If you are looking for a new car in Louisville, the 2011 Kia Optima now offers buyers a hard to beat mixture of great looks, safety, performance, and a great warranty at an affordable price for buyers.

Standard 2011 Kia Optima Features

• Bluetooth phone connectivity
• Driving wheel audio control panel
• Cooled glove box
• iPod/USB audio connectivity
• 16-inch steel wheels (17- and 18-inch steel wheels are available)
• Six airbags
• Electronic stability control
• Four-wheel antilock disc brakes
• Stability and traction control
• Side curtain airbags
• Side airbags
• Hill start assist

Optional 2011 Kia Optima Features

• Infinity audio system
• Rear camera
• Heated and cooled seats
• Touch-screen navigation
• Panoramic sunroof
• Turbo-charged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine

2011 Kia Optima Safety Rating

The 2011 Kia Optima received a five-star rating (best available) for overall safety performance, including a five stars rating for frontal and side-impact crash tests.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 2011 Kia Optima with a “Good” rating (best available) for frontal-offset and side-impact crash test performances.

In Edmunds brake testing, the Optima EX stopped in 121 feet after going at 60 miles per hour — a good performance.

2011 Kia Optima Professional Reviews

Here are what some of the world’s most well-respected car review sites are saying about the 2011 Kia Optima:

“…Thanks to an extreme makeover, the 2011 Kia Optima has emerged from its anonymous cocoon to be a striking butterfly of a family sedan. With sleek styling, substantial power and plenty of value, the latest Optima is an instant standout among its many rivals.”
Edmunds.com (Read the full review here)

“Today, the redesigned 2011 Kia Optima boasts sharp styling, competent driving dynamics and a cabin that leapfrogs other family sedans — and could stay in the lead for years to come.”

“Extravagant amenities, smart styling and, in all likelihood, good value stand to lift the car… The Optima’s slice [of the family mid-size sedan market] is poised to get bigger, and deservedly so.”
Cars.com (read the full review here)

“The 2011 Kia Optima is as all-new as it gets, offering sharper interior and exterior styling, new engine options (including a turbocharged variant) and new tech-savvy features”

“The 2011 Kia Optima backs up its standout styling with driving dynamics and an equipment list that outclass most of its competitors’. And price is still a strong suit.”

“Feature for feature, the Optima offers more for the money than competitors like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion.”
KBB.com (read the full review here)

The 2011 Kia Optima can be found at a number of car dealerships in and around Louisville, KY. You can schedule a test drive by visiting their sites (below):

• 2011 Kia Optima: Preston Highway Louisville, KY
• 2011 Kia Optima: Shelbyville Road Louisville, KY
• 2011 Kia Optima: North Dixie Highway Elizabethtown, KY
• 2011 Kia Optima: Lewis and Clark Parkway Clarksville, IN

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The best way to protect yourself against becoming a victim of hazardous road conditions is to avoid driving altogether. But heck, that just isn’t always feasible with so many things to do this time of year. So, without further adieu, here are ten winter weather driving tips courtesy of edmunds.com for those of your driving your cars in Louisville, KY (or anywhere, for that matter). Drive safe, Kentucky!

