KBB.com rates '16 Optima and Sedona among best family cars

Kia’s all-new 2016 Optima midsize sedan and 2016 Sedona minivan have been named to Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com 16 Best Family Cars for 2016 list. 

With a specific focus on safety, comfort, convenience, spaciousness for passengers, utility, and fit of various child safety car seats, the KBB.com editors created a list of the top 16 vehicles that best meet the needs of today’s modern families. 

The Optima, which recently also won KBB.com’s 2016 Best Buy Award, was touted by editors for being stylish, feature-packed, and family friendly. 

Meanwhile, the Sedona minivan was praised for style and function, a modern interior, impressive available safety features, and overall value. 

“During our extensive testing in real-world use, we found both the Kia Sedona minivan and Kia Optima sedan offered many of the virtues that family car purchasers love – a full list of features, a high level of build quality and low acquisition costs,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst of Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. “When looking at the car market through the family friendly lens, Kia vehicles deserve serious consideration.” 

“The all-new 2016 Optima has matured in all the right ways, from the European sport-sedan design to the premium interior materials to its vastly improved ride and handling and advanced safety features,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning Kia Motors America. “Similarly, Sedona was designed for today’s active lifestyles and families on the go with more power, a longer wheelbase for improved leg room, and unique seating configurations combined with intuitive technology and safety.”

Conceived under the watchful eye of Kia’s president and chief design officer, Peter Schreyer, with modern and instantly recognizable design cues, the Optima maintains its athletic identity but rides on a chassis that is longer, wider, and stiffer for improved ride and handling and a more spacious cabin. Available with three engine choices, including a new 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that’s mated to a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), the Optima is more confident than ever on the road. The all-new Optima’s roomier, more luxurious cabin features an impressive level of craftsmanship that comes standard across five trim levels – LX, LX 1.6T, EX, SX, and SXL. 

The 2016 Sedona, available in L, LX, EX, SX, and SX Limited (SXL) trims and a choice of seven-passenger or eight-passenger seating configurations, has something for everyone. The Sedona comes standard with Kia’s proven 3.3-liter V6 engine, which puts out 276hp and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission routed to the front wheels. Sedona sets itself apart in the segment as its wide stance exudes a modern, CUV-like appearance, and cab-forward design. Sedona offers a wide array of available driver-aid technology including Surround View Monitor, Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection and Lane Departure Warning. Inside the spacious cabin, Sedona combines generous use of soft-touch materials, premium amenities such as first-class lounge seating, and Kia’s UVO2 infotainment and telematics system. 

Kelley Blue Book, founded in 1926, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week. 

…you can buy a 2015 Kia Sedona SXL for up to $8,000 off MSRP! If you’d rather lease, drive a 2016 Sorento for an incredible $99 a month! Or, choose the popular 2016 Soul for that same $99 a month. During Barnett’s Optima Closeout, lease a new 2015 Optima for as low as $169 a month with $0 down, or buy from $17,988, a savings of nearly $5,000!*

And, of course, every new vehicle comes with Barnett’s exclusive—and FREE—MILLION MILE Warranty. Ask your sales associate for all the details on that, too. Come see us soon at Barnett Kia on Highway 61 in White Bear Lake!