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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  Pleasantly surprised - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By ktown - June 9 - 1:26 pm

  I bought this car nearly 2 years ago. I traded my 2005 Amanti due to gas mileage. It was a bit of an adjustment at first but this has been a great car. I have performed all of the maintenance up to the 24,000 miles that are on it and I havent had any trouble out of it which is a shock compared to my previous 2005 Chevy Malibu and 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix which were both in the shop all the time. I will definitely continue to buy Kia.

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  KIA is getting better - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Kia getting better - June 8 - 6:30 am

  We chose this car over Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, because this car felt very smooth, comfortable, lots of room and it sits high, so easy to drive.

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  Better than a Mazda! - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Andrew - June 8 - 12:43 am

  I owned a 2003 Mazda 6; that car sure looks good but the cheapness of Ford came through. I traded it in for the more economical Spectra5. I immediately loved the car. It gave me great gas mileage, about 30 mpg. It is also way cheaper to maintain and my insurance dropped a whole lot. Overall the car is a lot better of a deal then the Mazda 6 I would even go as far as saying as it being better quality.

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  Love my soul - 2010 Kia Soul
  By eatapeach7 - June 7 - 8:26 am

  I love this car..unfortunately since I bought it in August it has been in the shop 4 times for blown heater hoses ...I think I have a lemon but Kia is looking into the problem..its a fun car

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  The Soul is unique, stands out in a crowd, and a great value! - 2013 Kia Soul
  By mazda5forme - June 7 - 8:25 am

  Kia and Hyundai are the same company, and both build great, value packed vehicles. The KIAs are more targeted towards people who like sporty and stand out styling in their daily drivers. I love my 2013 KIA Soul Exclaim..and after more than a year after purchase has proven to be reliable, extremely well made and overall a fun car. The standard level of equipment is astonishing for what you pay. The powerful 8 speaker Infinity sound system for example is the best Ive heard in ANY car. It even includes a separate powered sub-woofer! 8 speakers in total!

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  Wise $ spent - 2007 Kia Sedona
  By markd - June 6 - 6:26 pm

  I compared ALL vans. It came down to the Honda and yes, the Kia. Honda if you want to lease... Kia to buy. Though I preferred the Honda, the $3k difference, bang for the buck, 10 year warranty, a better reliability rating by Consumer Reports, BEST minivan distinction in safety by the insurance institute, 5 star gov. rating, "Best Buy" by Consumers Digest and on and on from one review to the next...decision done. I did like the drive of the Honda, but I believe its because of the name cache "Honda" vs. Kia. Getting over that, they drive near identical. The fit and finish is also on par, if not better. Common sense, value, and the safest van distinction made this an easy purchase.

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  for the cash - 2010 Kia Forte
  By informed consumer - June 4 - 1:50 pm

  EX with the fuel economy package. Took an expert (my 16 year old daughter) to the KIA dealership to test drive the forte after spending too much time researching vehicles on the internet. First impression was the car looked great in person (a wink from my daughter confirmed this). Next came the test drive-forte handles better than most vehicles its size-leg room to spare (61 250Lbs)-getting in and out wasnt a chore either-visibility front and sides is extremely good. Standard safety equiptment is exceptional. Road noise was minimal on smoooth and township roads. Gadgets (bluetooth, ipod, auto manual, abs brakes and stability control for this price are great. Dont forget the warranty. C Ya

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  Sorento - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By kiaguy - June 4 - 10:00 am

  This car is the best value in its class. If you want an SUV without a giant price tag this is your car.

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  Best bang for the buck on 4 wheels - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By thecadean - May 31 - 6:26 am

  I am a car nut. My family of 4 share and rotate 5 autos and in any given year i will buy 2 new autos. The 2011 Sorento is one of the very best. I was worried that a 4 cylinder might be to weak to haul 3300lb around So California. I am happy to say this crossover is a champ and rides very quiet and well. The feel is tight and might be a little bumpy for some. If you do plan on towing or have lots of gear- kids you may need the 6 cyl. especially in mountain area.

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  long term info - 2000 Kia Spectra
  By ripleymanor - May 29 - 2:43 am

  bought new 2000. never had warranty repair. only recommended servicing. 32 m.p.g. a blast to drive. still looks like new. bought Sportage in 2001 same reliability. best you can get for the money.