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:

• 

  Beware the Tires - 2012 Kia Soul
  By smartshopper99 - August 5 - 10:41 am

  A good fun car. Good gas mileage. Lots of room. Easy to maneuver. Nice visibility. Service is horrible. No spare tire! Tires are lousy. I dont think theyre safe. Two flats in less than six months normal driving. Set $600 back to put decent tires on, wont believe how it improves the ride.

• 

  Trade my Odyssey for a Kia - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Georgian - August 4 - 6:33 am

  I traded my 2002 Odyssey after the transmission was replaced 2 times. Yes there is a difference between these two vehicles but this Kia can hold its own. I brought my fully loaded and for the price, no one can touch it. I have had a few problems with my Kia but no major. I took of the tires that came with this vehicle after 13,000 mile and replaced them with some new Goodyear tires. What a difference that has made. Ride improved drastically. Look forward to the new 2006 model. From the reviews it will raise that bar.

• 

  Great Van for the price - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By SCORPIO1 - August 4 - 2:00 am

  So far, this mini-van has performed really well and rides really smooth. Im not too happy with the gas mileage. It seems like Im filling up every other day. For the price range & the amenities, the Kia Sedona is worth it. I recommend it!!!

• 

  Kia Sportage versus Rav 4 - 2007 Kia Sportage
  By mjbauer24 - August 3 - 5:23 pm

  Just drove our new Kia Sportage home yesterday. We owned an SUV prior to this purchase, but unfortunately it got totaled when I hit a patch of ice last week. After being used to driving an SUV (we had a mini-van prior to that) I dont like the feel of a car, so we test drove the Kia Sportage and the Rav 4. Both performed well, but when it came to price the Kia won. Almost bought a Kia several years ago but didnt like the way they drove. The 2007 model has greatly improved Kias performance and reliablity tests.

• 

  My Rondo - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By jdjjkj - August 3 - 10:40 am

  My Rondo is so nice to drive and it is great to not be a mini van mom any longer but still have the room. I will miss the cargo room though that my van had if we have 7 passengers. When it is just the four of us and the dog we are comfortable for a long trip.

• 

  HanKOOK Tires - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Blimpnurse - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I had this car about 3 months and much trouble with the Hankook Tires. Had the vehicle only 3 days and a flat tire. Two weeks later another flat. A Month later the two front tires got flat spots from a normal skid.They had to be replaced. Has anybody had problems like this ???

• 

  wish I would have checked prices first - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By jesse spurlock - July 29 - 5:43 pm

  Just purchased vehicle hard to judge quality and reliability at this time. Bought mostly for warranty.

• 

  A Competitive vehicle - 2008 Kia Sportage
  By monere - July 26 - 3:06 pm

  This vehicle was 50 percent of the time used in very harsh, snowy, hilly and icy winter conditions of northern canada for the last 15 months. It performed mainly at low speed, backcountry road and also some highway conditions max speed 90 km/hour. Fuel consumption was normal under those conditions and was 12,63 litres/ km. Engine starts easily even under - 30 degrees celtius. Overall performance was more than more acceptable. Overall quality and handling was excellent. The engine performance improve sharply and significanly after 5000 miles. Breaks, ABS and ECS systems are excellent. Car suspension is optimum and bumps are absorbed easily.

• 

  Road noise and stiff steering, low clearance - 2011 Kia Optima
  By artsd1 - July 25 - 10:20 am

  I bought a 2011 Kia EX loaded, nice car until i drove on expwy. Way too much road noise and stiff steering made my wrist feel fatigue and low clearance of car. At night, headlight beams are too low and not bright and signs cant be read clearly because of low clearance. Since im a retiree, i wanted something i could keep for a few years. I could not keep it long due to ride quality which is more important to me than features. Plus other problems i mentioned made me trade for an Audi q5. What a difference, you get what you pay for. Made mistake and lost some cash but to be happy is more important to me than money. KIA resale value is not good if i keep it over 5yrs

• 

  Beyond all expectations... - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By allie2386 - July 25 - 10:00 am

  As the mother to 2 small children, I was in the market for a midsize SUV that was safe and stylish. As a lifelong car snob,I cant believe how favorably the Kia compares to the high- end SUVs (which I really cant afford even if I sold a kidney). The exterior is great-looking, and the interior is thoughtfully designed, luxurious, and beautiful. The truck feels solid and well-built when you close the doors-- nothing flimsy here. The engine is whisper-quiet and driving is a pleasure. The acceleration is more than adequate, though not spectacular. I handles well and has a very tight turning radius.