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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  kia builds a great suv - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By rob - December 24 - 10:33 pm

  Wife was hit head on by a chevy cavalier. Chevy was totalled and the kia suffered a broken grille,hood and fender. 2500 to repair it. She was not hurt either.

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  Pleasant experience - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Joy Kahn - December 24 - 10:00 am

  Truly enjoyable driving. Luxurious interior for the price. The only negative is the very, very, poor gas mileage. Its a fun car to drive. Handles like a dream.

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  My 1st Kia - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Toya - December 24 - 10:00 am

  Several people have told me not to buy a Kia, and for awhile I took their advice. Well, I was looking for a SUV and wanted to trade in my Ford Focus. I test drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Ford Escape and The Sorento. I was not planning on buying a Kia, but by riding by and stopping just to give it a try. I Fell In Love with it and drove it home the same day. I would like to give some advise of my own. Go buy a Kia if not go test drive one

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  Kia Sedona Review - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Jess H - December 22 - 9:10 am

  We love our Kia Sedona. The affordability and warranty on the car is just wonderful especially for a family on one income. Our only complaint is the steering is very touchy.

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  review - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By justen - December 19 - 6:20 am

  All around good commuter; youre not going to win any car shows but you know youll get to work on time and might even have some fun doing so.

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  just got a sorento - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By dpvest - December 18 - 5:45 am

  you get a lot for the money w/ the premium and touring packages. actually, you get a lot for the money for the vehicle. good acceleration. smooth ride. decent noise suppression. would have liked the opportunity to purchase the EX w/out the third row seating (and have that be additional storage). excellent mileage for an suv.

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  Great on gas - 2010 Kia Optima
  By csharp1 - December 14 - 3:32 pm

  I just bought this car used and was worried..This car is great, comfortable,gas saver,roomy. I was worried with a smaller engine from a v-8. Great little pick up. good choice no fancy frills but i need good gas and comfort. recommended

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  $2,000 A/C repair @ 45k - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By anjay - December 14 - 3:10 am

  Background: I bought the car off-lease in May 09 with 16k on the odometer. With the exception of so-so gas mileage, I though Id scored an excellent deal. Then, in 2012, just after the 5-year warranty expired, I learned from my [very reliable] auto tech that the A/C compressor clutch had failed and would cost $2,000 to repair. This is a huge cash outlay for a relatively young vehicle w/ just over 45k. Im embarrassed to tell anyone b/c Ive been hyping the Rondo as a great value for four years. I wont be doing that any more.

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  harsh ride, otherwise ok - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By Steven - December 9 - 6:20 am

  Just purchased this car two weeks ago, mostly based on ratings at this site coupled with the cheap price and good gas mileage. I did not notice on the test drive how noisy the ride is. Every pebble feels like a pothole and need to have radio on to drown out the engine noise. Am told by mechanics that this is how they sound and you get what you pay for. Would rather have an older Corolla.

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  best pre-vehicle i excellent relIve had - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By paul - December 7 - 9:43 am

  excellent relieability and comfort, right size for my family now that my 2 childred and grown. good looks. nice 4 wh drive. car is responsive, has allthe whistles except cd changer