Overview & Reviews

Kia Motors is a South Korean automaker that's relatively new to the United States. In its early years, Kia largely catered to budget-minded consumers with well-equipped vehicles priced below competing models. More recently, this growing brand has kept value a priority while also emphasizing technology and sportiness.

Founded in Korea in 1944, Kia started as a producer of steel tubing and bicycle parts. The company's name has its roots in the Chinese language, and means "to arise, to come up out of Asia." By the early 1950s, the company had produced Korea's first bicycle; by the latter part of the decade, Kia had branched out into motor scooters, with the rollout of the C100.

The 1960s saw Kia expanding its lineup to include motorcycles and three-wheeled cargo vehicles. Naturally, the next logical step was automobile production, and the company began moving in this direction in the early 1970s. By 1973, Kia had built a facility designed to make its automotive dreams a reality; its Sohari plant held the distinction of being Korea's first fully integrated automobile production facility, and went on to spawn Korea's first internal-combustion gasoline engine. A year later, Kia unveiled the Brisa, Korea's first passenger car. By the end of the decade, Kia's technology was being used to manufacture vehicles like the Peugeot 604 and the Fiat 132.

By the late '80s, Kia's lineup included new models like the Concord, Capital, Potentia and Pride. In 1987, Ford brought the Pride to U.S. shores, rebadging it as the Ford Festiva. Seven years later, Ford dealers got a replacement for the entry-level, subcompact Festiva in the form of another Kia constructed product, the Aspire.

Kia finally began selling vehicles in the U.S. under its own name in the early '90s, trumpeting its presence with the introduction of the compact Sephia. The car's rollout was gradual; in the early days of its production, the Sephia was only available in select Western states. By the mid-'90s, SUVs had emerged as a phenomenally popular and profitable vehicle segment. Kia responded with the 1995 Sportage, a compact SUV. By the end of the '90s, Kia's nationwide rollout was nearly complete.

Financial difficulties in the late '90s prevented Kia from expanding its lineup beyond those two models. Hyundai, South Korea's other major automaker, acquired the company in a merger in 1998.

Kia has been on a major upswing since its purchase by Hyundai, with improvements in build quality, performance and overall refinement. Reliability, previously a weak point, has also improved markedly and consumers' confidence was further bolstered by Kia's substantial warranty program. Today, Kia is on a dramatic upswing and offers a broad lineup of well-built coupes, sedans and crossovers that stand out for their value, performance and sporty styling.

User Reviews:

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  Great Car - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Chris - July 26 - 6:03 am

  Traded in my Chrysler 300C for this SUV because I bought a house and wanted cheaper payments. This car is outstanding. Rides like a car (smooth), decent power and looks great. The fit & finish is excellent, AC is powerful and the radio rocks! I think it looks better than its sister...the Hyundai Tuscon. The only negative is its name...Kia. I really like this car and the pro reviews have been positive. Only time will tell if the reliabilty is there...the warranty is great and I purchased an extended warranty as well. The car has a fair amount of understeer so zipping in and out of traffic at 80 mph when Im late for work is a little nerve wracking. I cant wait for snow.

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  Great Car - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By dmac - July 23 - 9:40 pm

  While looking for a small SUV, we settled upon the Kia Sportage. I was very impressed with the various standard features and the surprising amount of interior room. The warranty is not bad either!

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  good as ad - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By marty - July 22 - 10:00 am

  best ride i have owned or leased (86buick,890lds,92caddy,96villager,2000b lazer,comes with all bells&whisles,feels good ,drives good ,looksgood.

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  Id buy another one in a heart beat. - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By joel41 - July 21 - 5:04 am

  I cant say enough positive about this car. I bought it as a demonstrator with 10,800miles and paid $220 more than a 10 year old Honda CRV with 110,000 miles on the same lot. Head and leg room as well as visability is better than my Dodge Caravan. Rear seats lay all the way flat which is great for hauling and camping. Doors open all the way which allows to load a box the full size of the door in the back (unlike my dads Buick. With the V6 engine, there is more than enough spunk to get up to spead on the freeway. On a country road, I had it up to 110 mph and was still accelorating. It can be "fun to drive" when I want to.

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  My research paid off. - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By thgoldsboro - July 21 - 2:23 am

  The style and color are unique. I find most other SUV exteriors boring. I am very impressed with the acceleration the longer I own the vehicle. The ride is a bit rough on the small choppy sections of road. I absolutley love the interior. Very practical space, cubbies and niches. A very usable environment without any wasted space. The back seats folds level flat. I had a hard time finding that feature in any other comparable SUV. Climate system is powerful, cools fast and maintains a constant temperature. When placed on cabin air, outside smells and smog go unnoticed. My best experience however, was the dealership. Always treated well and there is never a question of the coverage.

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  Love them both (My SX and EX) - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Big Dave - July 19 - 6:20 pm

  I actually own two of these cars ... one 06 SX 5 speed and an 05 EX auto. I gave it 10s based on what you get for the money. Im a big guy (63" 270) and I fit with room to move thanks to the seats. My wife and I do a lot of traveling in it without feeling cramped. The engine is rev happy and fun to drive. I drive my SX pretty hard and it always handles well for me. The older EX had a few minor issues (fuel door, speedometer) that were fixed very quickly and we havenÂ’t had any problems since. Its a very solid build overall and wont give you with that cheap car feeling. Its way more car than what you pay for. This is great driver and really has what you need in the real world.

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  Utopian driving - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By Rob - July 18 - 4:40 am

  The Amanti is such a joy to ride! The heated seats are the sooo comfortable, and the Infinity sound system creates the perfect driving experience. I used to get back spasms in my 2000 Camry XLE, and I dont anymore in the Amanti. The smooth quiet ride is also a huge plus in pothole filled Ohio. I get numerous compliments on the styling & interior fit & finish. I also like the fact that there isnt "one on every corner" (yet).

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  Spectra GSX - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By AAS51506 - July 16 - 10:00 am

  I just brought a Kia Spectra GSX and I am so far satisfied with it. It didnt cost much and there are a lot of bells and whistles for its low price. Dont be fooled your getting into a cheap car if you buy one. The handleing is superb, very quiet cab, and an incredibly smooth ride.

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  Value to the Nth degree - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Kausmos - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Vehicle is comfortable, classy and a pleasure to drive. With the unique 5 speed auto, you have 4th, 3rd, and 1st as lock in gears...great for adjusting to any driving condition. Front wheel drive makes the vehicle almost snakeline on curves. Most passengers feel like theyre in 1st class airliner. The 55 to 90 accelation confirms that feeling! Thanks KIA!

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  Jaguar driver goes KIA! - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By Happy Spectra Owner - July 15 - 2:50 pm

  I have been driving Jaguars and Cadillacs for a long time. I decided I needed a small economy car. I did a lot of research and decided on the KIA Spectra... and I love it! I am not at all disappointed in this car. This Spectra is quiet, solid, comfortable, zippy, it handles beautifully and is fun to drive. It is also a bargain to buy new. You really cant put it in the same class with Corolla and Civic and others because you can drive it away for so much less money. This is a fact that is often missed in the reviews. I am convinced that I got a great car, an economical car (I am getting 28-26 mpg) and that I definitely received value for money.