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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  Great car - no resale value! - 2001 Kia Optima
  By admasters - March 13 - 10:00 am

  We have had our Optima for nearly a year now and still really like this car.A couple of minor things have been corrected - front headlight bulb, fuel gauge, and fuel door opening mechanism. My wife really likes driving this car and I also like the sportmatic transmission. The car is roomy and gets decent gas mileage. However, the re-sale value sucks!! That is probably why I will not by another Kia.

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  Happy with the van but... - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By candy_thedog - March 13 - 10:00 am

  Has anyone had a stress crack on the windshield? We are testing this warranty, and so far, the dealer says its a rock, which didnt leave a mark, and hit in just the right spot. We will see if the dealer replaces the windshield. Thus far, the van has been great. The after market DVD has worked well, but has some noise.

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  Great Value, Awesome braking - 2010 Kia Forte
  By themachine1 - March 13 - 5:11 am

  After finding out that Hyundai now owns Kia and the parts are nearly identical I chose the Forte over the Elantra hands down. Styling is 200% better, interior and exterior. Great back seat leg room compared to similar models. Awesome stock stereo system with ample bass. Good trunk space. Good Fuel economy, price, and Great overall value. I have 16,000 miles in a little over 6 months and I havent had one issue. My only problem was my Verizon phone wouldnt sink to the bluetooth, a phone issue not Kia.

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  Great little wagon - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By kialover15 - March 13 - 2:16 am

  Back in August of 2007, we bought a Kia Rondo, it was very smart move. It gets great gas mileage, we are getting an average of about 23 mpg. We love it. It is easy to get in and out of, great visiblity and handling. Our only issue with it is when you have to drive through puddles of water, you temporarily lose your power steering. But there is a button you can push, and then you will not lose it. We live here in MI, and the last few days we have been getting blizzards, and with the ESC, it is great, it automatically pumps the brakes and keeps the car in control when you start to slide. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Great Mini-van - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Socal Driver - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Have had our Sedona EX for 2 weeks and my wife loves it. Compared every mini- van on the market, and except for the bad gas mileage, this was a clear winner for us. Got every option and am impressed with the overall quality of the finish, quality of the leather, smooth power, etc. 10 year warranty was a big selling point as we plan to keep the van for at least six years and the peace of mind of the long warranty is a big factor. Also felt the KIA was a little sportier than other vans, especially with the rear spoiler and sunroof. Find myself wanting to drive it a lot, and I never wanted a mini-van to start with.

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  Great car, but you have to buy a spare tire. - 2013 Kia Optima
  By alanbala - March 12 - 9:27 pm

  We have over 1400 miles on our 2013 Kia Optima EX, and we are very impressed with the car. Beware! The car comes without a spare tire, and we had to spend about $210 for a kit and the dealer installed the space saver tire, wheel, jack and lug wrench kit. We still got a good deal, because the car comes with many features at a price point that beats the competition, and the dealer gave us a fair discount plus a "competitive incentive" available from Kia. Acceleration and gas mileage have improved greatly since passing 1000 miles on the odometer. A/C unit is powerful and cools fast. Car is comfortable, roomy, rides and handles well. Upscale look inside and out.

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  Pleasantly Surprized - 2011 Kia Soul
  By Bullish on Soul - March 12 - 2:00 am

  Traded in my beloved 2004 BMW X3 because she was very expensive to maintain and had a drinking problem. I decided to go greener and after much research I chose the Kia Soul,surprising family and friends. So far I am very impressed with just about every aspect of this little 4 banger. Interior passenger space, A/C and interior aesthetics are actually superior to the X3. The Soul feels firm and well built, its got a sprightly tossable fun to drive feel. While it doesnt have near the pure power of the Bimmer it DOES have plenty of pep. Fine on the highway too.

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  Quite Satisfied - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Robert - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I have to say, I really like this vehicle so far. Driving is enjoyable. The steering wheel is a bit heavy, but is not a distraction. The V6 engine has plenty of power. My gas mileage keeps going up the more I get used to it. Currently about 20 MPG in mixed driving. I am coming out of an Infiniti M35 and have not missed it. Comparatively, the backup camera is not quite as clear. The Bluetooth Phone connectivity was a bit challenging with two phones connected. Voice recognition is average. I found the transmission gearing a bit close and noticed some RPM pull in some downshifts. Overall I am very happy with the quality and driving impression of this car. Go drive one!

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  Worst decision for a first time car buyer - 2012 Kia Optima
  By Ashli - March 12 - 1:33 am

  Im do disappointed with colonial Kia I bought a used 2012 Kia Optima lx at 25,000 miles Ive had to replace tires twice since I bought it last year really had in rain and snow. Just recently for state inspection had to buy a whole new set of tires! Then tonight I actually made it home thank god but my car now will not start! Ive poured a lot of money into this car this is my first car that I bought and it has been a horrible experience my Jetta vw that was given to me from my mom lasted longer than this :(

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  Not the original Kia - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Tim - March 11 - 5:10 pm

  When my wife first suggested a Kia Sorento I was hesitant. My first thought was of the Kia vehicles from 5- 6 years ago. They were not very appealing. However after test driving a Sorento EX I was impressed. The classy design and the roomy interior was just what this family of three needed. The ride is smooth for the most part (a little bumpy on unimproved roads but so are most vehicles). The A/C works great and the handy storage spaces are plentiful. The hood of the vehicle seems to disappear when driving offering great visibility of the road. Add in the fact that the vehicle is equipped with side impact air bags and a weight sensitive passenger side airbag and you have a perfect family vehicle.