1. Get a grip. To have adequate snow traction, a tire requires at least 6/32-inch deep tread, according to The Tire Rack. (New passenger-car tires usually have 10/32-inch of tread.) Ultrahigh-performance “summer” tires have little or no grip in snow. Even “all-season” tires don’t necessarily have great snow traction: Some do, some don’t. If you live where the roads are regularly covered with snow, use snow tires (sometimes called “winter tires” by tiremakers). They have a “snowflake on the mountain” symbol on the sidewall, meaning they meet a tire-industry standard for snow traction.
2. Make sure you can see. Replace windshield wiper blades. Clean the inside of your windows thoroughly. Apply a water-shedding material (such as Rain-X) to the outside of all windows, including the mirrors. Make sure your windshield washer system works and is full of an anti-icing fluid. Drain older fluid by running the washers until new fluid appears: Switching fluid colors makes this easy.
3. Run the air-conditioner. In order to remove condensation and frost from the interior of windows, engage your air-conditioner and select the fresh air option: It’s fine to set the temperature on “hot.” Many cars automatically do this when you choose the defrost setting.
4. Check your lights. Use your headlights so that others will see you and, we hope, not pull out in front of you. Make sure your headlights and taillights are clear of snow. If you have an older car with sand-pitted headlights, get a new set of lenses. To prevent future pitting, cover the new lens with a clear tape like that used to protect the leading edge of helicopter rotor blades and racecar wings. It’s available from auto-racing supply sites.
5. Give yourself a brake. Learn how to get maximum efficiency from your brakes before an emergency. It’s easy to properly use antilock brakes: Stomp, stay and steer. Stomp on the pedal as if you were trying to snap it off. Stay hard on the pedal. Steer around the obstacle. (A warning: A little bit of steering goes a very long way in an emergency. See Tip 8.) If you drive on icy roads or roads that are covered with snow, modify your ABS technique: After you “Stomp” and the ABS begins cycling — you will feel pulses in the pedal or hear the system working — ease up slightly on the pedal until the pulsing happens only once a second.For vehicles without ABS, you’ll have to rely on the old-fashioned system: You. For non-ABS on a mixed-surface road, push the brake pedal hard until the wheels stop rolling, then immediately release the brake enough to allow the wheels to begin turning again. Repeat this sequence rapidly. This is not the same as “pumping the brake.” Your goal is to have the tires producing maximum grip regardless of whether the surface is snow, ice or damp pavement. Use the tips in “How To Survive the Top 10 Driving Emergencies” to practice before the emergency.
6. Watch carefully for “black ice.” If the road looks slick, it probably is. This is especially true with one of winter’s worst hazards: “black ice.” Also called “glare ice,” this is nearly transparent ice that often looks like a harmless puddle or is overlooked entirely. Test the traction with a smooth brake application or slight turn of the wheel.
7. Remember the tough spots. Race drivers must memorize the nuances of every track, so they can alter their path for changing track conditions. You must remember where icy roads tend to occur. Bridges and intersections are common places. Also: wherever water runs across the road. I know people who lost control on ice caused by homeowners draining above-ground pools and by an automatic lawn sprinkler that sprayed water onto a street in freezing temperatures.
8. Too much steering is bad. If a slick section in a turn causes your front tires to lose grip, the common — but incorrect — reaction is to continue turning the steering wheel. That’s like writing checks on an overdrawn account: It won’t improve the situation and may make things worse. If the icy conditions end and the front tires regain grip, your car will dart whichever way the wheels are pointed. That may be into oncoming traffic or a telephone pole. Something very similar happens if you steer too much while braking with ABS. Sadly, there are situations where nothing will prevent a crash, but turning the steering too much never helps.
9. Avoid rear-tire slides. First, choose a car with electronic stability control. Fortunately, ESC will be mandatory on all 2012 models. Next, make sure your rear tires have at least as much tread as your front tires. Finally, if you buy winter tires, get four.
10. Technology offers no miracles. All-wheel drive and electronic stability control can get you into trouble by offering a false sense of security. AWD can only help a vehicle accelerate or keep moving: It can’t help you go around a snow-covered turn, much less stop at an icy intersection. ESC can prevent a spinout, but it can’t clear ice from the roads or give your tires more traction. Don’t let these lull you into overestimating the available traction.

Driving in Kentucky can be fun. Hopefully these tips can ensure your safe travels. We wish you safe driving this holiday season!

The Louisville Cars Team

]]> Cold air and precipitation don’t mix well when it comes to creating ideal driving conditions. In fact, driving on slick roads can be downright miserable – especially if you are unfamiliar with how to handle your car under these conditions. Driving in Kentucky, with its winding country roads can pose an especially unique challenge to novice drivers (those driving cars in Louisville are not immune to these challenging scenarios).

The best way to protect yourself against becoming a victim of hazardous road conditions is to avoid driving altogether. But heck, that just isn’t always feasible with so many things to do this time of year. So, without further adieu, here are ten winter weather driving tips courtesy of edmunds.com for those of your driving your cars in Louisville, KY (or anywhere, for that matter). Drive safe, Kentucky!

