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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  AWASOM!!!! - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By opirus - July 11 - 2:00 am

  I purchased it a week ago...it is beautiful car...i have no doubt about its quality...the interior is soooo nice...it is compotable!!! it is like a one of luxuary car...I love the price...it is worth like Toyota Avalon...but its price is several thousand less than Avalon...

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  HIGH QUALITY RIDE - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By CIEMENS - July 11 - 2:00 am

  EVERY ASPECT OF THE SORENTO HAS BEEN POSTIVE. WE HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM WITH IT.

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  Best Value for the Money - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By jcarson001 - July 10 - 5:54 pm

  We have owned our Kia Sorento for 3 months now. It has exceeded all of our expectations. The car has been flawless and the dealer support has been great. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone in the market for a cross over vehicle. The Sorento EX was almost $10,000 less than the comparable Honda Pilot and much more vehicle for the money than the Honda CRV.

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  Scion Beater - 2010 Kia Soul
  By bob* - July 9 - 10:30 am

  Had my Soul+ manual tranny for 7 months now. Love it....zero defects. Put 4 people in it and it rides like a Caddy. Great fun to drive, reminds me of a Fiat, as it has its own personality, (unlike Toyota), but with good reliability. Have yet to find a KIA owner that has had problems with their car. Was in traffic today with a Scion. Scion was nice, but looked at the dash...OMG that central speedo...reminded me why I didnt buy an XB.

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  RoadTrip - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Nebraska - July 9 - 10:00 am

  We have had our van since July 27,2001. It has been a great van and we love it. We have made three trips to Arizona with absolutely no problems. We had been looking for a new van for 6 months or so and we were getting frustrated with dealerships. I was getting the oil changed on my 2001 Rio when I saw the Sedona. I called my wife and had her meet me at the dealership. Lake Manawa Kia in Council Bluffs IA was the best to deal with. They gave us exactly what we needed for our trade in(that was the problem with the other dealers) and we also got the 1.9% financing for 5 years. We were out the door for only $23,000 with a full loaded van.

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  Love this car! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Best Vehicle Ever! - July 9 - 6:00 am

  This car handles like a dream. Great on winding roads and great on gas. Plenty of room for my weekend job of craft shows. Through the week, all my grandbabies fit in it at once. Love the new body style. Looks like a more expensive car at an affordable price. My husband even loves this car!

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  Love love love the Sorento - 2014 Kia Sorento
  By Paula Rochon - July 8 - 9:35 pm

  Comfortable and looks great. I love the interior. The controls are very easy to use. Fuel mileage isnt the best but using higher grade fuel I notice I get better fuel mileage. The pick up once fuel pedal is pressed is awesome.this car " gets on it " fast. VERY comfortable and quite ride. My car is loaded with all the features. Sound system is far above normal .

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  Best sedan on the market - 2018 Kia Optima
  By Joan Marie - July 8 - 2:40 am

  I love my 2018 Kia Optima! Comfortable, good looking and efficient in so many ways

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  What an amazing car - 2017 Kia Sportage
  By Yasmin Longoria - July 7 - 11:00 am

  I am supposed to write what other buyers should know here. Go buy the car! That is all! It is amazing.

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  Fine car with a couple of odd quirks - 2012 Kia Optima
  By scrapalara - July 7 - 1:04 am

  600 miles into my 2012 Optima EX w/premium pkg (pano roof, UVO stereo), no NAV. First, Ive read several reviews that say they upgraded to the tech pkg to get the backup camera. With the EX premium pkg, the backup camera was included. Car is quiet and responsive. I have a 60-mile daily commute (one way) and running about 69-70 with the cruise am getting about 32 mpg. Expect this to improve as the car breaks in and the weather warms. A head-turner! Trading up from a loaded 05 Sebring convertible, so, to me, road noise is quiet! Handled 8" of Illinois snow with ease and stability. Very pleased so far!