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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  Excellent Service department - 2001 Kia Optima
  By Redman - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Yes it has thin paint, but all of the car makers have thin paint these days. It had air leaks at the windows and the engine light came on because of the gas cap not being tight, but the Kia service department fix them and even gave me a loaner car when I needed one. If you want to stay between the Beamers and the MBs going from Las Vagas to LA this is the car for you.

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  2013 KIA Optima SX after 12000 Miles - 2013 Kia Optima
  By achero1 - March 12 - 9:25 am

  This is a follow up review on my KIA Optima SX after 12000 miles. I purchased my 2013 Optima SX in July of 2013 new after trading out of an Infiniti M35X. The Optima has been a great car. I still cant get over how great the car looks. I commute 80 miles a day round trip to work. After 6 months I have 12000 miles on my Optima. The only issue I have had is the gasket around the moon roof which was replaced by the dealer. I have been averaging with the turbo and running high test (my choice,) on the average 25 miles per-gallon. That is apox. 425 miles on a tank of gas.Living in NH and commuting to Mass the Optima is pretty decent in the snow. Great car all around.

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  Love my sedona - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By rufus - March 9 - 10:00 am

  It is a great van at a reasonable price. Engine has lots of power, great pickup. Lots of extras are included. I have had it for two years without any problems.

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  very nice car - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By mike j md - March 9 - 10:00 am

  what a beauty!! love this car !!

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  A quality car - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By EVA - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Anyone who still thinks a Kia is not a quality car should reconsider!! My Amanti is most definitely a high quality car. It has everything you could want. Its solid, it drives great, a great warranty.

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  Updated Post - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By kialover - March 7 - 8:00 pm

  I posted on this car about a year ago, I loved it then and I love it more now! This car is great in the snow!! I cant believe it, just 2 days ago, we got about 10 inches of snow in Grand Rapids MI. During that storm we had to go out. That car just plowed through it, without the roads plowed yet! I am very pleased with this car. We get good mileage, about 21 mpg every time, mostly city.

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  a lot of car for the price - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By masterpaula - March 5 - 7:43 pm

  Have had the Spectra5 for little over a month. My wife and I are very impressed with the quality of the car. Fit and finish are excellent, the level of standard equipment found in the KIA is higher than its competitors and the price is lower. If youre looking for a small car with a lot room, great looks, a high level of standard equipment, an excellent ride and a decent price take a serious look at the Spectra5 and forget any preconceived ideas you might have had about KIA, it really is a great car.

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  OH YA BABY!!!! - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By tw5051 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  my last car was a sephia i needed an automatic...will always recomend a KIA.

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  Very Impressed - 2011 Kia Optima
  By orion1192001 - March 3 - 4:11 am

  I saw this car on the road and decided to go in and check it out. I was very impressed. It had more features, power, practicality, and features than other cars I was considering for about $5,000 less. 2 years ago I would never have considered a Kia, but this car is legitimate. After a few hundred miles I am still appreciating its refinement and drive. Try to shelve your bias and just test drive the thing, I think you will be pleasantly surprised....

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  OK so far - 2008 Kia Optima
  By fred ruedy - March 2 - 6:43 pm

  We purchased our optima after doing lots of research (consumer reports, edmunds, etc). The reviews caught our attention so we investigated and test drove the vehicle. The quiet ride in a strong cross wind was a positive. We also drove the Camry and Fusion. Both of these cars were nice but the price on the optima sold us. I wish the noise from the suspension were not as sharp when driving on roads with tar strips or ruts. I like the feel of the road and the ease of handling.