The 2006.5 Kia Optima’s V6 engine is a disappointment. It’s geared to feel strong off the line, but it runs out of steam quickly and the five-speed automatic refuses to offer snappy shifts, gliding between gears instead. Manual shifting helps little, since there’s no point in revving the engine, but at least Kia’s Sportmatic setup requires a tap down for a downshift and a tap up for an upshift – none of BMW’s and Mazda’s F1-for-the-masses nonsense for this manually interactive automatic. Kia might be positioning the new Optima as a sporty four-cylinder value proposition, but this V6 has got to go. It’s adequate at best, and stands out as the lame duck mechanically.