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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  Why all the bad reviews? - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By TNelson - August 18 - 9:26 pm

  I love my Sportage and plan on keeping it for another 8 yrs or so. I also had issues with the power windows and chirping fan belt but I also had an excellent Dealer to deal with who actually honored my warranty. When I drive in the snow, I can pass ANY car on the road with flying colors!

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  My Kia - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Lore - August 17 - 7:23 am

  I like my Kia, but I do not love my Kia. I went from an Expedition to a Sorento, so it was quite the shocker. It drives nice, but has an extremely uncomfortable back seat. Hard to get in and out of the back seat. The front seat isnt so roomy either. It drives nicely, and has plenty of power, but next time Id opt for a larger SUV. Gas mileage is mediocre.

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  College students perspective - 2002 Kia Rio
  By JK - August 12 - 10:43 pm

  Great fuel economy! Perfect for driving in town, not recommended for long road trips with friends because of the small backseat. Mine has 78K miles, only thing wrong with it so far was that I had a thermostat go out last winter. Cant beat the warranty! Another selling point for me on this car was the low car insurance premiums.

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  Best Cheap Car on the Market - 2001 Kia Rio
  By NBJeff - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I got my KIA (with a crappy trade) for under 3 grand, I figured I would just run it thru the warrenty and throw it away. well, I have put 25k on it in one year, and I really like it a lot. Very reliable (new brakes, thats it) more fun to drive than you would think (and mine has a stick and NO power steering). Its a little rough on hills and bumpy roads but for a commuter car, I cant imagine a better deal out there.

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  Kia Sedona EX - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Paul F. Obenauf - July 29 - 2:10 am

  My Sedona EX is exactly the minivan that we need for our travels and hauling of personal items. Visibility is excellent, road noise is minimal and it is fun to drive. Gas mileage is very bad averaging around twenty-two mpg. All controls are perfectly placed and gauges are easy to read.

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  A Very Good Deal Among Compact Coupes - 2011 Kia Forte
  By 353cathedral - July 28 - 4:39 pm

  I selected the forte EX coupe over the SX because I didnt want a sunroof and, more important, I already have a set of winter tires and rims that would fit the EX, but not the SX. I was impressed with the long list of standard features that are extra-cost options on cars like the Civic, Cruze, Corolla and Focus. In addition, compact coupes are becoming quite rare now, but the Forte fulfills my needs almost perfectly. Its 156 hp engine, 2845 lbs. weight and 6-speed manual transmission combine for lively performance and excellent gas mileage. In addition, it handles well, absorbs bumps better than my previous vehicle and brakes smoothly. Its also quite unique; Ive seen very few others yet.

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  2013 Kia Sorento 4cyl LX w/GDI - 2013 Kia Sorento
  By jemini48 - July 27 - 2:04 am

  Bought this about 4 days ago after researching most all SUVs. I went with the Sorento for style, price, and the cargo area. So far im pleased with the handling, GDI engine is peppy enough off the line and gets up to freeway speeds quick enough. Wish i had a power seat and outside temp indicator. Gas mileage so far is exactly as advertised, 22-23 city, Highway 31-32, and mixed about 25-26.

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  KIA - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By LANCEYOUNG - July 24 - 2:00 am

  WE WERE DRAWN IN TO THE DEALER BY THE LOW PRICED RIO, AND AFTER HEM AND HAWING AROUND WE TEST DROVE THE SPECTRA, AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION. THE VALUE WAS THERE

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  I would buy it again - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By JKT - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this SUV in September and wanted to put at least 2000 miles on it before I followed up with a review. Like a lot of other people I had very little knowledge of the KIA product line, but found Edmunds and other websites invaluable when researching this car. So far mechanically this car has had only one problem, and that is the thermometer in the overhead console reads about five degrees away from a true temperature. This car has a quality that rivals any of the several Hondas that I have purchased in the past. I especially liked two other things about this vehicle and that is, it is built on a true truck frame and it has strikingly good looks.

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  Too early to tell - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By WRT - July 24 - 2:00 am

  This truck is an unlikey member of the KIA family. Reminds me much more of a Mitsibishi or Nissan product. Dont let the name KIA turn you off. Its a good truck. Still too expensive though compared to what else you can get from other companies. Especially considering the rebates being offered now from GM and Nissan. When we bought this Sorrento, I had no idea that the other companies were discounting so much. Before buying a Sorrento, check with the other dealers to see what you can get for the same price. Again, good truck,will do everything it is designed for well, not great, but well.