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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  caveat emptor - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By mhuntz - September 4 - 12:08 pm

  dont be fooled by the "rating" for this vehicle. most posts prior to 2007 are positive. after that, a precipitous fall off in satisfaction. intoxication from "new car smell, "i love yous" and chocolates (in the form of warranty promises from Kia) subside. after the romance, sobriety sets in. the love in the relationship gets tested. and when the $$$ strain hits the relationship, your lover (Kia) tells you to no longer believe in their commitment to the relationship. ("sorry about misleading you" , they exclaim, as they refuse to honor their vows (warranty coverage). Best get a divorce from this loser. Hope you had a pre-nup.

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  My "Soul" mate! - 2016 Kia Soul
  By Janice - September 4 - 4:20 am

  I was tired of the low seating of sports cars and sedans. Driving my Soul feels like a small SUV, solid, smooth, quiet, roomy, no blind spots. Love it!

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  My "Soul" mate! - 2016 Kia Soul
  By Janice - September 4 - 3:07 am

  I was tired of the low seating of sports cars and sedans. Driving my Soul feels like a small SUV, solid, smooth, quiet, roomy, no blind spots. Love it!

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  12 SX Turbo - 2012 Kia Optima
  By sxturbo12 - September 3 - 9:24 pm

  I have owned the 12 SX Turbo for about a week now. I just traded in a 10 Dodge Charger SXT 3.5 due to early trans failure :(. it killed me. However, i am LOVING the Optima SX TURBO.. very good MPGs for a turbo engine. I do about 90% city driving and I average about 25.5 MPGs. Going from a charger to an optima is quite a large jump but I couldnt be happier. I am still on my first tank of cause. With the calculations, I should end up with about 415-420 on this tank. I do not drive like a grandma either .. lol.

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  Run away! - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By kimkiaria - September 2 - 10:00 am

  If you have any sense of self- preservation, do not buy this car.I just came from getting a regular tune- up.What is typically a part of regular car maintenance, once again, proved extraordinary for my Sportage.I was told it would cost at least 70.00 to change my spark plugs!This is due to the ridiculous location of the parts.Ive had numerous problems with the car since the month after I bought it.My brakes went out without warning while I was driving down a hill with my 2 year-old son in the backseat.I urge those of you who are not independently wealthy to choose another car!

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  meets expectations - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By usaved1 - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Overall we have been pleased with our Sedona EX. We have had one failure in our first year. A sensor for the spark contol. We have driven it from Virginia to Toronto and Montreal Canada with only good things on the trip. However two pet peeves are the loud noise from the colling fan and the knocking from the front right whell linkage. Waiting for factory fixes.

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  nicks view - 2002 Kia Optima
  By nick - September 2 - 4:43 am

  My wife has me drive everywhere we go. Even though it is her car! I am not able to take out on my own. We like to take drives around the area we live in, Northern California. With the v6, it gives me the power I need to pass all the vehicles going up hill with no problem. With the safety features, the way it handles --. it is what sold me on it. I have a son who is 10, and I want him safe.

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  Good, but - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By Mike Crowe - September 2 - 2:53 am

  We liked vehicle, but had problem from start of lease with poor shifting at 40-50 range. All dealer would respond is that no computer errors show.

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  Greatest Bang for the Buck - 2010 Kia Soul
  By JavaSoulOwner - September 2 - 2:43 am

  Its been 7 days and 500 miles since I bought my Soul and it has been a blast to drive. It is roomy on the inside yet maintains a very tidy size on the outside. It has an outstanding turning circle, is very easy to maneuver on city streets, and parks in any tight compact space. Everywhere I go I get a million questions and looks (yes, even the Honda Fit & Scion drivers are staring). The bluetooth interface is better than the one in my other car, an Acura TSX. The sightlines from the drivers seat is outstanding and I love how it happily zips around town. I just recently took my Soul on a 300-mile road trip with various hill climbs and it averaged 28.8 mpg.

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  Time to come out of the swamp - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Seniorcit. - September 2 - 2:13 am

  Kia should change its swamp buggy style advertising of the new Sportage and promote it for the classy smart vehicle it now is. With its stylish design and great performance it can hold its own with other similar type vehicles that cost thousands of dollars more.