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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  What a bargan! - 2009 Kia Rondo
  By BSmith - October 29 - 11:53 am

  Overall, this is one of the best cars you can get for the money. Pros: Has more than enough interior space. Excellent visibility for driver. Safety features. Has all the features of a more expensive car. Long warranty. Build quality. Low price. Cons: Suspension and steering are very soft. Fuel economy is poor. Interior is mostly hard plastic. Seats are covered in low quality cloth. Radio sounds cheap. Tires are cheap. Has plastic wheel covers. Wind noise is excessive. However, the cons are easy to live with and are mitigated by the Rondos low price. If you can, get the 6 cyl. The 4 cyl is low on power, especially when passing on the highway

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  Designed from the inside out. - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By mueludo - October 29 - 11:20 am

  Best seating position of any small vehicle Ive test driven. Quiet, roomy, Smartly engineered and intuitively designed.

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  Lots of good, some things to work on - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Sorentina - October 29 - 1:52 am

  Had my LX V6 over a year now. Great ride. Nice finishings. Gas mileage almost always EXCEEDS the 18/26 posted. On highway, I usually get about 30 mpg- wirh a V6 engine! Car insurance is starting to go down but it can be pricier than other SUV in its class. Something to keep in mind. Driver seat is nicely shaped but slightly firm. The wing-up edges can pose a challenge for those with mobility issues requiring help getting into the 2 front seats. Plenty of leg room in the front and back. I enjoy driving it a lot but I have a list of a few things KIA could do to really spruce things up: 1. Please add adjustable brakes. Brakes are a little mushy if youre a light-footed breaker. 2. Please, please PLEASE add the option to silence that annoying alarm that rings when its 40F outside. Its annoying and startling at times!! 3. Its hard to wash the top of the back window with that fin in the way- esp with the squeegee. Can that fin be reshaped or removed? 4. Its annoying that you cant change the radio station when the backup camera is on. Really?! Also, with the wheel radio control, you can only change the radio position one station at a time. Would be nice to be able to hit the button 4 times and actually go up or down 4 presets. 5. Please, please, PLEASE, KIA add the Global Open-Windows feature to the remote. It would be a god send for people like me with heat intolerance. PLEASE!!! 6. Daytime running lights on L, LX models, please! 7. Would appreciate a rubber cargo mat for 7-passenger cargo area when seats are folded down rather than the less-than-helpful carpeted cargo mat available. 8. Automatic up and down driver window feature is nice but it takes a lot of finessing to adjust the auto-down if you need interrupt it. 9. UVO system is OK on LX- nothing spectacular. KIA- please make the 7"/8" navigation system standard. The Sorento is a good value and a nice drive, despite my little nit picks. But I think its the little things that separate good cars from the great ones. Sorento is not a disappointment but a good car that has the potential to be a really great one with a little attention to details that make the driving experience even more of a pleasure.

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  Dang - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Very Happy Customer - October 28 - 7:43 pm

  I never thought in a million years that Id be buying a Kia. After years of general motors cars I wanted to try something different. The Spectra was not very big when I looked at it but when I sat in it it had more than enough room. I was amazed at the smooth ride and gas mileage of the car. I drove all of the way from Darien Georgia to Nashville TN on one tank of gas! I rode around for another day and a half after that. This is over 600 miles. The price is great as well. Kia just got a customer for life if they keep making cars like this.

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  Best Value SUV - 2008 Kia Sorento
  By Todd Roberson - October 26 - 9:03 pm

  My wife and I just purchased our 2008 Kia Sorento. We had a 2006 Nissan Murano and was overwhelmed by the Sorento quality and price. We was able to upgrade to the top of the line including DVD, leather, sunroof etc. We took a couple of days to decide but thats just because of the color of the vehicle (midnight Blue /gray) and we could not be happier with our decision. Key issues was the turning ratio, torque, comfort and style of the exterior and interior. No complaints!

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  Low Trade in - 2006 Kia Optima
  By 2006.5 - October 26 - 12:53 pm

  I love my 2006.5 Kia Optima, It gets very good gas mileage. The only problem that I have with my Kia is that it has a low value for trade in. It rides very good handle bumps well.

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  Dont trust Kia - 2012 Kia Rio
  By jr66 - October 26 - 7:54 am

  With the release of downgraded MPG ratings, this vehicle is not worth the price. The electronics in the car are cheap. Interior panels are showing wear after less than 7000 miles. My car is two shades of red with panels not matching.

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  Nice car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By KIA Dude - October 26 - 2:33 am

  KIA is just out-doing themselves. They totally re-designed this car and in a huge way. Sporty style, interior comfort, power and ride for an unbeatable price. Lookout carmakers!

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  It cant get better than this - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Basic Old Bob - October 26 - 2:23 am

  Ive had my new Sorento only 3 days and less than 200 miles, yet the car is built like a champ. It doesnt have AWD but with the front wheel drive and all of the safety systems I do not believe I will need the upgrade for New Yorks Hudson Valley. The safety and tech features are either unmatched or very rarely matched for the selling price. AND you dont have to pay extra for the longer warranty and road side assistance. The 4 cylinder engine/6 spd transmission is plenty of power for this car in city, country & highway driving (thankfully I wasnt stopped).

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  Happy with car expectations/price - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By duriem - October 25 - 6:24 pm

  We bought this car new directly from the dealer. After check out all possible options in the market, the KIA SORENTO was unbeatable compared to the competence (TOyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc). Great warranty and value for the price it sales!