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View Full Version : Optima beats Camry, Accord in CR test, Altima still favorite; Explorer lambasted



Ford_News
05-10-2011, 11:10 AM
Filed under: Sedan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/), SUV (http://www.autoblog.com/category/suvs/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), Honda (http://www.autoblog.com/category/honda/), Kia (http://www.autoblog.com/category/kia/)

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/12/03-2011-kia-optima-20t-fd-opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-kia-optima-2-0t-first-drive/)

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T - Click above for high-res image gallery

The mid-size sedan battle rages on year after year. Perennial kings are dethroned while new challengers emerge boasting fresh styling and a bountiful list of standard features. Consumer Reports (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/consumer+reports) launches its June issue today, and the institute's testers have put a host of family-minded four-doors powered by four-cylinder engines through a workout to determine which is the top dog. Ten vehicles were tested but, as Christopher Lambert will tell you, there can be only one.

As it has here at Autoblog Towers, Kia's 2011 Optima (http://www.autoblog.com/model/optima) draws big praise from the Consumer Reports crew. In fact, the Korean squeezes out a higher rating than the Honda Accord (http://www.autoblog.com/model/accord). It may have only beat the Honda by one point, but this represents a significant win for Kia (http://www.autoblog.com/make/kia). The opinions of Consumer Reports are highly valued by a large number of car shoppers, and this victory ought to push the Optima further onto radar of the American car buying public. Interestingly, while the Optima earned a "Very Good" rating, it wasn't the comparison's overall winner, however, as the Nissan Altima (http://www.autoblog.com/model/altima) (a perennial CR favorite) claimed the test's top spot, neatly trumping the Honda and the best-selling Toyota Camry (http://www.autoblog.com/model/camry) in the process.

One vehicle not fairing so well in the June issue of Consumer Reports? The 2011 Ford Explorer (http://www.autoblog.com/model/explorer). Nineteen mid-size sport utility vehicles were rounded up for testing, and the Explorer wound up in 17th place - well behind the Toyota Highlander (http://www.autoblog.com/model/highlander) Hybrid - a dismal showing for the Blue Oval brand. If you don't have an issue of CR in your mailbox, check out the official press release after the jump (http://www.mnfords.com/2011/05/10/optima-beats-camry-accord-in-cr-test-altima-still-favorite-ex/#continued) for more details.Continue reading Optima beats Camry, Accord in CR test, Altima still favorite; Explorer lambasted (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/10/optima-beats-camry-accord-in-cr-test-altima-still-favorite-ex/)

Optima beats Camry, Accord in CR test, Altima still favorite; Explorer lambasted (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/10/optima-beats-camry-accord-in-cr-test-altima-still-favorite-ex/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Tue, 10 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).



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