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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  Amanti 2004 - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Charles Durnil - June 28 - 8:00 am

  Could be a bit more powerful, but is adequate. Fuel economy is less than expected, have seen better on more powerful 6s and 8s. That said, still an excellent value, a good car, that I expect will be great, with a few improvements.

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  Gas Guzzler Galore - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Katherine - June 28 - 4:26 am

  I liked the styling of this vehicle because it was close to a Lexus but better in price. I have been a Toyota owner for years and decided to try something different. I should have stayed with what I knew. The Sorento is horrible on mpg. You can actually see it being drained from the tank by the gas hand on the dash. I drive a lot and good mpg means much to me.I am trading this vehicle in after only owning it 6 weeks. If you are looking for good gas mileage DO NOT BUY A KIA!

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  An excellent buy for the money - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Samir Awad - June 27 - 3:30 pm

  This is no less than any famous over priced brand SUVs. More attractive than a Lexus, the interior is smartly designed and you get more free options than even thought they come with it and it is free.I think they will take on the market by storm. After all the Koreans are the most highly educated people in the world.

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  SX AWD TURBO LOVING IT !!!! - 2017 Kia Sportage
  By Dolf - June 27 - 9:21 am

  Love this car ! Compared it to its step brother the Hyundai Tucson that doesnt have the looks, or fine interior, or the 2.0 turbo engine. I believe Hyundai might have told Kia after having the newer better car, "oh no you dont , you are not posting good gas mileage results". Just a thought .... But we are getting 30mpg highway easily at a constant 65 mp/h We have even seen 33 Mpg ! On average after putting on 8000 miles I would day the Average MPG is about 25 with city driving and pretty bad freeway traffic here in L.A. The car is very nicely styled and quiet, powerful even at low rpms. The stereo/navigation is excellent ! We tried the AWD in the snow up in Big Bear Ca after a winter storm and were very impressed. The car has a comfortable ride but handles extremely well and feels tight on the steering. Parking is a breeze with its short turning radius. All and all my wife and I are happy with the car and highly recommend. The Audi Q5 is comparible but about 10-15k more expensive for a similar vehicle.

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  Best car around for the price - 2014 Kia Optima
  By b1g_stew - June 26 - 2:48 pm

  Working in the car business I see a lot of different cars and my SX Turbo Optima is the best car I have ever seen or owned hands down! I got the Corsa Blue that stands out. I cant tell you how many times I have been stopped and asked what kind of car I drive! The turbo is so fast Im suprised I havent gotten any tickets yet! For the money you turely cant beat it!

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  Disappointing bells & whistles; nice ride though - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By freshlife51 - June 26 - 12:02 pm

  1 year & over 18k miles into ownership of EX w/ AWD: paid the premium for navigation & phone handsfree; 6 wks after purchase it stopped uploading phone contacts (so now its NOT "handsfree"); 9 months later it wiped out navigation address book for no apparent reason. Kia service claims compatibility issue w/worlds most popular phone (iPhone)--but my hubbys 10 yr old Audi can link up to it! & they cant explain/fix the nav address book problem. Initial mpg was ABYSMAL, improved steadily after break-in period. Great on highway: smooth, firm ride, 26 mpg on a long trip @ consistent speeds; 17-19 mpg city. Feels unstable on curves at moderate speeds, like cars not heavy enough to grip road.

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  Go have 10 root canals! - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By dean_o - June 26 - 10:19 am

  This was the most painful vehicle I have ever owned. We bought it used, and with in the first month had to have 2 transmissions put in. What kind of car needs that? The interior is just an awful design. The alternator went 3 times! The front wheel mounts on both sides were shot. The seat belt buckle broke, come one. The cruise control worked went it wanted too. And for 3 years the check engine light was on and after numerous checks by mechanics no one could get it to turn off and stay off. If you have a choice of someone giving you a Kia Spectra or having to pay for 10 root canals... take the root canals!

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  excellent service - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By emilyn - June 25 - 11:06 pm

  i totally love this car. i drove to vegas over the weekend and the gas was only $80 for a 600mile journey. i am also very happy with the service i got from the sales rep Rigo.

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  Impressive! - 2009 Kia Borrego
  By luvborrego - June 25 - 7:46 am

  It exceeded my expectations. Comfortable enough, room & space enough power, interior features and reasonable price. I thought it might be a little rough, but it totally shakes my assumption. This is really smooth and powerful engine. I was impressed! My current mpg is 23 mpg, which is good.

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  Winning Car, Wishing for More - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Richmond Guy - June 24 - 8:33 am

  The Soul is a huge hit. Fit and finish are flawless. The neat features and electronics give it a unique personality. Headroom is outstanding. Where it misses: Not enough cup holders and pockets to store things usefully. Mileage is not what I hoped (averaging around 26). But front seat is too small and unsupportive. If you are above average in height or build, front seat will be painful for anything but very short trips. But car is FUN and so well built.