1. Get a grip. To have adequate snow traction, a tire requires at least 6/32-inch deep tread, according to The Tire Rack. (New passenger-car tires usually have 10/32-inch of tread.) Ultrahigh-performance “summer” tires have little or no grip in snow. Even “all-season” tires don’t necessarily have great snow traction: Some do, some don’t. If you live where the roads are regularly covered with snow, use snow tires (sometimes called “winter tires” by tiremakers). They have a “snowflake on the mountain” symbol on the sidewall, meaning they meet a tire-industry standard for snow traction.
2. Make sure you can see. Replace windshield wiper blades. Clean the inside of your windows thoroughly. Apply a water-shedding material (such as Rain-X) to the outside of all windows, including the mirrors. Make sure your windshield washer system works and is full of an anti-icing fluid. Drain older fluid by running the washers until new fluid appears: Switching fluid colors makes this easy.
3. Run the air-conditioner. In order to remove condensation and frost from the interior of windows, engage your air-conditioner and select the fresh air option: It’s fine to set the temperature on “hot.” Many cars automatically do this when you choose the defrost setting.
4. Check your lights. Use your headlights so that others will see you and, we hope, not pull out in front of you. Make sure your headlights and taillights are clear of snow. If you have an older car with sand-pitted headlights, get a new set of lenses. To prevent future pitting, cover the new lens with a clear tape like that used to protect the leading edge of helicopter rotor blades and racecar wings. It’s available from auto-racing supply sites.
5. Give yourself a brake. Learn how to get maximum efficiency from your brakes before an emergency. It’s easy to properly use antilock brakes: Stomp, stay and steer. Stomp on the pedal as if you were trying to snap it off. Stay hard on the pedal. Steer around the obstacle. (A warning: A little bit of steering goes a very long way in an emergency. See Tip 8.) If you drive on icy roads or roads that are covered with snow, modify your ABS technique: After you “Stomp” and the ABS begins cycling — you will feel pulses in the pedal or hear the system working — ease up slightly on the pedal until the pulsing happens only once a second.For vehicles without ABS, you’ll have to rely on the old-fashioned system: You. For non-ABS on a mixed-surface road, push the brake pedal hard until the wheels stop rolling, then immediately release the brake enough to allow the wheels to begin turning again. Repeat this sequence rapidly. This is not the same as “pumping the brake.” Your goal is to have the tires producing maximum grip regardless of whether the surface is snow, ice or damp pavement. Use the tips in “How To Survive the Top 10 Driving Emergencies” to practice before the emergency.
6. Watch carefully for “black ice.” If the road looks slick, it probably is. This is especially true with one of winter’s worst hazards: “black ice.” Also called “glare ice,” this is nearly transparent ice that often looks like a harmless puddle or is overlooked entirely. Test the traction with a smooth brake application or slight turn of the wheel.
7. Remember the tough spots. Race drivers must memorize the nuances of every track, so they can alter their path for changing track conditions. You must remember where icy roads tend to occur. Bridges and intersections are common places. Also: wherever water runs across the road. I know people who lost control on ice caused by homeowners draining above-ground pools and by an automatic lawn sprinkler that sprayed water onto a street in freezing temperatures.
8. Too much steering is bad. If a slick section in a turn causes your front tires to lose grip, the common — but incorrect — reaction is to continue turning the steering wheel. That’s like writing checks on an overdrawn account: It won’t improve the situation and may make things worse. If the icy conditions end and the front tires regain grip, your car will dart whichever way the wheels are pointed. That may be into oncoming traffic or a telephone pole. Something very similar happens if you steer too much while braking with ABS. Sadly, there are situations where nothing will prevent a crash, but turning the steering too much never helps.
9. Avoid rear-tire slides. First, choose a car with electronic stability control. Fortunately, ESC will be mandatory on all 2012 models. Next, make sure your rear tires have at least as much tread as your front tires. Finally, if you buy winter tires, get four.
10. Technology offers no miracles. All-wheel drive and electronic stability control can get you into trouble by offering a false sense of security. AWD can only help a vehicle accelerate or keep moving: It can’t help you go around a snow-covered turn, much less stop at an icy intersection. ESC can prevent a spinout, but it can’t clear ice from the roads or give your tires more traction. Don’t let these lull you into overestimating the available traction.

Driving in Kentucky can be fun. Hopefully these tips can ensure your safe travels. We wish you safe driving this holiday season!

