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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  Great Value, Awesome braking - 2010 Kia Forte
  By themachine1 - March 13 - 5:11 am

  After finding out that Hyundai now owns Kia and the parts are nearly identical I chose the Forte over the Elantra hands down. Styling is 200% better, interior and exterior. Great back seat leg room compared to similar models. Awesome stock stereo system with ample bass. Good trunk space. Good Fuel economy, price, and Great overall value. I have 16,000 miles in a little over 6 months and I havent had one issue. My only problem was my Verizon phone wouldnt sink to the bluetooth, a phone issue not Kia.

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  Great little wagon - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By kialover15 - March 13 - 2:16 am

  Back in August of 2007, we bought a Kia Rondo, it was very smart move. It gets great gas mileage, we are getting an average of about 23 mpg. We love it. It is easy to get in and out of, great visiblity and handling. Our only issue with it is when you have to drive through puddles of water, you temporarily lose your power steering. But there is a button you can push, and then you will not lose it. We live here in MI, and the last few days we have been getting blizzards, and with the ESC, it is great, it automatically pumps the brakes and keeps the car in control when you start to slide. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Great car, but you have to buy a spare tire. - 2013 Kia Optima
  By alanbala - March 12 - 9:27 pm

  We have over 1400 miles on our 2013 Kia Optima EX, and we are very impressed with the car. Beware! The car comes without a spare tire, and we had to spend about $210 for a kit and the dealer installed the space saver tire, wheel, jack and lug wrench kit. We still got a good deal, because the car comes with many features at a price point that beats the competition, and the dealer gave us a fair discount plus a "competitive incentive" available from Kia. Acceleration and gas mileage have improved greatly since passing 1000 miles on the odometer. A/C unit is powerful and cools fast. Car is comfortable, roomy, rides and handles well. Upscale look inside and out.

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  Pleasantly Surprized - 2011 Kia Soul
  By Bullish on Soul - March 12 - 2:00 am

  Traded in my beloved 2004 BMW X3 because she was very expensive to maintain and had a drinking problem. I decided to go greener and after much research I chose the Kia Soul,surprising family and friends. So far I am very impressed with just about every aspect of this little 4 banger. Interior passenger space, A/C and interior aesthetics are actually superior to the X3. The Soul feels firm and well built, its got a sprightly tossable fun to drive feel. While it doesnt have near the pure power of the Bimmer it DOES have plenty of pep. Fine on the highway too.

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  Not the original Kia - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Tim - March 11 - 5:10 pm

  When my wife first suggested a Kia Sorento I was hesitant. My first thought was of the Kia vehicles from 5- 6 years ago. They were not very appealing. However after test driving a Sorento EX I was impressed. The classy design and the roomy interior was just what this family of three needed. The ride is smooth for the most part (a little bumpy on unimproved roads but so are most vehicles). The A/C works great and the handy storage spaces are plentiful. The hood of the vehicle seems to disappear when driving offering great visibility of the road. Add in the fact that the vehicle is equipped with side impact air bags and a weight sensitive passenger side airbag and you have a perfect family vehicle.

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  Exceptional CUV (Updated) - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Brett - March 10 - 5:04 pm

  15 Months of ownership and my original opinion of the Sorento still stands. Quiet, comfortable with no compromises. Completely satisfied with my purchase! ***************************************************************************** After endless hours of online comparisons, expert and consumer reviews, I finally narrowed my Premium Midsize CUV search. We test drove MDX, RX, Limited Highlander, Platinum Murano, and Sorento SXL V6. (No a fan of domestic brands and European makers rides too stiff) In a nut shell all vehicle had attributes, but we decided on the Sorento for the following reasons: The right size - perfect size for my family; with an emergency 3rd row as needed. A full suite of safety and luxury amenities, that are second to none of the aforementioned CUVs. Exceptional ride quality with a hushed cabin, second by a slim margin to the RX (which looks dated). Controls are intuitive and uncluttered - equal, if not superior to the Murano (exterior too radical for my taste). Exceptional warranty - Basic 5 Year 60,000 miles/10 Year 100,000 mile Power Train; superior to all brands. Thousands of dollars less than a comparably equipped luxury brand and sacrificed nothing...well maybe brand snobbery. Favorite Features - Large Panoramic Sunroof, exceptional connectivity and Infinity sound system with clarify, Surround View Monitor, ride quality and Smart Lift Gate and Enhanced Smart Cruise Control. No brand snobbery. I could go on but no need. Small improvements - Power tilt telescoping missing (manual only) Forward Collision Auto Braking (Only audible warning)

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  Great Car For Commute and Travel - 2009 Kia Optima
  By sbowen36 - March 9 - 2:23 am

  The car is midsized and larger than my Toyota Avalon. It shifts quite well with the manual transmission and has more than adequate pickup. The interior is masterfully designed from microfiber and low pile carpet. The seats are comfortable and adjust nicely. I am very pleased overall with my purchase and the price of the vehicle. Only time will tell how it holds up, but with a 10 year warranty I am not losing any sleep. Couldve afforded 2 Optima for the price of any other sedan in its class.

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  2nd Review AFTER 13,000 Miles - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By OkieGill - March 8 - 1:20 pm

  Thought I would write a update since my first post was May of 07. It is now Feb of 09 and not one thing wrong in 18 months and 15,200 miles on odometer. No squeaks, rattles or groans. 3.8 is exceptional engine. 4x4 works flawlessly. Fit and Finish still first rate. Had just normal dealer service every 6K. Dont pass up this bargain and fun to drive sport ute. Great job Kia

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  Very Impressed - 2003 Kia Optima
  By shorerider - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I think this is a great car for anyone who was, like me, wanting to get into a Honda Accord. The handling is superb, it rides like a luxury car, but for a lot less. Plus, it comes with great creature features. Its defnintely a comporable car to the big boys!

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  my kia - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By kiamine - March 8 - 2:00 am

  very comfortable to ride in , looks good from all angles,very roomy, seats recline all the way back.roomy trunk. just a nice car.