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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  "Engine Light" - 2001 Kia Optima
  By geomar32 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I have problems with the front passenger window with slow operation {electrical}. Regulator has been replaced, but still is slow going up ,12 seconds compared to others at 5 secoonds. The other problem is the "Engine LightHas come "on" 5 times in the last 6 months. Computer results are gross leak evap system. corrective action was "inspect evap lines & clear code #522 & road tested OK.

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  so far, so good - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By new_he - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I bought mine with the leather, moonroof, homelink and ABS options for 22,400. I probably could have got it for less if I had started the negotiating at a lower price, because the salesman sold it to me almost right away. The NBC Dateline report on the Insurance Institutes crash test results are a little troubling, but I believe those are only used to test the cost of the damage to the car, and do not conflict with the governments 5-star crash ratings. But I am worried that the report will result in increased insurance costs. Friends and neighbors who have looked at it have all been impressed. I would recommend it to anyone looking to buy a van

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  Decent car - 2007 Kia Optima
  By carcrayy - November 11 - 6:53 pm

  My mom has one she got it 5 years ago Its a 2007 mod and had 40,000 miles on it. not it has roughly 108k miles on it. Now for the past week, its been having trouble starting, once it took me 3 times to start it up but its been a good car. We havent had any real serious problems with it, never had to replace a head gasket or trans. just simple things that are needed with every car, brakes, tires, oil etc. weve had a lot of problems with the lights blowing front and back. but I dont know if it had been wrecked before we got it or if its just the tires but it pulls to the right and after we got new tires it pulled even harder, but other than that its a great little car, has a lot of room

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  Used 2005 Kia Sportage - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By angel_machine - November 11 - 7:29 am

  My husband and I just purchased a 2005 Kia Sportage, pre-owned, with 135k miles, due to our limited budget. The Carfax didnt list any maintenance, and the test-drive and subsequent independent pre-purchase inspection confirmed that there were problems. The timing belt system had not been replaced at 100k miles, the battery was original (and died right after purchase), and the A/C was non-functional. We were able to knock off a lot from the price due to all the work that needed to be done (most of it simply maintenance that was put off, not true issues). A/C problem due to climate control module and is being replaced. Hoping we dont regret this purchase.

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  I love this car! - 2017 Kia Soul
  By Jeff - November 10 - 1:35 pm

  This car has most of the things I wanted in a vehicle all put into one. I had been searching and test drove quite a few vehicles and walked away from each disappointed about something. That was not the case with this one. The ride is smooth and the EXCLAIM is very quick. I used to drive a smaller hatchback and got tired of having essentially fall into my car. With the soul, the seats are at waist height and I quite literally just walk into my seat. Just yesterday, I took a friend out in it who owns a truck and he mentioned this very thing. He was saying he has to climb up into his truck and loves that you can just walk into the seat. I said the same thing regarding my golf (as you just read). I also got the Tech Package and I am very pleased with the sound system. It is superb. Definitely not a miss there. The audio controls actually make sense and is very easy to navigate. I test drove some cars that were just way too complicated (looking at you Honda). We dont want complicated while were driving. I want to push 2 buttons max to get where I want and do what I want. The fuel economy is actually lower than advertised, and thats kind of a bummer. I drive mostly (thats 90%) interstate and am lucky if I break 28 overall. The A/C unit is not what Id call amazing. There are definitely better A/C units out there. Other than that... very comfortable. Drives great. Turns on a dime (better than my Hatchback did, but the hatchback handled like a dream... cuz its a hatchback). I am not at all disappointed and would highly recommend it. Also, Kias warranty kind of tells a story of a company whos not afraid to offer a high warranty because they have faith in their product. Seriously, their warranty is twice as good as anyone elses.

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  The Soul of Seoul - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Chris - November 9 - 11:46 am

  I recently traded my Kia Amanti in on a new Soul+. Although I had tears in my eyes having to leave the Amanti behind (I really did. Not too macho I know), I was happy to be driving home in something that both my wife and kids approved of. Thus far, it has been nothing but fun to drive. It does not have much power but it is after all a 4 cylinder. Great on gas and roomy. I am 64" and was surprised at all the room in the interior. Very sporty and nice. Kia does it again!

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  Unique and Functional - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By datsunguy - November 9 - 4:23 am

  Great car alternative to larger van or SUV. We wanted something we could occasionally haul more than 5 people in, and this is perfect. I am 61" and can comfortably fit in the third row for short trips. We seriously explored purchasing a Canadian model, as they have power driver seat, trip computer and auto climate control. Dont misinterpret the long list of suggested improvements - I love this car and would buy again, but these are things to look at when you are thinking of buying. I am glad I got the 2007 model, as 2008 deleted a few key features. I havent heard the base level stereo, but I am not sure that the upgrade stereo was worth the cost. I also was expecting better MPG.

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  Stylish but electrical night mare - 2004 Kia Optima
  By Happy but nervous.. - November 8 - 2:36 pm

  I bought this car at a reasonable price. The Interior and Exterior are both in great condition and I love the way it rides and all the bells and whistles. BUT, the power locks LOCKED ME IN MY CAR!!!! I cant lock the doors with the switch inside I must ride with the car unlocked. Not a good selling point. Otherwise I love it but who wants to climb out of the passanger side????? This is a major issue that Im hoping wont cost very much to fix.! KIA please note this problem so future owners wont go through this not to mention how dangerous being locked in your car COULD BE!

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  2012 Kia Sorento Looks Nice But Has Its Drawbacks. - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By bc59 - November 8 - 9:59 am

  About a month after purchasing my new 2012 Sorento Ex with the optional V6 engine I noticed a loud thud almost everytime I started up my suv. I brought the vehicle into the local Kia dealership and they did some updates to the Sorentos computer which did get rid the problem. Also, my Bluetooth doesnt work so I cannot use my samsung phone in the vehicle. Flash forward one year and now Im experiencing a noticeable lag in acceleration. I told the Kia service manager about the problem and he said to add a bottle of gas treatment. Did that and the problem still exists. Ill be trading in my Kia soon for a more reliable vehicle.

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  Loved It, Sorta Love It Still - 2009 Kia Sportage
  By Jess - November 8 - 7:56 am

  Spent a PA winter driving circles around other ppl and going up hills passing everyone. FUN. Its cute, way more economical than my Jeep was and super reliable in terms of the engine. After a year, however, the left rear side is creaking like an old house & like another reviewer said, my back hinge is rusting off and I have to get another. The hinges were on back order so this is a common problem apparently. The interior is cheap, you cant go in there without scratching it. Great engine, love the look and simplicity of it, but the rest is not holding up to my expectations at the moment. I dont think a car should have ANY problems after a year, just saying. Overall I still love it.