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 Sportage... hard to go wrong with this one... - 2013 Kia Sportage
  By mikekia - September 13 - 2:12 pm

  The Kia Sportage 2013 ex awd is a real masterpiece for the value. What I got, for mid-20s price, is an awd vechicle with a lockable differential (not avail w/CR-V or CX-5), along with 176HP and 6 speeds (not avail w/RAV-4), along with a boatload of extras. And nice extras like: satellite radio, back-up camera, cooling glove box (for sodas), all weather mats, cargo storage cover, roof rails, on-board juke box (uvo), led lights, and much more. And if youre worried about craftsmenship, dont - because its got a 10year, 100,000mile drivetrain warranty. Add to that the mileage I get, on ave 25mpg, and the sporty feel, and nice ride - its a winner in my book. Yeah!

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  WOW - 2004 Kia Optima
  By dntfeartareaper - September 12 - 10:50 am

  I bought this car with 9,000 miles on it. Great car for the price. This four cylinder moves, Ive beat Camaros, v6 Cavaliers an Accord and a Volvo. I now have 40,000 miles on it and its still going very strong. All thats been done to it since Ive had it is that I put on a k&n filter, got a trans flush and oil changes. Sound system was good but I upgraded it. Design is awesome. Great car for college students or anyone for that matter

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  Used To LOVE My 2012 Optima - Now I HATE It! - 2012 Kia Optima
  By imac7 - September 11 - 7:41 pm

  2012 Optima looks great; however, on the first day after I bought it, I was driving on freeway (regular freeway speed) and I noticed intermittent wind noise coming in by the top of driver door. I hope it was something that could be fixed. Three dealer appointments (time wasted) one which was arranged by Kia Corporate their bottom line was "normal noise." I owned a Sentra, Accord, Maxima, Camry, and a Pathfinder (which am not counting) and NONE of the cars had this issue. Also, my MPG average is about 22 (Last tank - no change in driving conditions - I got 19+)... MPG was a major factor when I decided to buy this car.

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  LOVE IT!!! - 2011 Kia Soul
  By emroozfarda - September 10 - 6:38 am

  I bought this car for my return to college. Peppy off the line, GREAT on gas (280 miles on first tank), suprisingly roomy for passengers, chock full of features for the price. Ive read it noisey at high speeds, NOT TRUE. Very comfortable simply FUN to drive. Definitely get the windows tinted. 95% of the negative comments about this car I did not experience. My previous car was employer provided and much more expensive. The Soul matches and beats it in most areas with the exception of power. The Soul is a 4-banger but gets up to speed when needed. If you are a racer, this car isnt for you. Otherwise this car is absolutely WONDERFUL.

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  First LX Manual Review - 2012 Kia Optima
  By trusko - September 9 - 4:11 pm

  I owned 1997 Acura Integra GS-R for 13 years and it was time to say good buy. With 3 kids and two of them playing hockey I was looking for a car that I can drive to work on daily basis and it can still fit two hockey bags. Optima handling is quite impressive, engine is very responsive. I like driving manual transmission and was quite impressed with Optimas responsiveness. I had to go with LX base since this was the only model that comes with manual. However, car is already loaded with all options I really wanted so no big deal. Gas mileage is pretty good - I am averaging 8.5L/100KM (mixed 50% highway), gets better on highway I could easily get 7L/100km.

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  Update of previous reveiw - 2014 Kia Soul
  By doug142 - September 9 - 3:54 pm

  It will be 3 months in 2 days, and 3400 miles. I just changed the oil at 3000. What a pleasure to drive ! I still cannot believe it is a base model. It has everything you need. I really enjoy the manual transmission. The mileage estimates are really off for the manual. I keep the RPMs low and get amazing mileage. If you need power down shift. The car is very comfortable and roomy. I feel very safe in this car, the handling is very responsive. I really enjoy the upright windows on the sides it makes it very roomy and airy feeling. Very easy getting in and out, and very comfortable for tall drivers. As long as you realize this is not a race car, you will be extremely happy with it.

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  A great MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By conwelpic - September 9 - 12:26 am

  “The Power to Surprise” the KIA slogan and its sure worked for me. The utility of this vehicle is incredible and can’t fault the fit and finish. It’s a very efficient design with an amazing amount of space inside for such a compact exterior package. With the chair like seating, outstanding visibility through the large side windows, it’s a joy to drive. The performance of the 4-cylinder never fails to impress me (it outperforms the 2.8L V6 on my previous vehicle) and provides great economy and very smooth shifts. I also noticed that even though it’s a tall vehicle it is not as susceptible to wind as much as my previous vehicle that was 10” shorter.

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  New Spectra - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By usaf207cwf - September 8 - 4:33 pm

  The car is great. The performance is superb for a 4 cylinder. Quick off the line and if you learn quickly how to get it into its best power range of 4000-4500 RPM and keep it there, acceleration at 50+ is spirited and quick. Comfort is good, the seats fit you and keep you in place. Fuel economy is what you would expect, again, from a 4 cylinder. The car is extremely fun to drive. The stiff setup really lets you feel the car through the turns. The car is very responsive to steering input, and therefore drives where you want it to go instead of going where it wants, while you try to correct. The interior design, exterior design, build quality, and reliability are first rate.

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  Love my Sedona EX! - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Rebs mom - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had my 2003 Sedona EX for a week but so far I love it! (I traded in my 96 Windstar) We couldnt beat the price/options/warranty on the Kia. It rides and drives very smoothly. I didnt know how many new features theyve come out with since a 96 that Id been driving! I dont mind sharing, for those who are still comparison shopping, that our total price incl. tax/title/tags etc was $20,300. (incl. $3000 total rebates) I have a sunroof and ABS, but no leather. So far, the gas mileage has been fine for me (I live in a semi-rural area without heavy traffic)

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  Good luck to the competition - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Blackremmy - September 8 - 10:00 am

  I am 53 years old, I have had at least 20 vehicles. Including, a limited edition Cadillac Boritz. This vehicle has been given great thought in its design. They have numerous places for items, including a large drawer under the passenger seat for maps, etc. There are several outlets inside the vehicle. The door handles light up for easy key access at night. This in itself is a key item for safety in this day and age. The ignition also lights up. I could continue with some more major items, but simply this is the best vehicle I have ever owned.