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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  It IS possible to like a van - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By little BIG - December 31 - 10:00 am

  We purchased in May 02. Got a steal on our trade-in and we ended up paying 24k (CANADIAN). Have had no problems as of yet, we are at the 15000 km mark already. It drives so well, my biggest regret is that it doesnt come with a standard tranny. Lots of room, although the trunk space could be made bigger. PLENTY of power. The gas mileage has improved dramatically since we started driving it. If you are in the minivan market, you have to consider this one, especially for the price. We test drove the car on a whim (we were going to settle with the MPV) and were convinced within the first 5 minutes of driving that we were going to buy the vehicle.

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  Great buy for the money - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By new kia fan! - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Only had it for about 2 1/2 weeks, but like it so far. Have a couple of problems still trying to get resolved with dealer. One being the keyless remote works sporadically and you have to be right on top of the van for it to work. Anyone else experience this? Please email me if so. Got this van for 22,500 fully loaded! I mean fully loaded, not another option was available.

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  Kia Sorento - a great SUV for anyone - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By R. Gaudet - December 30 - 12:20 pm

  My Kia Sorento has been a pleasant surprise. Its handling and ride quality will match anything out there in its class. I consider this vehicle the best I have ever owned.

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  What fun! - 2011 Kia Optima
  By richie46 - December 30 - 11:47 am

  Weve had it 2 weeks, 800 miles. Great car, especially considers all the features vs. cost. In shopping, this was the first we tried. Then drove Accord and Fusion. Optima easily surpassed those. Were were going to look at Mazda6, Altima and Camry too, but we liked the Optima so much we decided to curtail shopping.

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  I dont care about the name "I LOVE IT" - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Issac - December 29 - 9:40 pm

  I didnt realize untill i did my shopping that this comes with ESP, Traction control, and Anti-lock brakes all standard! And with the 10 year warranty, theres no other small SUV at that price that can compete.

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  Great SUV for the money! - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By nampa45 - December 28 - 10:00 am

  We purchased our Sorento recently and have been very pleased with it in the short time we have owned it. It rides great, with no squeeks or rattles and we would recommend this vehicle to anyone who is interested in a 4WD SUV. The price is very reasonable compared to other higher priced brands on the market.

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  So Far So Good, Mostly - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By So Far So Good - December 28 - 9:30 am

  Test drove many cars before I settled on my Kia Rondo. Found this to be the best fit for my family. My husband is over 6 feet tall & 200 lbs and still has plenty of head room and leg room. In the front and back seat. Mine has a third row seat we will probably never use but is nice to have. However, it is made for a small person or child. 3rd row sits very low and is for short trips only. Have only had my Kia for 3 weeks, but so far only one problem experienced. Found if the front windows are up and rear windows are down, there is a very loud sound vibration in the car. Not pleasant at all. Overall though a nice car to ride in and drive.

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  Best 2008 value - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Matt - December 28 - 4:26 am

  The chrome looks very nice with the black and the tan interior is very nice. Everyone thinks it’s a more expensive car than it really is. I am 6’1”/250 lbs and I am satisfied with this mid size vehicle and all my friends say the same. The trunk is quite large and the only thing I don’t like about the interior is the backseat head rests: they block the view when you’re attempting to switch lanes pretty bad. The gas mileage is a little disappointing. It’s a mid size thus it’s a bit light and drives light and especially in the elements.

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  Impressed - 2007 Kia Amanti
  By MHall - December 27 - 7:26 am

  Have driven Caddys, Lincolns, Olds and number of other family style autos. The Amanti beats them hands down, the car drives and rides very smooth, no road or wind noise. Have had zero problems at 38k miles. The car is loaded with every option and performs great.I get compliments all the time, the rear end looks like a Lincoln and the front between a Benz and a Jag. Avg 19.5 MPG mixed HWY & CITY. Would recommend car to anyone who is looking for a solid built, smooth riding automobile with ALL the safety feature.

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  More fun than it looks - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By David J. Phoenix - December 26 - 9:13 pm

  I bought a new Sorento because it is built in my county in Kias first American plant. The styling is head- turning and a far cry from the basic designs that Kia first brought to this country. The interior is modern and has a premium feel, especially with all the controls on the steering- wheel, including Bluetooth (which is standard). The test drive on a winding road showed the car to be agile but never. The 2.4L engine also had plenty of guts to easily complete any two- lane overtaking moves asked of it. The three-hour ride home from the dealer revealed the car to also be an excellent long distance car as well. Fun to drive + Long distance comfort + lots of gadgets as standard = a great car.