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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  So Far So Good... - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By czechers - July 15 - 7:43 pm

  I had an old Spectra and went in for a service appointment, and ended up leaving with a new Sportage. I was looking at other brands, but the features for the price are outstanding. The MPG is less than advertised however... I havent done much highway driving yet, I only have 750 miles on the clock and I am stuck at 17 MPG. (Advertised 19/25) I was worried that the horsepower was on the low side compared with competitors, however, it moves this SUV just fine. I also wish there were a 5 or 6 speed automatic. But, as I said, for the price of $21K I got a V6 auto, power everything, CD / MP3, Sunroof, Keyless with Alarm, Alloy wheels, upgraded interior, etc.

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  Best Kia Ive Had So Far! - 2014 Kia Sportage
  By Leslie Ray - July 15 - 3:47 am

  Ive seen some other reviews here that are not particularly generous. Ive owned three Kias prior to my current (just acquired) 2014 Kia Sportage. The first two were 2006 and 2007 Kia Spectras (purchased new), both had very comfortable seats, drove well, the 2006 was totaled when I was hit head on (thankfully, the airbags deployed and I wasnt injured in the least). I had the 2007 for 4 years before I decided to purchase a larger vehicle to use for transporting event equipment for my small business. I purchased a 2011 Kia Sportage (new) and while it served most of my needs, I found the front bucket seats to be VERY uncomfortable compared to the Spectra seats. I sold my 2011 Kia Sportage recently and purchased a used 2014 Kia Sportage with only 12K miles on it. The previous owner traded it in citing complaints with the engine. Kia replaced the engine with new, and I picked up the car soon after. So far, I absolutely LOVE the 2014 Kia Sportage! The body went through something of a change since 2011...the front grill is much snazzier (beehive pattern, as opposed to the old straight lines on the 2011). The wheels are much better quality and have an improved look to them. The seats are a LOT more comfortable than the seats in the 2011 Sportage, although still not quite as comfortable as the seats in the Spectra, which was more of an economy car (go figure). The 2014 drives much more smoothly than the 2011; its quieter, and feels more solid (including the way the doors close--less of a "clang", more of a heavy "clunk". The transition between gears on the 2014 is smoother than the 2011. Bluetooth is MUCH improved in the 2014...the voice is soothing, not irritatingly loud and annoying like the Bluetooth voice in the 2011. Ive also noticed that it is much more accurate in terms of interpreting my commands. I like the upgraded buttons on the stereo console--they look sharp, not cheap. The 2014 I purchased has the same parking sensors that the 2011 did, but it also has the backup camera that comes on when you put the car in reverse. This is a feature I had wanted in the 2011, but they wanted another $2500 for it, so I opted not to get it at the time. The 2011 also came with mud flaps, but at the price of $300, I told them to take them off...I wasnt going to pay for them. The 2014 has the flaps, and I like the look as well as the functionality. Overall, Im very pleased with the 2014 Kia Sportage so far. However, if you previously had a higher quality SUV/Crossover, you will notice the difference and you may not be impressed. For me, the value one gets with the standard features on a Kia, as well as the safety rating and the warranty, make Kia an excellent buy, and I am a loyal Kia owner. (And, no one paid me to say that. Lol.) Update: Ive had my 2014 Kia Sportage a while now and Im still very pleased with it. The braking is much smoother than it was on the 2011 Sportage, and it still drives so much better than the 2011. I did have an issue with a sound that seemed to be emanting from the muffler since I last posted, it turned out that there was a break in a solder joint. Took it in to the dealership for service, and they took care of it right away, no problem. Im happy to say that the service department at the Kia dealership has been excellent so far (I started going to a dealership a little further from me). Overall, Im still quite pleased with my 2014 Sportage.

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  Great car for the price. - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By Brenda - July 14 - 11:16 am

  I just bought this car earlier this week and have to say that so far so good. I got out of driving a gas guzzling V-8 and I have been driving the Sorento all week and gas gauge has hardly moved down at all. Easy to get in and out of with two toddlers and easy to find a parking spot. You get a lot of car for the money. Fun and easy to drive. Handles great in town and on the freeway.

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  my zip car - 2003 Kia Rio
  By paul salim - July 13 - 1:33 am

  I love this little car. My main car is a Ford 150 Super. I bought this little Kia Rio for when I dont need a truck to save on gas. I am a tall big guy, and it is very comfortable. I love the pickup of a stick, i am amazed at how good of a car it is for the price. I have almost 17,000 miles on it and zero problems (knock on wood). Love it.

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  THE choice in affordable 4-dr Hatchbacks - 2000 Kia Spectra
  By S. U. Potter - July 12 - 10:00 am

  I had been looking at used 94-98 VW Golfs for a Hatchback before I realized Kia started making one in 2000. Lacking refinement compared to a Honda or Toyota, but has an excellent 4-Door Hatchback layout, and for the price, its good enough.

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  Good Disposable Car - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By vader716 - July 12 - 10:00 am

  I was putting a $100 here and a $100 there fixing my old 92 escort. Kia ran a special buy one get one free or one for 50% off. I decided to pick one up for a daily commuter. I paid $8200 +taxes and tags and have been very happy so far. It is a great little car for commuting. Nothing special nothing terrible. Id buy it again. Heck $130 a month for a brand new car? Cant beat it. Ill run it into the ground and then get rid of it.

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  So-so Sportage - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By kslater91 - July 10 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Kia for 3 years its my first car. I have had to put A LOT of work into it. The original owner ran her hard. First some wires rusted and fell apart, a wire on my brakes got twisted, my rear axle rusted over and broke, (that was scary), one of my back doors wont open from the outside, I recently had a problem that is I go through gas way too fast and when I go to fill up it makes a really weird hissing sound! I had this part removed from the gas tank to prevent it from rusting so its not that. But when I get the money to get it fixed it will be perfectly fine. I love it!

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  3 years with this car - 2004 Kia Optima
  By illnino - July 10 - 10:00 am

  When i first got it, i wasnt sure at first on getting a KIA, it wasnt my dream car. I had it for 3 years now and ive seen some of the reviews. It CAN be true when it comes to breaking down..but the fact is, its only for some people that could just get to point A to Point B. I only had trouble TWICE within 3 years of having it. Im very patient when it comes to driving, slowing down, and i always do my oil/transmission/ and tune ups on time. I recommend ONLY for slow patient drivers, its a long lasting vehicle

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  Watch out for Rust!!! - 2010 Kia Forte
  By kiaMgirl - July 9 - 6:46 pm

  I saw someone driving this car and I had to have one. I spent months researching it before test driving. Bought it Oct. 31st, and found rust LESS THAN A MONTH later!!! Car is great otherwise. So take your chances people, remember you get what you pay for.

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  more you drive it the more you like it - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By gpf - July 8 - 5:46 am

  Very good power, holds well in sharp curves with ESP option. Exceptional ride and build quality. Extremely quiet at all speeds. Good ergonomics and loads of space. Gas mileage is mediocre. Fit and finish is top drawer. Styling is not offensive but a little stodgy. I would buy it again. Lots of bang for the buck.