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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  Good value, but peculiar seats - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By FDR - November 29 - 8:13 pm

  This is my second Kia (first was a 98 Sephia). In both vehicles the drivers seats are too short from front to rear. Other than that, the ride and seating are great. My kids (teenagers of substantial size) enjoy riding in any of the rows. The sliding door windows are also a little strange, and create a very irritating buffet at highway speeds if just one sliding door window is rolled down. Gizmos work as advertised. I bought sans roof rack in order to take advantage of the big owner loyalty rebate, and I am waiting for the dealer to let me know if the rack is in. It might be a little too mannerly, as I found myself going way too fast on the NJ Turnpike, feeling like 20 mph less.

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  Boring, but I love it! - 2007 Kia Optima
  By bkoeth - November 27 - 12:10 pm

  I looked at every car out there. I liked the Optima right away. After I first drove it, I knew it was the car I wanted. I am very picky with my cars, and have a couple of styling gripes (why is the roofline so much higher in front than in back!?) but overall its an unassuming car I dont have to be embarassed to be seen in. Fit and finish are superb. The only thing that feels cheap are the interior door handles. The car is unbelievably quiet, which makes it a pleasure for leisurely driving. Mileage had proven to be amazing for such a large car. On that note, it is VERY roomy and for thousands less than a Civic LX I just feel like I got more car for the money.

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  2017 KIA Sportage - 2017 Kia Sportage
  By Bridgette Gilson - November 26 - 10:18 pm

  Would hold out for the highest package with power hatch in 2 wheel drive.

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  Safety - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By happyparent - November 24 - 1:26 am

  My daughter was driving the car in the mountains and spun out on some gravel. She went airborne, cleared a ditch and ended up in a field. She spun a couple times resulting in peeling two tires off the rim. When the tow truck arrived he told her that this was really strange, all the other spin outs on this curve usually resulted in severe roll overs. When my wife and myself bought this car, we mentioned how stiff and sturdy it drove. We had been looking at several different small cars but we kept coming back to the Kia Rondo because it drove and felt sturdier. We are so thankful we chose this car because of its strength, the total damage cost $150 for alignment and rebalance the tires.

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  Good for the money - 2002 Kia Optima
  By RJimmis - November 21 - 2:00 am

  I traded it from a 6 month old Spectra. The Optima is twice the car. The SE also brings many comfortible features. The 2.4 is addiquatly acceptable (for 138 horses). Stopping is pretty good as well.

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  Time will tell - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Skeptical at first - November 21 - 2:00 am

  I just paid $22,700 for a loaded Sedona EX, it has everything but the trailer hitch. After doing an unbelievable amount of research, this is the car that stuck out. For what you get, this is absolutely unbeatable. Price any other vehicle with leather, full electric, etc etc and the difference is very large. Time will tell, but if it turns out to be a reliable vehicle, then this car will have no equal.

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  great gas milage and reliable - 2014 Kia Forte
  By dsyharry - November 20 - 4:23 pm

  ive had my 2014 forte since july of 2013 gas mileage and reliability have been great so far and I have 20,600 miles clocked also the dealership has been great kia of Swansea mass.

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  Feels good! - 2012 Kia Soul
  By goodstuff35 - November 20 - 2:03 am

  I purchased mine new from Lee Johnson Kia in Kirkland Wa. The experience there was excellent. I have almost 700 Miles on the Soul now. The Good: Lots of well laid out Bells and whistles. The Factory Sat radio/CD/USB/bluetooth works nicely and the sound is great for stock. The interior feels much more roomy than you would think. The 2.0L engine is very peppy and the 6 speed auto shifts smoothly. My Soul hasnt been broken in entirely yet but Im getting 22 in stop and go traffic to work and 31 on the freeway. I like the MPG display on the dash. Speaking of the dash the white and red lighting is clear in the sun and easy on the eyes at night. Big improvements in the road noise for the 2012!

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  Good car, could be improved - 2003 Kia Optima
  By Bob A - November 20 - 1:46 am

  I didnt like the horn, the mushy suspension, the fuel economy, and it could have had more power. V-6 is average and the 4 cylinder is inadequate. I also think it tries to be good at being both a luxurious car, and a sporty car, and ends up not being good at either. Buyers should get a choice which car they want. Dealer support is horrible. I took my car back at 12k, with a squealing belt and got a song and dance about the belt being a "wear & tear" part. I thought at 12k, there shouldnt be any wear, and bumper to bumper should include the belts. For a $10 belt, that dealer lost a customer.

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  Quiet, tight ride - 2009 Kia Sedona
  By sarakr - November 15 - 8:33 am

  Our family has been very happy with our van. We have been surprised at the quality and reliability of he vehicle. It handles very well and has fabulous acceleration. We opted for the power package with power sliding doors and back up assist. The van is an excellent value for the money.