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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  Truly a best buy! - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By starrn1 - July 21 - 2:00 am

  The Kia Sorento gives you a lot of bang for your buck. Most of my riders are surprised by the size of the interior, the standard features, cargo room, and how it rides. After they get over their awe the ask about the gas mileage. There in lies the rub! While it doesnt get good gas mileage, it is pretty standard for an SUV with 4 wheel drive. Ive enjoyed driving my Sorento this past year. It has been reliable, safe, and fun to drive!

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  2011 Optima EX w/ Premium Package - 2011 Kia Optima
  By arumage - July 16 - 12:03 am

  So far, Im really enjoying my new Optima. It looks great and the features are awesome. It has enough power for any driving that I do and so far is returning about 27 mpg in mixed driving even though its not fully broken in yet. It really loved being driven steadily between 45 and 55mph. The trip computer says its getting about 39mpg at those speeds, although I hear its a little optimistic.

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  Wonderful car for the Price - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Kisticat - July 15 - 9:50 am

  I just bought a 2005 Sorento and its great. You can get in parking spaces real easy and its fun to drive. It has so many standard options you dont need to look for anything.

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  sportage - 2002 Kia Sportage
  By bill winters - July 15 - 2:00 am

  4x4 rubber boot replaced,no other problems

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  exelent car for small budget! - 2005 Kia Optima
  By jason - July 13 - 3:56 pm

  21 city,28 highway, not bad! needs only regular maint, i recomend you to drive one (5-6k with 50000 miles on it). never had a single problem almost 1.5 y driving!

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  The one that replaced the Pilot - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By SimonW - July 13 - 4:26 am

  After much research & test drives of both the turbo 4 & the direct injection 6, we finally optioned for a SX V6. We did not option the Limited as we thought the extra cost for all the "Im an idiot" driver aids are not warranted, After all , when your driving , shouldnt you be ....driving!. The SX V6 is comfortable car, SX comes with a panoramic roof & that is a major feature of the car, It has plenty of power, is very comfortable & can tow 5000lbs. I am already a Kia owner & we had not had any issues on that so far, & the fact that this car has the same warranty is most re-assuring. It is great to be under warranty when the car is finally paid off!. I got a great deal using "TRUECAR" & also rcvd 0% finance too, The cabin is quiet, even at highway speeds & even with standard 19" wheels, The literature states acoustic glass & this must help in keeping the noise down. The seat are comfy & drivers is power adjustable with memory presets, so great for the Mrs. The passenger is also power adjustable , but without added lumbar & thigh adjustability. Smart power lift gate, my personal favorite, with this option engaged, you stand behind the car with the keyfob in your pocket & after 3 seconds , the rear hatch opens, no waving your leg under the car with your hand full, such a great function. So far so impressed & so happy with the purchase.

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  Glad I didnt buy the Lexus RX 330 - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Allen - July 12 - 8:40 pm

  We thought it was as good looking as the Lexus at half the price. Plus the great warranty as we keep our cars a number of years. The Kia rides and handles great. My first 600 mile trip and my back felt great. I would like a little bit more power but it pleases my wife who drives it 90% of the time. It does have a rattle in the cargo area, but I think thats the 22K I saved on buying the Kia!

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  Great little car - 2006 Kia Rio
  By Rapid - July 10 - 8:23 pm

  I own a Camry but looked for a good car for my daughter. The Rio is outstanding. Its not a Camry but it is absolutely outstanding for its class. The value is unbeatable and to top it off, the warranty is icing on the cake. I test drove a 2002 Protege and it was not as smooth as the Rio.

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  Not a bad car. - 2003 Kia Optima
  By Greg McGhee - July 10 - 10:00 am

  My Kia is a great car. I use it to drive 40 miles to work and back 5 days a week. The only problem I have had was when a sensor went out. I believe it was a recall. The dealer took care of the problem quick. It handles better than I ever imagined a Kia would. I would change to front grill of the 2004 back to the 2003 style. It gives the appearance of a more expensive luxury car. Not what you would expect from a Kia. I am planning to trade it in on the new Amanti in a couple of years. Who knows, there may be a Kia in my garage for a while to come.

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  Youll love it! - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By Runty - July 10 - 10:00 am

  The unusual look is what attracted me to the Kia Amanti but now that I have purchased it and have been driving it for several months the car is great in many other ways. It handles well, has a tremendous amount of space in the front and back seats and also in the trunk, has a good sound system, and I have gotten many compliments on the car. For the price you cannot get a better equipped car and one that looks expensive. Many people have said it looks like a Jag or a Mercedes. I would recommend the Amanti to anyone.