The Optima's face to the world could be that of any number of Asian-branded cars. A cleanly separated, geometrically proportioned grille fills the space between nicely sized headlights tucked into the upper corners of the fenders. A deeply shadowed air intake, with space at each end for the optional fog lamps, runs the width of the car beneath the bumper, which is smoothly molded into a one-piece fascia. Creases defining a gentle hood bulge draw the eye from the grille to the pillars at the sides of the windshield. The Optima's stance looks solid, with tires pushed to the corners to yield a track (distance between the tires side to side) equal to or better than the primary competitors, save the 2007 Camry, which it trails by a mere half-inch.

In side view, save for a hint of Audi in the hindmost quarter, the Optima could pass for, well, pick a middle-of-the-road, midsize car. A tape measure produces the same conclusion. Optima's wheelbase essentially splits the differences between the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion, although it's shorter by more than two inches compared to the Camry. In overall length (bumper to bumper), however, the Optima leans toward the tauter end of the scale, giving up from three to five inches to the others. A comparatively deep rear side door tends to mask this brevity.

Oddly enough, in terms of taillight shapes and overall perspective, the Optima's rear end strongly reminds us of a larger iteration of a Toyota Corolla built a decade or so ago. It's a balanced look, with clean and reasonably tight gaps and a fully integrated, molded-in bumper. Dual exhaust tips give of touch of visual pizzazz to the V6 Optimas.

If price were not the paramount consideration, we'd choose the optional 17-inch wheels. They fill the wheel wells more tightly and enhance the Optima's aggressively wide stance.