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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  Nice Smooth Van Lacks some comfort - 2007 Kia Sedona
  By Prsnlty - September 25 - 10:53 pm

  Ive only owned this van 1 month. Great van overall but has a few problems. Rear hatch door leaks during heavy rain. Rattle in rear and windows rattle. Stereo should be better for standard issue. Had a Mazda MPV - trans went so I bought this van. Love its handling. But slow from go, super fast and smooth passing. Crappy gas mileage compared to my Mazda of more weight. Hate the drivers seat adjustments. Im short and you cant lower the front of the seat so on long rides my legs fall asleep. The wheel rims make the van look cheap even though its a beautiful looking car. Hazard button is right under stereo controls, they turn on often! Love the safety features! Buying EX model next time.

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  Love my Kia! - 2001 Kia Sephia
  By Susan - September 25 - 6:53 pm

  I bought my Sephia a year and a half ago and love driving it. It definitely is a reliable car that is fun to drive, with excellent MPG. This was the first car I bought as a junior in high school. The one thing I am not such a big fan of for the Sephia is the headlights. They are very opaque, and more like shaded glass than clear. The lights work fine, but the lights could be brighter. Overall, I would definitely recommend the Sephia to anyone!

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  Awesome for the price! - 2003 Kia Rio
  By lababydoll999 - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car in October 2002, mostly because I wanted reliable transporation with a lot of warranty coverage since I drive my daughter to her daycare and myself to work every day. At first sight I wasnt too impressed by it, but when I saw the price and read all of the warranties, I had to get the Rio. I have never been more happy with any car than I am with my Rio. I pay only $218 dollars a month for this car! It drives great, the sound system is primo for the price of the car and I love the sunglass holder and the 8-way adjustable seat. I just cant say enough about this car!!!

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  Outstanding Value - Fun To Drive - Safety No. One - 2011 Kia Forte
  By btatr - September 24 - 4:25 pm

  Our priorities ar safety, comfort, fuel efficiency, and the fun to drive quality. We bought a KIA 5 Door SX and love it! We think its tons of fun to and the price was very reasonable. If that isnt enough, the warranty is fantastic. The Forte has a vast array of safety features such as Traction Control, Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, etc. The silky smooth, powerful 2.4 Liter Engine in the SX model packs plenty of power and is far superior to the 2.0 Liter version in the EX model. Every day we cant wait to drive this car. Compare it with the 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback and see which one you prefer.

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  Awsome Ride! - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By debbie - September 24 - 8:26 am

  I love this car... I get compliments on it every day, and people ask if they can look at the inside. The only thing I do not like about this car is the rear view mirror. It is sooo large, and placed right in the middle of the windshield. It is impossible to see traffic.... A design flaw that needs atention!

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  Love it! - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Brandy Richmond - September 22 - 2:20 am

  Bought my 1st Kia over the weekend (2016 Sorento) and couldnt be happier. This car is beautiful inside and out and Im just amazed on how much you get for your money. Thanks again Trevor at Gay Family Kia for finding me the perfect car for me and the great service.

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  Very Basic Transportation - 2006 Kia Rio
  By Charles Seale - September 21 - 2:16 pm

  I bought my Kia Rio 5 on Jan. 3, 2006. I bought it because at the time it was all I could afford. Let me start out by telling you the good stuff: Its cute and has 100,000 mile warranty. Thats about it. The reviewers talk about performance features and such. The car is a slug. Going up a long incline (even with overdrive turned off) is a loud and exhausting experience. The gas mileage is no where near what Kia advertises. I was told the absolute minimum gas mileage was 32 in the city. Try 22 mpg. I am a conservative driver and keep very careful records, so I am quite certain about that number. The car is very cramped; driving it for more than an hour will wear you out

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  Sorento SX - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Nick barrientos - September 21 - 4:44 am

  Great car the handling is very responsive when turning and its very good when you have the blind spot detector.

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  Wish I Wouldnt Have Leased So I could Sell It! - 2012 Kia Optima
  By bjk2 - September 20 - 7:43 pm

  If I had bought this car I could sell it & cut my losses on gas. Most everything is great about my 2013 Optima SXL 2.0 Turbo except that I average 16 mpg. No I dont drive it hard or fast. I get better mpg in my Chevy HD2500 4x4, 4gr, long bed diesel. If I was getting the advertised 22 mpg city Id be happier. I hope there is such a thing a a break-in period to get the advertised mpg. Id rather have my gutless 1.8L Toyota Matrix that gets great gas mileage at this point in time. The low ratings are all about the mpg.

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  Good town car - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Cindy - September 20 - 3:03 pm

  The 2005 Sportage makes a GREAT car to drive around town. It also is fun to drive on the freeway but does lack some power when you have big hills. All around it is a great family car.