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 Spectra Rocks! - 2009 Kia Spectra
  By Mary - December 29 - 3:06 am

  Our son crashed the family Ford Explorer. Used cars were high-priced. We decided to buy a Kia Spectra EX 4 door sedan for about $1500 more than it would have cost to get a 2005 used Explorer. Of course, we got a red one! Im a car buff and this is one nice vehicle. Great gas mileage (averages over 28 mpg in mixed driving), peppy pick up, smooth ride, plenty of cupholders. The car came loaded with options - AC, automatic headlights, extra 12 volt chargers,and even an iPod port. Safety ratings on this car rival those of Toyota and Honda, and exceed those of the Ford Focus. All for about $14000, including delivery, tax and license fees. I love it!

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  Driving in comfort - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By J. Miller - December 28 - 1:23 pm

  We enjoy the comfort and low price luxury of this car. It has all the amenities you could ask for as well as space for five adults. I have read critics reports about being under powered but we have not found this to the case, previously we had a 93 Intrepid and this car feels as strong as the Dodge. The instruments are clear & easy to use, the leather seats and interior is impeccable & high quality. The trunk is very large, we have put luggage for 3 adults for a 2 week trip with room to spare. The interior & exterior fit of all panels is perfect.In my lifetime (68) I have had many cars including a Cadillac & this car is as good as any of them so far. Signed-- Totally satisfied

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  Just needs a little work - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By OldPueblo - December 28 - 2:50 am

  Bought 3/15/2010 as my company vehicle. The drive by wire throttle system is sluggish to respond to changes. Probably not as noticeably in an automatic. The transmission (manual) is difficult to shift into 1st and 2nd when outside temp is cold (below 50). The fuel economy is not what I was hoping for either. Its getting better (started at about 19, but now averages 21-22 combined city/hwy). Quality of the audio system is not the greatest. It distorts badly when played loud. I wanted to get some miles on it before complaining about anything. It now has 6500 miles on it, so its time to go to the dealer. Love the vehicle, it just a has a few quirks to iron out. Hopefully they can.

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  Loving It! - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By whatitis - December 27 - 9:16 am

  I love this car. Bought it used a few days ago and I am very pleased. Just had my first child and wanted something economical at a good price and good on gas. Had 21,000 miles on it when purchased. I couldnt be more satisfied with the feel of the vehicle and comfort of my little one in the back with his car seat and the 3-point buckle system that keeps him safe. Found a very good car with all the extras included (ground effects, bug shield, tinted windows, power windows/locks, etc.) Absolutely love the sporty look and for the price it beats Mazda3, Suzuki Reno, and all the other guys. Most importantly still has all factory warranties included!!

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  Spectra not a favorite - 2000 Kia Spectra
  By Rootzy - December 26 - 10:00 am

  This car had multiple problems right after buying it brand new. I sent it to the shop three times for exhaust problems. It is cheaply made and the interior is drying and cracking. All the air conditioning vents broke and fell out about a year ago.

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  2003 best buy! - 2003 Kia Optima
  By jackdempsey - December 26 - 10:00 am

  For the money you spend, its well worth it. Got an LX, 4 cyl auto for 13.5K out the door. Real deal for a car this good. Still loving it after 5k miles.

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  Nice Front-Poor rear design - 2003 Kia Optima
  By Optimized - December 26 - 10:00 am

  The rear end has a lip that extends out from the trunk. While it looks ok, we only had 2500 miles on it before a hotel luggage handler used it to lay our luggage on it and then proceeded to push suitcase in the trunk. It resulted in a few scratches and a major chip of paint taken off. It should be redesigned to be more flush with the trunk . Load your own luggage, golf clubs to avoid damage.

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  2003 Kia Sorento - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By NPierce628 - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I had an extended size van, so I am having trouble getting use to the smaller space, but love the way it handles like a car. Looks almost like a Lexus. Sharp looking.

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  2009 KIA Sportage best bang for the buck - 2009 Kia Sportage
  By drew - December 25 - 7:20 pm

  I did a lot of research between subaru, honda, toy and suzuki. You cant beat the quality, safety features (ESC, traction control, 6 airbags,all 5 star crash rating) and the 5 yr 60 mile bumper to bumper, 10yr 100k drive train warranty. I choose the 5 spd 4cyl to get the most miles per gallon. I find the 4 cyl. has plenty of zip plus its fun to drive. Living in New England getting a 4x4 was equally important. This is my second KIA, I find the quality is excellent. The sportage also has plenty of storage and room to handle my 3 kids and their gear. I owned a 07 Honda, i find the finish superior on the Kia. Maybe not as refined as a honda, but this is a very capable suv and 5000 less.

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  Excellent SUV - 2009 Kia Borrego
  By Arthur - December 23 - 3:36 pm

  I have a 4WD six cylinder and I love it. The car is beautiful, fast and strong and the fuel economy is decent. I love the accessories: leather, GPS, power seat memory position, rear sensors, power sun roof, voice command, lots of room, etc. Vehicle handles excellent. My only concern is: as they don’t have KIA Dealership in my city I have to drive almost 90 miles to have the periodic maintenance done by KIA.