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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  Think Safety, first and foremost - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By north yorker - December 9 - 10:00 am

  With Sienna and Odyssey you get what you paid for, but with Sedona you get more, more, more! Least expensive with all the bells and whistles and comes with the best warranty available in minivan category. Im not too particular when it comes to engine/powertrain problems. Mechanical breakdowns can still be fixed but safety features such as side impact bars is something that you cannot just buy anywhere and install in your car.

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  Enjoying my Cadenza Premium - 2014 Kia Cadenza
  By f1racer24 - December 8 - 9:55 pm

  Just purchased my new 2014 Cadenza. Love the room, features and pricing that under cuts the German competition by $10-15K. get the two thumbs up from strangers when driving. Kia has really stepped ups game to go after the large car segment and with hiring the ex-Audi designer, the car looks stunning. If the prestige brand is not a top priority (and this will save tonnes in service cost) Kia (and brother company Hyundai) if the way to go. Great work and looking forward to many years of use. Will update in 6 months time.

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  Kia Amanti - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Margaret Caldwell - December 8 - 6:16 am

  A smooth riding relatively inexpensive automobile that turns heads.

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  Cheap, Plastic Headache - 2002 Kia Sportage
  By ssinec - December 7 - 10:00 am

  I have had my 2002 Sportage for about 6 months now and have about 9000 miles on it and its already falling apart. I had to have the rear door and lock assemply repaired, which have never worked properly. Ive had the front windshield replaced, which split down the middle. The front bumper has come unattached on the driver side due to cheap plastic screws that held it in place. The cup holder has broken. The passenger window will not go all the way up. Take my advice, do not buy this SUV! Its just a cheap, plastic headache with a cheap paint job and poor construction.

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  Poor Gas Mileage - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Kari - December 5 - 9:13 pm

  Overall, we love the Sedona. But, with continuous increase in gas prices, we could not afford to drive it. I was lucky to get 16(city)mpg in the winter. In the summer, it was even less.

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  My wife loves it! - 2013 Kia Soul
  By soulman5 - December 4 - 2:09 pm

  I bought 2013 white Kia Soul+ 2.0L 6A for my wife, who is a teacher in my county school system. Before, she had 2002 Honda Civic LX. We initially looked into Honda CR-V or KIA Sportage. In the end, she chose this one by sight. We could have gone for 2014 model a month later, but she really liked the 2013 model design and size. It drives very sturdy with that 2.0L engine. Its loaded,with Antilock Brake System, Auto Traction Control System (On/Off controllable).... and 8 Airbags! Braking seems excellent. The gas mileage is not good as I expected, but Ive heard that it gets better with mileage. So Im crossing my fingers.

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  My last new car before I retire. - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Huibert Venema - December 3 - 5:16 pm

  I was in the market for a new compact station wagon. I drove by a KIA dealer and saw a red Spectra 5 on display, it was love at first sight. Test drove and purchased it within a half hour. The sales transaction was flawless. My Spectra 5 fits my lifestyle perfectly. I enjoy camping and drive the back roads with gusto, never a squeel or out of control. 30,000 miles and 3 years later, I still hand wash it (2 bucket style) with love and care. Thank you KIA.

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  2014 Sorento SX V6 - 2014 Kia Sorento
  By 4norm78 - December 3 - 2:25 pm

  I picked up my Kia at a Cadillac dealership. The car was about a year old with 3500 miles on it. The price was $8000 below sticker. For the past 4 months, the car has been stellar. Excellent ride, good handling, excellent gas mileage and its comfortable. The car was well equipped with panoramic sunroof, heated and cooled seats, power liftgate, power folding mirrors, nav, bluetooth, music hard drive, dual power seats, side radar, 3rd seat, rear a/c. Ive gotten 24-25 mpg with regular driving around the city. It gets 29-30 on the road.

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  Good value Compact - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By kmnowak2002 - December 3 - 10:00 am

  The new design, 2004.5, looks more impressive and fun than the old model. The long warranty gives piece of mind. However, even though I bought the upgraded model, it still isnt a car I like to get in to every morning. The rebates and low payments were too much to walk away from. But if you can stretch a little more on payments, buy something else.

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  Excellent car... - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By PeterInFla - December 3 - 10:00 am

  I rented this car thru Enterprise car rental for 30 days. I was very impressed with its looks and comfort.