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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  Excellent family car:> - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By bosslady805 - February 1 - 2:00 am

  Our new Kia Sorento has met our expectations and more. We find it an easy, comfortable ride. The children have space for long rides.

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  Love it so far - 2011 Kia Sportage
  By Tony P - January 29 - 2:00 am

  We purchased this as a replacement to a 2001 VW Jetta. We have had it for only a few days but so far i have no complaints at all. The suspension is a little tight, but i will accept that for the car like feel it has while driving. Power is readily available and it has way more interior room than our old VW. I am only waiting to see how it does in the snow.

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  Im Surprised - 2010 Kia Forte
  By bigbullldog - January 28 - 11:33 pm

  You can take this one to the bank. Best performance for value out there. The six-speed manual is not for first time stick drivers (Ive driven 5 speeds for years and this took a little getting used to). The car wants to accelerate, the steering is rock solid and responsive even over rough pavement. I test drove a turbo audi A4 six-speed as well and the forte performed as well in all categories except trim. In my opinion, if you go with a comparable honda or acura, youre just paying extra for the nameplate.

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  Kia Sedona - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By beano1 - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I have had this van for over a year now and I love it.Only problem was a defective heater fan and it was replaced.Have had excellent service in NH. where I live.

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  Cant believe what you get for you buck! - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By April - January 25 - 2:00 am

  The first word that comes to mind is class. How in the world do they put all of that class in this SUV and still make it affordable? The ride is smooth and quiet. Theres so much room in the back seat - adults are as comfortable as kids! I think its wonderful that an automobile company realizes that even us middle class people like to ride in style.

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  Great Sedan - 2002 Kia Optima
  By Manuel - January 24 - 10:00 am

  The Kia Optima is a well built sedan. Economical and fun to drive. The model I drive is an SEV6. I did not get the optional ABS but the car handles braking very well and handles very well overall.

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  cabinocity - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By newkiaowner - January 22 - 8:00 pm

  I purchased the Rondo after several months of shopping. I compared it to Rav4, CR-V, Mazda5, and various other SUV/crossovers. I found the Rondo to be the best value for the price. The $750 cash assistance and special financing clinched the deal. When viewing from the outside, you cannot imagine how much room it has inside.

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  I love it...except - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By cc - January 22 - 7:26 pm

  I really have enjoyed owning this car. Have had needed no service except routine. Just replaced the tires at 60,000. The only thing that could be improved is the recoil of the driver side shoulder seat belt, often doesnt return to original position and gets caught in the door. Otherwise ... love it.

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  One of the best - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By CT yank - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Only had the 2004 Sorento for 3 weeks, but so far it has lived up to my expectations. Use it off road plus considerable highway driving. Looks, comfort and functionality cant be beat. Go for the luxury package if possible, youll love driving it!

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  So far So Good - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By rosanne - January 20 - 6:53 pm

  I took a chance and purchased this small SUV for the warranty. So far the SUV drives well, is spacious and has been reliable. My children have plenty of room away from one another and love that they have their own space in the back. They also like that the back seats lay back when they are ready for a nap. I have no complaints so far.