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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  KIA OWNER - 2005 Kia Rio
  By JEFF JACKSON - January 27 - 10:00 am

  RIO DRIVES WELL, HAS AVERAGE TO GOOD PICK UP. THE FUEL MILEAGE IS REAL GOOD. THE FEW LITTLE COMFORTS ARE OUTWEIGHED BY THE COST OF OPERATION.

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  sorento - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By joep32757 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  good value ,handeling ,superior saftey and warranty, fit and finnish is very good .quiet ride.

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  Excellent value - 2002 Kia Optima
  By Owner - January 26 - 11:56 am

  Bought as a second car for wife, excellent value for money, Toyota reliability, only issues to be critical are certain interior material are level with price point. Others -- fit, finish, durability etc. are far above expected results. Definitely a contender for a repeat purchase. Great car!

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  Top Value!!! - 2018 Kia Sorento
  By ALAN PORTER - January 20 - 11:07 pm

  One of the best values on the road!

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  I Like This Van! - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By mrs_mac - January 18 - 5:46 am

  We bought our 2003 Kia Sedona last year. The previous owners (original owners) hardly drove it. The van only had 75K miles on it. We have put on 26K in one year! The car has been great for us. Its been all over the place because my husband travels a lot for work. It gets good highway gas mileage. We live in a rural area so it isnt so great for going from town to town. We havent had any major issues at all. We are taking it in for general maintenance expected at 100K. Plugs, wires, etc. because it is running rough, but with the way we drive thats to be expected. I love the V6 - it really goes! I love this mini-van!

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  More Pros than Cons - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By miandyv - January 10 - 5:33 pm

  Owned for 6 years, 88,298 mls. Purchased for $14,750. Pros: negotiated a very good deal with dealer, inexpensive maintenance, excellent in snow, excellent maneuverability on city streets and highway, spacious interior (my husband is 6 ft 5 in and my son is 6 ft 7 in) both can sit comfortably inside the car (we rode trip alot in the Kia). Now, here are the Cons: poor quality on interior and exterior components - paint peeling and chipping at less than 24,000 mls. Dealership does not want to remedy the problem, glove compartment fell off its hinges (barely ever opened), Kia logos have unexpectedly fell off, steering wheel tilt handle fell off, hoods props came apart, trunk hooks fell off

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  rust - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Zidek - January 9 - 12:23 pm

  We discovered that the steel lines that run to the heater rusted out just after the vehicle ran out of warrenty. The customer service team at Kia Corporation was terrible to deal with. We had documentation that the part started to rust while within warranty and the service department at the dealership even confirmed this, but they still would not consider a compromise on repairs.

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  college girls dream car - 2004 Kia Rio
  By dmr0824 - December 31 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car for my daughter who is a freshman in college, she absolutely loves it. Was looking for an inexpensive new car, that would be dependable, good warranty, and a car I felt she would be safe in. This was it. I feel the gas mileage could be better, but I drive a durango and get 13 miles to the gallon, so I shouldnt compain. Overall she loves it, the style fits he, wanted something small and cute. Great 1st new car for her, when she is out of school, he younger sister is looking forward to it for her first car.

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  my new kia has bad wiring - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By DIXIE BELLVILLE - December 31 - 2:00 am

  when ibought my car the clock did not work, after fighting for 1 1/2 mo i am told the wiring is bad . then i have to take a full day off work because they cant work with me for repair. i dont feel i should have to pay a deposit on a rental car when its not my fault the wiring is bad. i lose $100 because i have to take aday off work. i would not recomend this dealership to my worst enemy,also i will tell anyone who ask me what ithink of it

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  Not an American Car - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By Driver61 - December 27 - 10:13 am

  2.0L with 5 speed, keep it in 2nd and 3rd to 5500 rpm to get on interstate. Too busy at 70mph/3200 rpm, but runs all day. Gets 25-26 mpg with air on. Once in a while 27 mpg. Runs & drives OK with full load (800#). Warranty service exceptional. No problems out of warranty except vacuum lines for 4WD hubs - a cheap fix, but a bother. Nothing but scheduled maintenance. Not a great car for the Interstate, but excellent for 55 mph rural highway. Will climb a goat trail in 4WD. This is a little truck, but excellent suspension and brakes. It deserves good tires, dont skimp. I use Michelin Harmony passenger car tires. Good in rain and snow. AC works OK, but with all the glass it gets hot fast, takes awhile to cool down.