[l.r.vanallen]

You will enjoy the well-designed and well-built, world-class, World- Engine derived 2.4 Optima. Rest assured, it has a durable timing chain. I chose the smooth-shifting five-speed automatic. You can choose to shift through the gate. There are two oil pumps to run the Variable Valve Timing. The Optima has plenty of power and quickness for me, and is arguably much better looking than the more angular Sonata.

Aftermarket air and cabin filters are becoming available as well. (See my post under Air Filters.) Lots of extra touches from Korea can also be found, some with the Lotze badge, some with Optima or Magentis, but just look for the 2006.5 parts references, on sites like Korean Auto Imports and KSPEC and on E-Bay. I ordered a Scangauge II online for mine to give a continuous readout on my dash (in blue) with extra inputs to monitor, including MPG and TPS for the Electronic Throttle. The EX would be a good choice for the money, giving you an excellent package of extras.