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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  New Kia owner - 2010 Kia Forte
  By destiny1963 - October 14 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased my first brand new vehicle and it is the Kia Forte. It drives/handles/rides really well. The interior room is amazing for a smaller car. Impressive gas mileage, sharp looking inside and out. I was very leery about getting a Korean made vehicle because of so many negative comments made about the brand in the past. But so far, Im impressed. My husband and I werent looking for a hot rod but our Forte has a sporty look and plenty of acceleration.

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  So Far So Good! - 2011 Kia Sportage
  By GD - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Well I have had a Honda Accord and a Nissan Maxima. I purchased a Honda 2010 and really felt after all the snow that fell in my area that I should have purchased a SUV. I was informed that Kia has a pretty good SUV with a great safety rating. So I tried it and decided to trade in the Honda. So far so good. The ride is a bit firm and I am starting to get use to it. I will update if there are any changes.

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  Awesome car - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By ilan - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Well, where can i start, i got this car before the summer, i just LOVE IT. i got the EX v6 AWD with navi, i did not get the chrome rims though, (got them separately so now i have 2 pairs, chrome = summer regular ones for winter. this car handles greatly, but compared to my other kia (sorento 2005 which was a pain in the a** after 3 years) but this car is more powerful but the engine roar is less loud which is what i liked in the other sorento. The gps is *good* could have a few improvements. i suggest this car to anyone as so far its been very reliable.

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  Love my Kia - 2017 Kia Sportage
  By Angelina - October 14 - 6:00 am

  Love my SUV the on,y problem I have is the gas mileage. Other than that love love love it. This is my first Kia and I a, very pleased.

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  Not a bad pick - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Delk - October 13 - 6:46 pm

  Definitely the nicest vehicle i have ever owned. Very comfortable, attractive design, and smooth ride. Only problem ive had was 3 days after i purchased it i was on my way to go skiing and just about every light you could think of started to show up on the dash board. Then every time i hit the break pedal the sorrent started to shake violently. When i stoped the vehicle i could not put it into park. I had to have road side assistance towe me back to the dealership. 3 days later the dealership called me and told me that there was a piece of plastic stuck in between the fuse and the connecter that powered the alternator. To me that was a sketchy explanation and a poor experience.

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  2007 Kia Sedona - 2007 Kia Sedona
  By Peter Bennett - October 12 - 11:00 am

  Sixteen months & 25,000 miles with lots of enjoyment and zero malfunctions. Excellent product at a great price.

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  New Purchase - 2010 Kia Optima
  By avgwarhawk1 - October 12 - 7:45 am

  I just purchased this vehicle at a end of the year clearance. Glad I did. Turned in a dreaded VW. I did drive the car 150 miles thus far. Not much however the ride is comfortable and overall very pleasant to drive. Controls on the dash are easy to read and reach. Fit and finish are solid. The car feels very confident on the road. Steering is confident as well. There is no blind spots that I noticed. Over all the value of what you get when purchased is excellent.

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  Cadenza Premium - 2015 Kia Cadenza
  By swpcadenza - October 11 - 11:43 pm

  I purchased my Cadenza Sept 2014. Overall, Im very happy with my selection. I was certainly torn between choosing the Cadenza over the Chevy Impala. They were identical in terms of what I wanted in a fully loaded full size sedan, however the Cadenza had just more of that "it" factor I was looking for. There is no way possible I could get this much standard luxury at the price I paid in a BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Audi, etc.

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  Can a family car be sexy?? - 2013 Kia Optima
  By doogie517 - October 11 - 2:20 am

  I traded in my 2011 Kia Soul for a 2013 Kia Optima EX and even though its only been about a month, I can honestly say this car is HOT. It certainly has more features for the price than any other car in its class, and the the gas mileage is slightly lower than what is posted, overall I love this car. I got the snow white pearl finish with the light grey leather interior. I added custom wheels and a wood dash, and the car is now on par with a Lexus for half the price. the icing on the cake was the other day when i was at the grocery store, and this guy pulls up in a supercharged dodge challenger, rolls down the window, and says "nice ride" that made me smile for the rest of day!!

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  Optima - 2004 Kia Optima
  By KIA - October 9 - 3:43 pm

  I bought my Optima with about 52000 miles. Overall, it is pretty reliable and fuel economy is good, however it could be better. So far the only things I had to replace are the power steering hose, batteries and the lightbulb in the headlight. At times when I start my car, the cars stalls and takes a couple of seconds to start going.