The Exception of the Year, So Far.

   The 2011 KIA Optima is redoubtably the stand out star so far this year. Since the brand's meager beginnings in the mid 1990s, KIA has truly reinvented itself. Like Jaguar and Lexus, KIA has started to produce cars that will really excite people.
   The Optima does it best, however, and for a bargain. The SX shown above starts at only $25,000, and includes everything from a panoramic sunroof to iPod connectivity on the fly. It has a turbocharged engine and the exterior to match. The body of the car is all new, too, which is even more impressive once you realize many manufacturers recycle body parts and brand them as new year after year.
   KIA practices similar beliefs on the idea of a floating roof, but while Jaguar failed miserably to make the   roof smooth and streamlined, KIA opted to take a simpler approach. The roof of the Optima is just as you might have guessed, all black.
   Conclusion: The Korean made Optima has set the new benchmark for Honda, Toyota, and all of those other Japanese Automakers.