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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  great cars! - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Two Souls - February 20 - 5:36 pm

  Bought a special edition Ignition in Dec. 2009 . Really like the car! So far everything works great & 30+ mpg ! Other car with 184k started having problems in Feb. 2010 . Traded it in on another Soul special edition , the Shadow Dragon version! Like it better than the Ignition because of the heated leather seats! Drive 200 miles a day to-from work . So far Great !

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  Happy With Car - 2007 Kia Optima
  By Desiree - February 19 - 4:43 am

  Im very happy with this car. Affordable, fun, reliable. What more can you ask for.

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  Luv my Kia - 2002 Kia Sportage
  By iceman8147 - February 18 - 2:00 am

  I purchased (2) Kia Sportage convertables over a year ago. Both my wife and I love them. They are perfect for the Florida beach / rush hour traffic scene. You sit up nice and high, but can zip in and out of traffic. With the top off, you can enjoy the fresh ocean air. I have worked in the US automotive industry for 20 years, but after driving my little SUV, I am impressed. The fit and finish on our Sportages was as good as or better than vehicles that I have seen at the NA assembly plants. For the money, they are quite a value. If they had a small V6 in it rather than the I4, fuel economy would be better as the 4 cylinder is worked pretty hard.

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  Sedona - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By avionics - February 18 - 2:00 am

  Very smooth riding van. You get tons of extras for a reasonable price. The gas milage could be a little better, but its worth it. Great Van.

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  IN LOVE WITH MY KIA - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By BLONDEBOMBOO - February 18 - 2:00 am

  I fell in love with this SUV. For the price and safety features you can not go wrong.Safety rating are a big plus. Side air bags, steel reenforced doors/frame, and a drop down engine where very important for protection of my family. 10yr/100,000 mile warranty is best amoung most.

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  Love my Kia - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By sya0402 - February 18 - 2:00 am

  I had my heart set on a Toyota Sequoia,but after test driving the 2004 Kia Sorento I was hooked. The body style caught my eye. Its sporty and solid. Not only is it a great looking vehicle, it costs thousands less than the Toyota SUVs even with the luxury package!

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  Georgia and Drivers win with this KIA - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By C Gladdue - February 15 - 9:53 pm

  I just took delivery of the 2011 Kia Sorento and if the price doesnt make you smile the car will. I loved the aggressive lines, size and exterior features that made this redesign stand out as the newest competitor on the block. I bought the LX in Titanium Silver with black cloth interior and the Convenience Package. This $1,000 package gave me a lot of extras such as a color back-up camera, back-up sensors, heated seats, fog lights and a roof rack. This is just where the extras start considering the inside is packed full of the latest technology from blue tooth in the steering wheel to a jack for every elctronic I own. If I had to shop for a car all over again Sorento would win again.

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  Great Vehicle at a Great Value - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By rdilley - February 15 - 11:43 am

  I purchased my Kia Sorento in July of 2011 and I have had zero problems with it. I use it to commute to work and back 90 miles round trip and have logged over 50,000 miles on it. I have tested the AWD in Sandy beaches and it did not dissapoint. The gas mileage had been good at around 25-27 hwy and 22-24 city. I have been very satisfied with this vehicle overall. I have had to change the tires due to the everyday driving commute and replaced the Kuhmo tires with Brigdgestone Dueler HTs with a more aggresive tread.

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  Versatile, economical and fun car - 2011 Kia Soul
  By Nick - February 15 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car for someone who wants a compact but doesnt want to be crammed into some small, rickety piece of junk. The Soul is incredibly roomy inside and with the rear seats folded down it has cargo room comparable to any wagon... Ive always been hesitant with Kia but they seem to have hit the mark with this one. For $16,000, this car seems to be put together well and has features like ABS, traction control, Bluetooth, and 4-wheel disc brakes that are missing in other cars. I would prefer the manual transmission model; the automatic is an outdated 4-speed and it feels like it was definitely tuned for economy rather than sporty driving but what can one expect for under $16k?

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  Great Car, Great Price! - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Josh - February 13 - 4:16 pm

  I have owned my Sportage for almost a year, and I love it. It is the best car I have ever owned, and you cant beat the warranty. Drives great and looks like a more expensive SUV. I would definitely buy another Kia, they have really stepped up their U.S. models lately!