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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  Be carefull of the brakes! - 2008 Kia Rio
  By smith3425 - January 1 - 3:54 pm

  Be very careful of the brakes. I had to slam on my breaks for the first time after 2 years of owning the car. Another car pulled in front of me and stopped and when I hit the brakes the card just slid. I had no control of the car at all. My children and I slid across 3 lanes of oncoming traffic and right off the road nearly getting hit several times. After the breaks lock there is no controlling the car at all. Ever since I have been terrified to even drive the speed limit for fear that I will have to hit the brakes. If you are concerned about buying a car with top notch safety features this is not the one for you!

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  Odometer - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By John boy - December 31 - 3:03 am

  Like the vehicle, one thing really "bugs" me. You cannot read any of the computer readouts, mileage, gas used, averages, etc.. during day time. Figures are in dark red on a black background impossible for anyone to read.I would spend a few dollars to have this corrected if I could have it done. On a trip you cannot just glance down and see how far you have driven.

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  Kia Sorento GDI 2.4L LX 2012 - 2013 Kia Sorento
  By neelm - December 30 - 2:03 am

  Just leased this from Kia Sacramento, black color. I have done about 800 miles in the last week and have mixed feelings about the suv. I got the GDI assuming I would get a mixed mileage of about 25mpg but I am only getting about 19-23 mpg city and highway. This is a letdown for sure. I hope it increase down the line as the engine breaksin. The power seems adequate with 1-2 ppl in the car but with 4-5 ppl the car feels underpowered and I wish I had got the v6 engine if I was to get 20mpg anyway. The ride is stiff and tends to wear you down and i feel tired after a trip which was never the case in my well sprung camry. UVO has issues with bluetooth conectivity.

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  Need moe refinement - 2011 Kia Optima
  By jerryjerry - December 29 - 4:46 pm

  Performance -- most good, but power and transmission appears to be out of sync. Comfort -- the noise level is higher than camry and accord. Value -- though it has more features, it still could be priced more competitive. Fun to Drive -- as mentioned before. the engine and transmission appears to be out of sync. Engine power does not translate to overall performance. Some what loud noise from engine. Interior Design -- Overall good Exterior Design -- This is subjective. Overall it looks good, my only concern is the profile doesnt look that attractive. Build Quality -- Appears good, however, its a Kia. time will tell. Reliablity -- Again, its a Kia. Its know for minor issues.

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  wow - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By john - December 29 - 1:23 am

  Ive owned this truck since November of 2004 and wow, am I impressed. It handles like a car - very quick and very tight. I remember the test drive and saying to my wife I hope its not just the demo model that drives this good. It is roomy on the inside. Im 6 2" and i have enough room. I really enjoy driving it. The only downer is the lousy gas mileage. The sticker states 15mpg city 20hwy. I mostly drive highway and Im getting around 14mpg; way off. Ive got 2700 miles on it so far. I could only hope it holds up through the years. The torque on demand is fantastic. I would buy this truck all over again.

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  I must be lucky! - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Outafocus - December 27 - 9:40 am

  After 5 years and 78,000 miles I have nothing really bad to say about my Kia minivan. It gets 22-23 MPG on the highway loaded with as much as we can stuff in it. The ride and handling are very nice. Repairs? Ive only had one and that was front brakes at 72,000 miles. I had the timing belt and water pump changed at 60,000 for the warranty and, thats it. First set of tires lasted 48,000 and the current set of Michelins are a little more than half worn at 30,000 miles. Is everything perfect? Nope. The plastic parts around door thresholds, etc., are waaaay too thin. They crack and break easily. Taking the seats in and out is a real pain. If I could buy another one like this one I would in a minute!

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  9 years and still going strong - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By nicegirl - December 26 - 11:23 pm

  I have over 123,000 miles on the car and have had no major repairs, except while under warranty it was discovered that I had a faulty transmission. It was replaced immediately. I agree with an earlier post that repairs, tires, brakes, even windshield wipers are more expensive than they should be. My pain has begun fading as well, but its been 9 yrs. since I bought it. Very reliable.

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  Good Second Hand Car - 2000 Kia Sephia
  By Stacia - December 21 - 5:50 am

  I bought this car second hand with 56k miles on it, paid only $4k. It now has over 110K miles on it. I need a reliable and good commuter car. I got it. I drive 100 miles a day to work. My car has been great for the price. It has had a few mechanical problems but overall I cant complain.

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  After all these years...love my Sorento - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Diane Babcock - December 16 - 9:53 am

  I saw my new Kia at the local dealer and was immediately impressed with the design. After hearing it was a KIA I was a bit concerned, I knew nothing about the brand. I test drove and did my research, took the plunge and have been very pleased. I now have nearly 50K miles on her and Im so impressed with the reliability. Not a thing has gone wrong in 3 years. My Sorento has been inexpensive to maintain as well. Overall this was a fantastic buy, especially at the $24K price tag.

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  Excellent little commuter - 2011 Kia Soul
  By ronatedmunds - December 13 - 9:15 pm

  I picked one up five weeks ago for $16.1K out-the-door after dealer discount and $1K loyalty rebate and got the 36-month 0.9% financing. I drive 31 miles each way for commute and have driven 1200 miles so far. I am averaging 28mpg on 30% city and 70% freeway (in traffic half the time) driving. Because of the high RPM rate, the freeway fuel economy is not great on this car. To achieve 30+mpg, you must cruise at speeds below 70mph. Also, the onboard fuel economy computer displays 1 more mpg than the actual manual calculation. Overall Im really satisfied with the car. After about 500 miles of break-in, the car seems to run more smoothly and a little faster. Give it a try and youll like it.