Kia Optima tire size

Original tire sizes for the Kia Optima, model years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Trim levels and wheel packages change the size within the same year, so confirm on the door-jamb sticker before ordering.

Check this first

Front and rear Same size One size fits all four corners on the fitments we list.

Wheel sizes 16", 17" or 18" The wheel package decides which one your car has.

Tire sizes listed 4 In 10 model years more than one size was fitted, depending on trim.

Check before you order. The surest answer is the tires on the car right now: the size is molded into the sidewall. The placard inside the driver's door tells you what the factory fitted, which can differ from what a previous owner put on. Our guide on reading a tire size shows exactly where to look.

• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011

Size by year and trim

Tire size by model year

Which brand should you pick?

Kia does not stamp its own approval code on tires the way Porsche or BMW do. Any tire in the right size that meets or exceeds the load index and speed rating on your door placard is a legitimate replacement, so pick on wet braking, tread life and price. Our picks for each size are on the size pages below.

The drawing carries the sizes we list for this car, so you know what you are looking for. The placard on the car is still the final word, and it is the only place that gives the cold pressures: the number molded into the sidewall is the maximum the tire can hold, not what your car wants.

What those tires cost

About the Kia Optima

The Optima was Kia's mid-size sedan from 2000 until the 2021 model year, when the nameplate was retired in the US in favor of the K5 name it always carried in Korea. Tire shoppers usually land here on a 2011-2020 car, which is where the Optima went from invisible to a genuine Camry alternative. Fitments are 16, 17 or 18 inches depending on trim, all in high-volume sizes that cost very little to replace.

Launched in 2000. Launched in 2000 and sold in the US from the 2001 model year, the first Optima was built on the Hyundai Sonata platform and sold almost entirely on price, with a warranty rather than a reputation doing the persuading.

How to tell the model years apart

Wheel and tire sizes follow the generation, not the badge, so identifying yours matters before you order.

What the press said

The 2011 Optima was a genuine critical breakthrough, with reviewers praising the styling, the equipment level, the turbocharged engine's pace and the price against a Camry or Accord, while criticizing a firm ride, road noise and a back seat that the low roofline compromises. The 2016 redesign was received as a careful improvement that fixed the ride and noise complaints but lost some of the visual drama. Across both generations the criticism was that the Optima never quite matched the segment leaders on driving feel or resale, and the praise was that it undercut them substantially on price. Reviewers generally rated the hybrid and plug-in versions as competent rather than class-leading.

The 2020 Kia Optima has attractive styling and compelling content, but it struggles to stand out among more desirable classmates.

Car and Driver, 2020

Model year

Model year	Units sold in the US
2011	84,590
2012	152,399
2013	155,893
2014	159,020
2015	159,414
2016	124,203
2017	107,493
2018	101,603
2019	96,623
2020	80,140

US sales quadrupled between 2010 and 2012, peaked near 160,000 in 2015 and then slid as the mid-size sedan market shrank; the 2020 figure includes the first K5 deliveries, since the two names overlapped in that year.

Was it a success?

A commercial success in relative terms, taking Kia from a bargain brand to a credible mid-size player, though it never reached the volumes of a Camry or Accord. Resale is weak, which makes a used 2011-2020 Optima one of the cheapest ways into a well-equipped mid-size sedan. Reliability is generally decent, with the caveat that some 2011-2019 Theta II four-cylinders were covered by engine recalls and extended warranty programs, and that model years built without an engine immobilizer have a documented theft problem.

Did you know?

• The 2011 Optima was designed under Peter Schreyer, who came to Kia from Audi and is credited with the tiger-nose grille that reshaped the whole brand.
• Kia offered the Optima as a conventional hybrid from 2011 and as a plug-in hybrid from 2017, both rare sights next to the gasoline cars.
• The Optima name only ever existed outside Korea; at home the car was always the K5, which is the name the US eventually adopted for 2021.

Tire options on the Kia Optima

Optima fitments are 205/60R16 and 205/65R16 on LX trims, 215/55R17 on EX and 225/45R18 on the SX and SXL. None uses run-flats, none is staggered, and all-wheel drive was never offered on the Optima in the US, so winter traction rests entirely on tire choice. Factory tires were usually mid-tier or budget all-seasons from Nexen, Hankook or Kumho, which leaves room for a real improvement in wet braking and noise with a mid-range touring tire. The 16- and 17-inch sizes are among the highest-volume passenger fitments sold in the US, so replacement sets are cheap and stocked everywhere, while the 18-inch SX fitment costs noticeably more and wears faster. Owners who keep an SX through winter commonly buy a 16- or 17-inch wheel and tire package rather than winter tires in 225/45R18.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, caranddriver.com.

Kia Optima tires: common questions

What size tires does a Kia Optima take?

The most common original size is 205/65R16. Other model years and trims use different sizes, so check the list on this page and confirm against the sticker inside your driver's door.

Can I fit a different size on my Kia Optima?

You can, within limits: the overall diameter should stay within about 3 percent of the original, and the load index and speed rating must meet or exceed the door placard. Anything further changes your speedometer reading and can rub at full lock.

Where is the tire size on a Kia Optima?

Open the driver's door and look at the white and yellow placard on the door jamb or the B-pillar. The same size is also molded into the sidewall of the tires currently on the car, unless someone changed them.

What size tires does a 2020 Kia Optima take?

The 2020 Kia Optima came from the factory on 205/65R16 and 215/55R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.

What size tires does a 2019 Kia Optima take?

The 2019 Kia Optima came from the factory on 205/65R16 and 215/55R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.

What size tires does a 2018 Kia Optima take?

The 2018 Kia Optima came from the factory on 205/65R16 and 215/55R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.