I admit being dismissive of early Korean imports. They just didn’t measure up to the quality and performance standards set by Japanese cars. However, what many people fail to remember is how we displayed similar negative attitudes toward the earliest Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans (back when they were still called Datsuns). Anyone who remembers the Honda 600 can appreciate what huge strides Honda has made.

Kia and Hyundai have made far more impressive gains in a shorter time span. The Kia Optima sedan is a world-class car. I venture if some Honda, Nissan or Toyota badges were slapped on an Optima few people would doubt that it wasn’t built by them.

Kia has been accused of copying other successful cars (the more polite term is benchmarking) and maybe they have, but if that’s the case they certainly did a great job. The similarities among mid-size sedans are strong. There’s only so much you can do to make a midsize sedan unique without negating the attributes that make it attractive in the first place.

I liken midsize sedans to a good pair of jeans — when you get past the “blue sky elements” such as marketing hype and brand image they all get the job done. Compare specs and you’ll seldom find variances of more than a couple inches, horsepower, torque, decibels or whatever among midsize sedans. Jean variances are even fewer.

The difference becomes a matter of how much the label is worth to you. In the case of the Kia Optima versus its major competitors a Honda or Toyota label can be the most expensive option on the window sticker. Transaction prices are even more favorable for the Kia Optima.

Resale value has been used as a valid argument in favor of the gold standard Toyotas and Hondas. Short term you have to give the advantage to the Japanese, but given the generous Kia 5-year, 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper, 10/100,000 powertrain, and 5/60,000 roadside assistance warranties and its strong quality survey rankings the Japanese edge is slipping.

I spent a considerable amount of time driving the upscale Kia Optima EX (V-6, leather, sunroof, etc.) and the Kia Optima LX (4 cylinder, cloth, no sunroof, etc.). I liked the sporty, luxurious EX the best, but I was more impressed by the economical LX because it does so much at such a reasonable price.

The 2.7L V-6 engine is very smooth and produces a reasonable 185 hp and 182 lb-ft of torque. On paper the 2.4L I-4 in the LX would seem disadvantaged at 161 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque, but in most situations the difference was minimal.

The key to the excellent performance of both engines is the great five-speed automatic transmission. It does a fine job of keeping the engines in their optimum power bands.

Whines: A more powerful V-6 would be nice. The Optima has a 50-70 horsepower deficit compared to the top V-6 engines in some competitors. It would also be nice if the 5-speed manual were available with the V-6 instead of just the I-4. More horsepower and a manual transmission would greatly enhance the Optima’s naturally sporty demeanor.

Bottom Line: The 2007 Kia Optima is a fine midsize sedan regardless of whose name appears on the badges. It’s well built, quiet, spacious, comfortable to drive, easy on gas, pleasing to look at and an incredible value with an outstanding warranty.