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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  new toy - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By msweetpea1975 - May 17 - 10:00 am

  fun to drive, little much on gas but about the same as all suv.

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  Awesome Alien Green machine - 2015 Kia Soul
  By 2015soulman - May 17 - 2:20 am

  I love this car I have 1322 miles on it now I got it with only 2 miles on it even with the 130 horse power engine It does just fine getting out there and going. I have already carried 300 lbs of quickcrete a type of cement mix in the back and it rode great. I also live in ithaca NY its a very hilly town and i have no problems. I originally went to the Kia because I did not like the performance or the sketchy reilability of the CVT transmission everybody is trying to pass off. Except Kia and a few others But what I got was a roomy cool smooth shifting cool vechicle. we are tall people and could not find good back seat space / room in a car under 17000 bucks in any brand. My soul has tons

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2010 Kia Soul
  By ennasus - May 15 - 1:00 pm

  Love my new Kia Soul. Purchased my funky little SUV for Foster Kia. The customer service was excellent and staff was knowlegable. Fun and easy to drive (parallel parking was a breeze). I would definately recommend buying a Soul from Foster Kia. My friends love that the speakers light up. It looks like Ive added a lot of fancy accesories to it, but in fact they come with all the extras which is a bonus. My sales rep was so patient and helpful when trying to decide on a colour.

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  A happy surprise - 2008 Kia Sedona
  By prlady1 - May 14 - 4:56 pm

  Just weeks from giving birth to my second child, I have been experiencing problems with my 2000 Volvo S40 and feel its time to do the minivan thing. My husband and I were not expecting to enjoy our test drive of the Sedona, but it has tremendous pick- up and was actually kind of fun to drive, relatively speaking! Its styling, convenience features and functionality are all worthy of minivan-style praise, and it feels like a great value for the money.

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  My Little Red Wagon - 2014 Kia Soul
  By jimcokc - May 12 - 8:25 pm

  I am a senior and this vehicle is easy to get into and out of. You set up high for better view out which is good except for out the rear corners. The fairly large mirrors and backup camera minimize this problem. The initial quality was very good(fit and finish). Vehicle was driven on a 3k mile trip of country roads and mountains from Oklahoma to North Carolina and was comfortable and fun to drive,averaged 31.2 mpg with two people and loaded.(4k miles) Car seems to get the best mileage if you stay at 70mph or less. A little bouncy on rough roads but cruises nicely on the open road. Steering is tight and brakes are good,a little touchy until you get used to them. Overall great car

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  my car - 2006 Kia Optima
  By john kyko - May 12 - 4:23 am

  Very happy with car except with idle in gear at stop; everything else is great.

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  Good but no cigar - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Scotlad - May 11 - 10:13 pm

  Overall love the Kia but transmission issues and poor gas mileage are spoiling the experience. We keep hoping for some long term improvements.

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  My 2nd Sorento - 2014 Kia Sorento
  By wnicholson - May 10 - 7:20 pm

  I originally had a 2012 Sorento that I travel in for my work. The vehicle was very comfortable, a pleasure to drive, no fatigue after a long road trip, I liked my 2012 Sorento. When it came time to trade I went back to the same dealer I purchased my 2012 Sorento from and they showed me the 2014. WOW! I really liked it. The 2014 Sorento looked like the 2012 but the changes that Kia made a a very good vehicle into a great vehicle. My 2014 is is much quieter, hardly any road noise and 0 wind noise, the ride is great, the new seats are even more comfortable and the general overall appearance is just great. The Bluetooth and voice command are also flawless! You wont be sorry with a Kia!

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  Get the facts and give it a shot!! - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Bob_Hog - May 10 - 10:00 am

  We compared other midsize SUVs but found the Sorento to have all the same features as the more commonly known brand SUVs in the USA, but for about $5,000 less.

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  Great Family Vehicle - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By Dan - May 9 - 8:43 am

  We purchased this minivan in August 2006 to accommodate our expected second child. Minivans arent cool, but for functionality and practicality for families, they really cant be beat. We purchased this van due to the value, warranty, and exceptional safety ratings, even for the base model. The van drives very well and is very comfortable on long trips. I am 6 4" and dont get fatigued during long trips. The engine is smooth and very adequate. Handling is wobbly, but it is a van not a sports car. Stereo very good for the base model. Fuel economy a little worse than expected. This thing will swallow a Volkswagen, yet is as easy to park and maneuver as my old honda civic.