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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  Love my Car! - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Carol - November 2 - 6:10 am

  I have owned my Amanti for about 5 months and I have never driven a more comfortable, reliable car. The interior & exterior design, sun roof, color (a nice light gold) all make it a real looker. I have driven SUVs for several years, and became tired of "bumpy" rides and no back seat. This car has all the roomy features, and a huge trunk space. I got it slightly used, and its as clean as a whistle!

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  Second time around - 2003 Kia Rio
  By lcimpala - October 31 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Rio, the first had over 100,000 on the clock before it met an untimely death at the hands of an Explorer. The explorer got the worst of it, by the way, and no injuries for us, couldnt say the same for the explorer occupants. This 2003 Rio is a vast improvement over the 2001 we previously had. Its quiet and rides very well, has a lot of power and the engine noise has been reduced greatly over the 2001 model. Kis is refining their autos yearly, I am impressed with the improvements. We really like the car.

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  EXCELLENT - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By HHEIKEINCOLO - October 31 - 10:00 am

  WE TRULY THINK FOR THE $$$--OUR SORENTO IS AN EXCELLENT BUY! VERY GOOD LOOKING SUV BUILT ON A TRUCK FRAME. 4WHEEL-HI & LO--4WHEEL-16INCH ALLOY RIMS--245 70R16 TIRES. STANDARD SUN ROOF, HEAVY DUTY EXTENTION. QUIET RIDE, OURS IS FULLY LOADED. WE THINK OUR SORENTO LOOKS BETTER THEN THE LEXUS, ACURA & BMW SUV, WHICH COSTS 10K TO 20K MORE!! WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH OUR SUV, IT HAS FRONT AND SIDE AIR BAGS. OUR CAR INSURANCE WENT DOWN AS IT HAS MANY SAFETY FEATURES. THANKS KIA!!!!

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  2004 Sorento - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Corky1 - October 31 - 10:00 am

  Looked at others. Lots of features for the price.

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  Very Decent But - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By michelej898 - October 31 - 3:10 am

  I have had this vehicle 11 months. I bought it with 37,000 and only have 41,000 on it now. I drive mostly small town, light traffic but lots of lights. Speed limits of 30-35 mph. Gas mileage is about 15.5. I am also having problems with headlights, brake lights, etc. Have replaced both headlights, a marker light, and one brake light twice. Luckily hubby is a mechanic but there must be something going on if lights keep burning out. On the other hand, lights are easily changed and cheap! But still.

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  Love it - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By z24racerchic - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I had rented a car in 2008 and they gave me a Rondo. When I first saw it I thought what the frig is this thing, but I fell in love. In July 2010 I got a 2008 with only 25,000 miles on it for $11,000. Was thrilled. The dealership was 2 1/2 hours away because I had a hard time finding a good one around where I live. I love my Rondo. While many say its nothing much to look at I like how it looks. The performance is awesome. I have taken it on two trips into the mountains and it doesnt hesitate. The V6 has a lot of power. The interior is very, very roomy and I love the compartments for extra storage in the back. There is plenty of room to haul things.

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  Fun For 50+ - 2011 Kia Soul
  By coolray - October 29 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I went looking to buy a new car and sticker shock sent us over to the Kia dealer. The nicest car buying experience weve ever had. No pressure, lots of help and informative folks there. The Soul looks cool, has lots of style and features. ABS, rear disc brakes, wheels & low profile tires, tinted windows, low tire pressure warning, great radio/lights and gadgets, good cargo area, super warranty and is a lot of fun. Our adult kids like it and approve. We are now connected with bluetooth, Sattelite Radio and looking forward to getting an Ipod connected soon. 50+ and Cruzin again!

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  SOLID & ZIPPY FAMILY RIDE - 2008 Kia Sedona
  By Holly - October 27 - 8:43 pm

  I was the happy driver of a 06 Dodge Grand Caravan that was hit. I was torn on what to replace it with. Narrowed it down to an 08 Dodge Grand and the 08 Kia Sedona. Im glad we chose the Kia. It has been a good, sturdy vehicle. We have five children and do a lot of "hauling" and have been very pleased with its performance. One thing has gone wrong so far. (Pedal accelerator sensor went out - covered by warranty. No questions asked.) It has plenty of power. Decent gas milage. Comfy seats. Nice controls. Three minor complaints: 1. Front seat does not quite go back far enough. 1" more would be great. (Hubby & I are both 510") 2. Stereo sounds like it is AM 3. Shimmy when breaking.

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  I just love my new Sorento! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By LoveMySorento - October 27 - 2:50 pm

  Ive had the 2011 Sorento for about a month, and I absolutely love it. Its great looking, fun to drive, and everything we were looking for. I also really like the keyless feature. I never have to waste time looking for lost keys. I just leave the key in my purse (luckily, I never lose my purse). If you dont know how this works, you just need your key remote in your pocket or purse and it detects when you are about a foot away from your car so you can unlock and lock your car without having to pull it out. Also convenient when returning to the car with grocery bags - no fumbling with keys - just press the button and open the car. :)

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  Love this car! High quality for less $$s - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Rich - October 27 - 1:43 am

  Bought Optima for my son and was very impressed with quality and warrenty. Thirty days later we bought the Amanti because of the styling, price, quality and excellent warranty. This car is fun to drive, extremely comfortable...especially the back seat (used as a limo in Korea). This car turns heads in the USA...guys are draw to the styling and love the interior. Has all the bells and whistles for $10,000 less than the competition.