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:

• 

  NEW CAR REPLACEMENT - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By groth - December 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought a Sedona in Oct 2001 and it had an oil leak which the dealer could not fix after 5 attempts. Would you believe they gave me a new one without hesitation? Great customer service and Ill buy another when the warranty runs out!

• 

  Great value, but not quite there as a premium car - 2014 Kia Cadenza
  By shakopeepirate - December 19 - 8:34 pm

  Overall, this is a great vehicle, especially with a lot of them still on lots. Its not a rocket but its fast enough, especially when passing. Its quiet with just a hint of wind noise. I do about 70/30 highway driving and dont go crazy on the gas and still get 27 mpg combined. Most significant disappointment is the stereo/nav system. While the stereo sounds good, it wont blow out any windows. The navigation system needs an overhaul. Directions can be pathetic at times and add unbelievable routes. Maps lose almost all detail after the 700-feet setting and Ive had major highway ramps disappear at some resolutions. A great car but still just a pricier Accord or Camry.

• 

  Nice car, shame about the ride. - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By bbillyo - December 15 - 4:25 am

  I like the Sportage. It looks good, is well built and the engine seems good. Fuel economy is very good if you are light footed. I get 33mpg at 65mph on the free way and about 24mpg on the school run. I want to love it but its just too hard a ride especially on New Englands appalling roads. I come from a relatively poor European country and the roads were nothing like these. A pothole was a rarity that you would call the police about! You feel every bump and road seam. Road noise is also a problem - a lot louder than my old 2005 Sportage EX. Handling is very good for a SUV. Steering is a bit weird -the self centering is very biased to the center which causes a torque drag on the wheel.

• 

  2004 Amanti - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By James DiStefano - December 14 - 10:23 am

  My 2004 Amanti is a great vehicle to ride and drive. Gas mileage I feel could have been better. After only 5,000 miles I had to have a new transmission put in.

• 

  Good Buy! Lots of Pep! - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By Karsushi - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car for my son. Front seats are pretty roomy and the interior is nicer than I expected. Good commuter car for zipping around town. I drive a Durango and dont like small cars. However! Was surprised at the smoothness and excelleration on this vehicle. Been driving it for a week and must say Ive enjoyed it. Purchased the Spectra LS for $13,000. out the door. Purrs like a little kitten. Ill let you know if there are problems down the road. So far its great.

• 

  Great Car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By wben838 - December 9 - 10:40 pm

  I paid $7000 used for this car. It is the most reliable car I have ever had. I have owned 4 VWs 1 Subaru, 1 Mazda, and 1 Saab. It is made for people on a budget. When you get the coupons, the dealer only charges $10.00 for an oil change. The only annoying thing about this car is that it is a little slow and the engine makes noise at around 4Krpm.

• 

  Our little zoom zoom - 2008 Kia Rio
  By Kelli - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I really love this car. But the seats are awful. I was rear ended in this car by a car traveling 45 mph, my back is sore, but the car looks like its never been hit. The guy that hit me said it was like hitting a sponge. Also, too bad theres no trade in value to these cars.

• 

  Not all seashells and balloons - 2010 Kia Soul
  By MU9294 - December 3 - 3:50 pm

  My wife purchased this vehicle to replace her aging Mazda6 sedan. The Soul definitely stands out in the crowd and its appeal hinges on the emotional buying factors. The vehicle rides ok but can be rough on bumpy roads, especially with the 18" wheels and low-profile tires. There is a significant amount of highway wind noise. The stereo system is great and we use that to drown out the wind noise. Interior design is really nice but the quality of the materials is dubious. There are many nicks and scratches - even from light use. The biggest drawback is handling in snow. This vehicle gets stuck easily in less than 6" of snow and skids quite a bit. On dry roads it handles great.

• 

  my 04 Amanti - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By steve - December 2 - 12:30 am

  As a sales person I find this to be a fantastic vehicle for my needs. I disagree with the comment of a weak v-6. The car is very comfortable and has all the room 5 people need. I get a lot of positive comments on the vehicle. I will buy a second Amanti.

• 

  good car great standard features - 2013 Kia Optima
  By dmc03 - December 1 - 1:39 pm

  Like the car real well, runs great has plenty of power, smooth ride, comfortable seating. the only thing i am disappointed in is the gas mileage. The sticker rates it at 24 city 35 highway. I once checked it at about 19mpg everyday driving. On the highway going from birmingham to atlanta round trip I got about 30mpg. which is not too bad , but is about 5mpg below epa estimated mileage. So it seems that both the city and highway mileage falls about 5mpg short. Dont go by the estimated mpg on the odometer because it is not very accurate. It may say you are getting a few more miles per gallon than is true. I found when you check it at fill up with a calculater it is less.