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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  Good vehicle for the $ - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By Little Jim - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Great warranty! USA manufacturers could learn from Kia. This is a fun truck for less money than all other competitors. If you want reliable transportation with lots of interior room, built on a truck frame with a Mazda B2000 truck engine, this is your vehicle.

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  Optima EX GTi: 5-year review. 79000 miles - 2012 Kia Optima
  By Val - August 24 - 5:05 am

  (The dropdown only gave me the Hybrid option; this is NOT a hybrid Optima). My last review (shown below) still holds. I did have to replace a headlight, a $100+ job due to the way the way the bulbs are accessed. The car remains trouble-free and other than routine maintenance, car washes and the new tires mentioned below, I have invested no $$ in it. Its the go-to car in the family for road trips due to great gas mileage & comfort. I have kept the Sirius/XM subscription which we enjoy on long drives. (Previous review at 61,000 miles) I have a 3-day a week, 120-mile round trip commute. Gas mileage and good handling in snowy IL winters were important to me when I made a decision to purchase this car new in 2012. In all but the coldest conditions, I average 32-35 mpg on my highway drives; 25+ if driving around town. Like others, I love the heated steering wheel and seats, cooled seats in summer and the sunroof. Like others, when I have to take a turn in the passenger seat, I find it annoyingly low. Replaced tires at about 50,000 miles. Had the fuel pump go out (under warranty) at about 27,000 miles. Other than that, no repairs; just routine maintenance and regular oil changes (using synthetic oil - my choice; always use it!) I still love a lot of little things about this car - the keyless entry; the way the lights come on when I walk up to the car, the trunk space, the room for occasional passengers, the stylish looks. Handles just fine in the snow and still looks sharp as new on the outside. The tan leather is too light - shows dirt too easily; wish I would have gotten the darker interior. Overall, very pleased with my loaded Optima.

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  My New Car - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By mee2hue - August 23 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my new Kia Sorento about a month ago now. The car is fine as it comes but Ive found that a few safety things are missing. EX: tail gate is not always locked, even though the sticker says it has daytime running lights the car does not. Also I believe that the sticker price was way out of reach for most people. I thought I got a good deal but didnt so I would caution those contemplating a Kia Sorento purchase that Buyer Beware. Know that you are getting all you expect to get. Would I buy another that remains to be seen but right now NO.

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  20k miles in... great car - 2012 Kia Forte
  By morningland - August 22 - 7:55 am

  I got this car because of the fold down seats and the great interest rate. I do a lot of camping and traveling so the fold down seats were critical since I sometimes car camp. I am able to comfortably lay down in the back area for a cat nap during a long trip or to get a good nights sleep. I am trading it in only because I want the four wheel drive but this car performed pretty decent on forest roads for what it is. It rides very nice too. I borrowed some chevy car of the same size for a week and when I got my Forte back, it felt like driving butter! It is reliable too. 20k miles and not a single engine problem at all!

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  Like it but dont love it - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By jaime22 - August 18 - 5:01 pm

  Purchased a Sorento 3 months ago: was impressed with mpg promises and warranty. Handles nice and looks sharp, but its no where near perfection. We have the GDI engine, seems almost sluggish at times. 22-32 mpg promised, the best we can do, even on long trips, is 25, so disappointed in that. One of my biggest complaints is lack of a few basic features: no compass or outdoor temperature reading. (didnt notice on the test drive!) Really? Heated seats, bluetooth, backup camera, and no temp or compass? I miss them more than I thought I would. Also needs more storage. Be thorough and know what youre getting-big variety in pkgs. Like my title says: like it but dont love it. (yet?)

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  A nitpickers review of the few bad things... - 2011 Kia Optima
  By race117 - August 17 - 12:53 pm

  6mths 6k miles, SX getting 27mpg avg. Outside noises flood the cabin! Try driving this car on hwy in moderate rain & you will know what Im talking about. The wheel wells have like a pourous industrial felt instead of a plastic liner, look at them before you buy. Drive though smoke/skunk/exhaust and pay the price as smells flood in. Sunroof bug/wind shield rattles (while closed) when you hit bumps. Ride rougher than expected & seats are somewhat uncomfortable. Side view mirrors hold water and fog easily. Windshield has a fogging problem I think is related to the cabin not being sealed well. Gas lock release works poorly. Backs of legs touch car getting out. Great car overall though.

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  What Value! - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By Darlene - August 17 - 11:03 am

  We shopped around and reviewed all similar SUVs and the Sorento is the best value bar none. It looks sporty and has 262 hp to get you moving if you need it. There is also peace of mind with the best bumper to bumper warranty out there. We have only had the SUV for a few weeks. In time we will see why the mfr. is so generous and confident here. Thats backing your product, which is something the others are starting to consider or do.

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  Horrible gas mileage - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By b99munson - August 17 - 12:23 am

  I enjoy owning this car, and Im satisfied with it in every way, except for the giant gas mileage ripoff. I paid an extra $1700 to buy the "Convenience Package" with the 22 city/32 highway sticker. Now those numbers have been readjusted down to 21/30, which is a big laugh. I drive like an old lady (actually I AM an old lady) and the ECO light is on almost all the time, supposedly reflecting the fact that I dont do any jackrabbit starts, stomp the brakes, etc. My normal driving is a mix of city and highway, and I dont get 21 mpg. I took it on the highway, completely unloaded, with the A/C turned off, and got up to 28 mpg going 65mph on cruise. Big woop. Kia should be closed down!

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  Very good buy for the money - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By wade0 - August 16 - 10:00 am

  A well built mini van, waited too long for a Honda, so decided on the EX with all the options for under $24K on the road. Thought I could have gotten a better deal but what the heck. The dealership seems to be on my side as far as any work to be done (a couple scrapes to be taken care of) so well see what happens there. The van rides great otherwise, hope the warranty holds true. One question? Can I get some other place to change the oil without warranty problems? The salesamn told me I had to use Kia filters.

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  A good car for a good price - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By TH - August 16 - 10:00 am

  I had a Kia Rio before the Kia Spectra .I diffently prefer the Spectra over the Rio.For the money you save, the purchase was well worth it. You can not beat the warranty and reliability of this car!