 

The Louisville Cars Team

 

]]> http://usedcarslouisville.kiastore.com/blog/2011/12/16/kentucky-winter-weather-driving-tips/feed/ 0 http://usedcarslouisville.kiastore.com/blog/2011/05/19/9/ http://usedcarslouisville.kiastore.com/blog/2011/05/19/9/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 18:59:10 +0000 admin http://usedcarslouisville.kiastore.com/blog/2011/05/19/9/ A Louisville Used Cars Buying Experience

I have recently purchased a new car in Louisville, Kentucky. I did a fair amount of research before buying the car, and would like to share a bit about my car buying experience. I visited many websites sites, and read many reviews on a lot of local car dealerships. Most dealerships had mixed reviews, but a couple dealers really stood out. I was very careful this time around because I had a bad experience the last time I bought a used car in Louisville. It took my about as long to buy a car as it did not pick out a stick of deordorant from the grocery story. I stook a look at a couple and then just went with one. Not the best idea when you are spending $10,000.

The last time I bought a car I was not careful at all, I did not do any background research on vehicles or even consider the reputation of the car dealership I was about to purchase from. I bought a used Honda Accord last year from the a Louisville Honda Dealer, and they gave me a raw deal. It was partially my fault because I never asked for a car fax, or did much background research on the vehicle. It had been wrecked and I was never made aware of it by my salesmen ( who probably did not know in all likelihood) or anyone else at the dealership. Â

Once I bought Honda, I knew I was stuck with it and I decided that I would stick it out and drive it for a year. Once that year was up I would go to the Louisville used cars dealer and upgrade to a something else.

I went to the Kia Store, and took and saw the Kia Soul for the first time.  I took it for a test drive and fell in love with it.  I was worried that the finances would not work out right, due to credit reasons, but they found a lender that was suitable for me.  The payments were right where I wanted them, and my interest rate down 10% from my last loan. Â

My salesmen was Jerome Harris, when I came in told him what I could do, and he listened to my needs and came through for me. There was no pressure once so ever, overall it was a very good experience.  Now I can drive around town listening to my XM radio, which stays on the Elvis channel!

USED 2011 Kia Sedona Louisville, KY

Used Kia Sedona pdf

USED 2010 Kia Soul Louisville, KY

Used Kia Soul pdf

USED 2009 Dodge Avenger Louisville, KY

Used Dodge Avenger pdf

USED 2010 Chevrolet Aveo Louisville, KY

Used Chevrolet Aveo pdf

USED 2009 Kia Rio Louisville, KY

Used Kia Rio pdf

]]> A Louisville Used Cars Buying Experience

I have recently purchased a new car in Louisville, Kentucky. I did a fair amount of research before buying the car, and would like to share a bit about my car buying experience. I visited many websites sites, and read many reviews on a lot of local car dealerships. Most dealerships had mixed reviews, but a couple dealers really stood out. I was very careful this time around because I had a bad experience the last time I bought a used car in Louisville. It took my about as long to buy a car as it did not pick out a stick of deordorant from the grocery story. I stook a look at a couple and then just went with one. Not the best idea when you are spending $10,000.

The last time I bought a car I was not careful at all, I did not do any background research on vehicles or even consider the reputation of the car dealership I was about to purchase from. I bought a used Honda Accord last year from the a Louisville Honda Dealer, and they gave me a raw deal. It was partially my fault because I never asked for a car fax, or did much background research on the vehicle. It had been wrecked and I was never made aware of it by my salesmen ( who probably did not know in all likelihood) or anyone else at the dealership. Â

Once I bought Honda, I knew I was stuck with it and I decided that I would stick it out and drive it for a year. Once that year was up I would go to the Louisville used cars dealer and upgrade to a something else.

I went to the Kia Store, and took and saw the Kia Soul for the first time.  I took it for a test drive and fell in love with it.  I was worried that the finances would not work out right, due to credit reasons, but they found a lender that was suitable for me.  The payments were right where I wanted them, and my interest rate down 10% from my last loan. Â

My salesmen was Jerome Harris, when I came in told him what I could do, and he listened to my needs and came through for me. There was no pressure once so ever, overall it was a very good experience.  Now I can drive around town listening to my XM radio, which stays on the Elvis channel!

USED 2011 Kia Sedona Louisville, KY

Used Kia Sedona pdf

USED 2010 Kia Soul Louisville, KY

Used Kia Soul pdf

USED 2009 Dodge Avenger Louisville, KY

Used Dodge Avenger pdf

USED 2010 Chevrolet Aveo Louisville, KY

Used Chevrolet Aveo pdf

USED 2009 Kia Rio Louisville, KY

Used Kia Rio pdf

]]> http://usedcarslouisville.kiastore.com/blog/2011/05/19/9/feed/ 0