(Thanks for being our chauffeur!!)
That is such a neat car! I love how it shows you all of that stuff and adds the pretty flowers in there too!! 🙂 Yay for 35 MPG! I have not heard that much about Kia before… thanks for explaining all these cool features!
That is a gorgeous vehicle. I love the dashboard and would be very distracted by the flowers lol I’m hoping to go to Allume for the first time next year! I think I can only do one conference a year and this year it was BlogHer. Would’ve loved a roadtrip from MN to NYC in a Hybrid. My AWD minivan gets about 16mpg #fail
http://www.optima-kia.cz/ heres my site about Kia Optima… pls visit.