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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  Flimsy accelerator - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Eddy Ramos - November 2 - 10:00 am

  Every this about this van is very good except the gas peddal. It is very light and should be replaced.

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  Practical, good styling, great gas mileage, awesome base features - 2010 Kia Soul
  By deftdrummer - November 1 - 10:11 pm

  Ive had my base model 2010 Kia Soul in White for about a week and a half now. This isnt really the best time to be writing a review so Ill keep it brief. Thus far the car has been a commuter for me with about 20 miles round trip daily driving to work. I just love this car! I have all the features I wanted (most of them) at the base model. I picked mine up in white with a manual for $10,999 at a Fiat dealership. Great warranty on this vehicle. Some down sides are that the engine noise inside the cabin can be a bit loud at low RPM, and also Im not too fond of the back seats not being able to go a fully flat position. Also the interior plastics are a bit on the cheap side.

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  My experience with Corporate KIA - 2008 Kia Amanti
  By Gary - October 30 - 9:23 pm

  Purchased this vehicle in January this year. Had problem with it from the star. Right front tire/wheel bounces/flutter/surges at all speeds but the best part is that the font end shimmies @ 70 mph. Dealer worked on it all they could but corporate said it was operating "as designed" whatever that means. Filed Lemon law complaint with no help there. Will have to drive it until the wheels fall off. Other than that I love the car!

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  Hmmm rethink your Kia sorento purchase - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By ITSMECHRISTYMARIE - October 30 - 2:43 pm

  Like most sorento owners, I too have replaced tail lights, headlights, clock doesnt work, cd player has a cd stuck in it. Now I was driving home across the state and it overheated and engine shut off. I dont know what happened or if its covered. I still owe beau coup $$$ on it so if its not covered do I just walk away from the loan? Im not paying for a car that I cant drive or afford to fix. Well see if they are more helpful at my dealership that what others have experienced.

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  S.Jones - 2004 Kia Optima
  By S. Jones - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I have driven to Missouri, New Orleans, Fredricksburg, back and forth to Virginia Beach, And Ive been to Winchester and the car has driven smoothly and safely .

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  Nice car for the Money - 2001 Kia Optima
  By markus - October 28 - 10:00 am

  We were skeptical about buying a Korean made car, but we have been pleasantly surprised. The car seems well built and solid. It is very comfortable and fun to drive. It has all the features of the more expensive Toyotas and Hondas. You cant beat the warranty and the road side assistance. It takes the risk out of buying a Korean car. I think the Optimas are going to hold up very well and put KIA on the map. You know KIA has to build good cars if they are going to be competitive in the U.S. We are very happy with our Optima.

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  Problems with sorento - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Sorento - October 27 - 11:06 pm

  Have only had my Sorento for 3 weeks, immediately started to have a thumping noise when starting the car. At times the car would move when started. Took to service, they had the car for 2 days and "never heard the noise". When I started the car to bring it home it made the noise. Was given a brand new Kia Sorento with 100 miles on it as a loaner- It cut off on me 2 times and the engine light was on when I returned to pick up my car! Problem still not resolved! Returning to service in a few days! So disappointing!

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  I love my little green jellybean! - 2001 Kia Rio
  By boxerz_32 - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought it used with 19,000 miles on it. I drive it 90 miles a day, everyday. So far (knock on wood) I havent had any major problems. It even drove wonderfully in a foot of snow. Actually i was making it up hills that 4 wheel drive trucks couldnt make it up. I have only had a few minor problems with it...the door lock got frozen (from sitting out in the winter) and broke, also the molding between the drivers side window and the windshield keeps poping off. However, Kia has taken care of these problems for me in a very timely fashion. I would recomend this car to anyone who doesnt want to spend a lot on gas and who have long commutes everyday!!

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  First Impressions on the Sportage - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By candjfields - October 23 - 1:26 pm

  Purchased my 2005 Kia Sportage (EX w/ V6 and 4WD) late August w/ 66k mi. Very impressed by the interior quality. Leather seats (heated) are comfortable and controls are easily accessible. Impressed by the engine, as it has a good amount of power for 2.7 liter. "Sport shift" shines when upshifting. Downshifts w/ the Sport shift seem to be overly harsh in lower RPM ranges (under 3K). Two car seats fit easily in the back seats. So far, a good purchase.

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  mixed bag - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By mballard70 - October 16 - 2:54 pm

  I bought my Rondo new and it is currently 3.5 years old and has 64,000 miles. I really like the car, but it has had some issues. Here is what has been replaced on the car: rack and pinion unit, power steering, cam-balancer, and the transmission. kia has largely stood behind their product in spite of these issues. However, they were going to deny the warranty claim on my transmission b/c I had changed the fluid with Synthetic Trans. fluid. If I hadnt had a Kia insider as a friend, I would have been in trouble. I think this is a violation of the Moss-Magnasun act b/c they insisted they would only cover Kia fluid. But, I digress. Love the car, wish it didnt have those issues.