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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  New Kia Rio - 2008 Kia Rio
  By mathewslw - March 18 - 3:30 pm

  We traded a Ford F-150 because of rising fuel cost. What a difference. We bought a fairly basic automatic transmission model. So far we have been very satisfied. Great price too.

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  Great Buy - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Jamie Giza - March 17 - 3:43 pm

  I traded in my jeep grand cheokee when gas was killing my budget from a 100 mile daily work trip. The car runs great a it very comfortable I also have gotten about 460 miles to the 16 gallon tank as oposed to 250 in the jeep. I have two kids a dog and a wife and take frequet trips in the car and its comfortable for all of us. The head room is great due to the fact I am 6-3 . The only down side I have is the gas petal is a little jerky and the aceleration is a little weak.Over all it is the best money I have spent on a car.

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  2003 Sedona - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By kialover - March 17 - 8:36 am

  This last October, we bought a Kia Sedona in place of our totaled 02 Rio Cinco. We wanted something a little easier to get in and out of, so we chose this van. It is a great van, smooth riding, good visibility. The gas mileage is moderate, we have gotten 17 mpg, every time with city highway mix. But we did get 13 mpg once. But that is when winter attacked and we let the van warm up for about 15 min every morn. Plus there was no highway on that tank of gas. There is one thing that we need to get fixed, and the dealership cant seem to figure out what it is. There is a weird fan spirt noise every once and a while and it revved up. Only happens in about 40 - 70 mph. It is a mystery noise.

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  Soulfull - 2010 Kia Soul
  By papascar - March 17 - 8:23 am

  I started looking for a new car in Oct. 2008 and bought my SOUL! IN May 2009. I was in no rush to buy so I test drove Nissan, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, VW, Suzuki and what I didnt test drive I research and talk to owners of the cars i was interested in. I first went to my dealer to look at and test drive a Suzuki sx4.(a great car) but it was a little small for my needs. Thats when my dealer so me the Kia Soul. I test drove the Soul at three different dealers each on different road conditions (I was not gentle and was please how the car responded in each situation I put it in. I been approach by many people who are impress with the room and design of the Soul. I to am impress.

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  Best Purchase To-Date - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By sdolan - March 17 - 8:02 am

  Recently bought the 2011 Kia Sorento LX (AWD, 6 speed automatic) and it has been the BEST purchase to-date. It has a truck chassis and so, if you like the feel/ride of a truck youll enjoy this one. Smooth shift of gears helps enjoy the ride, though you have to watch your speed; 100 kms feels the same as 60 kms and I noticed I speed a little more (accidentally) in this vehicle.

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  Great Car - 2010 Kia Optima
  By BBKGSB - March 17 - 4:56 am

  Wanted a new vehicle that was quiet, got good gas mileage, and was very comfortable, and I think I found it. Have only had a week, and took a trip and put 1300 miles on it. Very comfortable, and handles well. Have back problems, and I didnt hurt at all after driving for six hours at a stretch. This car should not be overlooked if you are looking at a Camry or Accord or other midsized car. My last three cars were a Chrysler 300, a Toyota Avalon, and a Nissan Altima, and I think for the money, you get a great combination of standard features, power, comfort and wonderful MPG.

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  Bought It Used - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By Bob - March 16 - 10:56 pm

  I recently purchased a used Amanti from a local dealership. This is my second KIA. I also own a Sedona. I was so pleased with my Sedona and the KIA craftsmanship that I will only look at KIA from now on. We paid $17,000 for a fully loaded sedan with power sunroof and leather. The car was a lease vehicle and had been well maintained. You can probably pick a used one up in the $16,000 range without the sunroof. I cant believe that people are not scarfing these up as fast as KIA can put them out. Best value. Most beautiful styling and amenities available for the price on the market today. Buy one now before everybody discovers Amanti.

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  Bargain Luxury and Style - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By noelsboyce - March 16 - 3:10 am

  What began as a search for a luxury vehicle including such names as Lexus and Acura, quickly led us to a little known bargain of the Kia Sorento. The looks are comparable to the big two aforementioned, while the price wasnt half of equally aged vehicles. The 2003 Sorento EX is the "upscale" model. Our includes leather, tow, Harman Kardon sound, power everything, sunroof, etc. We got ours with slightly higher mileage for just under $12K. We did however opt for the additional extended warranty. The vehicle rides extremely smooth compared to the Jeep Grand Cherokee we traded in. The luxury appointments are very well suited for a small suv class vehicle. All in all a bargain for the price and year

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  great SUV for the money - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By ric - March 14 - 1:30 pm

  Hard to beat a really top flight SUV for the money. Only negative is the gas mileage of 20 MPG combined.

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  Great bang for buck - 2009 Kia Borrego
  By mp - March 13 - 4:40 am

  I bought my kia in august of 09. I was debating between this and the pilot. I have been very happy with it this entire year and have not had a single problem. I get about 17/18 mpg, which is pretty good considering the size of the SUV. Great 3rd row with plenty of leg room for kids, a little tight for adults though. I also added running boards and a nav system for much cheaper than if you buy the limited version that comes with one.