2012 Kia Forte Lx **20k Miles** on 2040-cars

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Ford F-150 Raptor R, Kia Telluride and SEMA highlights | Autoblog Podcast #754

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. Byron has been sending the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R on the sand dunes of Lake Michigan. John has been off-roading in the updated 2023 Kia Telluride. Greg has been spending time in the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, Chevy Traverse High Country and Volvo V60 Cross Country. Next, they talk about the news, include SEMA highlights and the reveal of the 2023 Ford Transit Trail. Finally, they reach into the mailbag and discuss the Cadillac Celestiq's design. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #754 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving Ford F-150 Raptor R Kia Telluride Toyota Tacoma Chevy Traverse High Country Volvo V60 Cross Country 2023 SEMA Show highlights 2023 Ford Transit Trail revealed Mailbag: Cadillac Celestiq Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video:

LeBron James to rep Kia K900

"I was a Kia K900 driver and fan before we decided to become partners, so I'm really excited to be Kia's first-ever luxury ambassador." - LeBron James
LeBron James is taking his talents to Kia.

Almost Jeffersonian | 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid Second Drive

On a drive of Kia's new Optima Plug-In Hybrid (in showrooms since April), we visited Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, our third president's sprawling estate in central Virginia. Even in the absence of Twitter, Jefferson enjoyed a restless curiosity about an array of subjects. While his day gigs – declaring independence and consummating the Louisiana Purchase – occupied much of his life, he always made time for intellectual pursuits and making daily life better, so we think he'd grasp the rightness of the Optima. In the science of the plug-in hybrid, there's little new. The combination of gas and electric motors is intended to reduce the carbon footprint of a conventional drivetrain. Add a motor, install more battery capacity and enable that battery to be recharged over a long lunch or overnight, and you have a plug-in hybrid with up to 29 miles of electric-only operation. With the gas tank included, you get roughly 600 miles of combined driving range. (That's DC to Atlanta, had Jefferson wanted to visit Atlanta.) Visually, there's little to distinguish this PHEV from a conventional Optima. Its alloy wheels are aerodynamically cleaner and front fascia less disruptive - and includes an active air flap, no less. The exterior design, though dated, still impresses. A spacious interior is what you'd expect from Kia. And so, regrettably, are some hard plastic surfaces. That plastic is appropriate in a $20,000 Soul, less so in a $40,000 Optima Plug-In. Nothing here is completely off-putting, and we've always liked Kia's integration of audio and A/C controls. But so much is good about the Optima that you expect something nicer as you slide behind the wheel. The front seats are both supportive and accessible. Our test vehicle, equipped with $5,250 of EX Technology, offered a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, a power front passenger seat with adjustable lumbar, and heated outboard rear seats. That same package also includes a bundle of safety technology, including a forward collision warning system, advanced smart cruise control, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and rear cross traffic alert. A modern hybrid generates a lot of info, and learning to access it all will require more than the few hours we had in the car. Your economy – the Optima's innate efficiency and your driving style – is available at the push (or two) of a button. And you can choose from all-electric EV or hybrid mode by using Kia's Mode Select control.