Kia Optima 
Kia’s uncontested star for 2012 is without a doubt the new Optima. Having replaced the now-defunct Magentis, the Optima struts superb lines designed by Peter Schreyer, Audi’s former chief designer, and his team. The LX and EX are equipped with a 2.4L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, while the SX gets a turbo. The hybrid version adds another six horses to the base engine.
Pros
- Unspeakably beautiful (subjective)
- Nice interior
- Solid road handling
- Good selection of engines
- Guaranteed to be excellent
Cons
- Suspension a little hard
- Heavy steering
- Seats not particularly comfortable
- Reliability not yet proven
- Overly intrusive stability control system
