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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  never own another - 2004 Kia Rio
  By kia krap - May 26 - 3:03 pm

  Ive had my Kia for a few months now. The car has no take off. It ran at 4000 rpm going 65 mph then it dropped all 16 valves and blew the pistons into pieces

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  best car i ever own - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By riskman - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I bought this suv at towncenter kia in kennesaw. I paid at MSRP even there was markup for around 2000 dollars. the suv is so nice and quiet, compare to my 95 grand cherokee. it is just powerfulas my Grand cherokee and fit and finish is impressive. I had 170,000 miles on my grand chrokee and changed tranny twice that costed me alomost $2000 each. wish sorento do btter than Grand cherokee. And milage is better than i expect average of 20- 23mpg mostly highway. better than EPA suggest. may be because i drove so nicely(dont press accel hard) because it is new....

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  We love our new Sorento - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By rodshep - May 26 - 10:00 am

  We bought the sorento after looking at the Nissan Xterra, Honda CRV and Toyota Rav4. A big plus for us was the exterior body style. I was also very SUPRISED with the performance and the fit and finish of the interior. I never dreamed i would purchase a KIA for anything other than a work car. The warranty is icing on the cake.

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  Just what I needed! - 2008 Kia Rio
  By J.L. - May 26 - 2:56 am

  Im really happy with this car. Ive had it almost two years, and Im still enjoying it. The only thing Id ask Kia to improve would be the height of the arm rest - its too low. I feel very safe in my car. Its even comfortable on ten-hour vacation trips! The interior is nice, and easy to clean - great for people with kids. It really is easy to park. Id be happy buy another one.

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  AWESOME! - 2010 Kia Soul
  By mountain_kitty - May 25 - 8:11 am

  I love my Soul Plus. Its a blast to drive. Its comfortable. Great sound system and Im getting between 39 and 41mpg.

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  I love my Kia Optima - 2003 Kia Optima
  By Kristie - May 25 - 5:03 am

  The Kia Optima has been the best car I have ever had. It drives really nice and it is a comfortable car. Very sporty looking.

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  Awesome Car - 2004 Kia Optima
  By ddynamitedorothy - May 23 - 10:00 am

  I love my car and the way it handles. It is sporty to me and handles well in curves. Maybe its not as strong in curves as a sports car. But its just as fun. Very reliable and a comfortable drive. The features inside are just what I need. The coverage they give you is excellent.The body style is sleek and wonderful. Wish they had more choices of color interiors. But its all gravy. Very, very satisfied with my car and will trade it in for a newer model in a year or so.

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  Most Bang for your Buck! - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By KevinCox - May 23 - 10:00 am

  Great all around van...great warranty, great performance, great safety features and a great price. Gas mileage could improve but that is my ONLY complaint about this van! Would reccomend to anyone who wants to save some serious cash in lieu of unecessary luxuries. This van has plenty of bells and whistles...just dont expect a top of the line Sienna for 21K.

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  KIA Sorento - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By reno chic - May 23 - 3:36 am

  Bought this after I had my daughter; fits our family perfectly (including a large dog and luggage or other passengers). Very comfortable and practical. Good on or off road so we can go camping or to the city. The only pitfalls are that it doesnt have much oomph, so you can only use the 4WD to a certain extent (nothing too steep in the early spring mountains). But if youre going to have a bumpy ride, at least its cushioned well with lots of things to hold on to. Tons of awesome little hidden storage areas, comfortable to sleep in if necessary (with a Thermarest). Great standard options in both models. Never overlook the great warranty! I love my Sorento.

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  Impressed with Forte Koup - 2010 Kia Forte
  By Formigaman - May 22 - 2:13 pm

  Great little coupe, lol. Handles well, drives well and has plenty of get up and go when you want it, very leisurely when cruising around the block or on the interstate. I think 0-60 times are incorrect...I hit 85mph before entering the interstate on a standard on ramp. Very nice sounding stereo, love the simplicity of the interior.