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:

• 

  Luv my Kia! - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Kia Lover - August 24 - 4:03 am

  This is my second Kia (my first being a Sephia), and I absolutely love the Spectra! Its easy to maneuver, has a tight turn radius, and is extremely economical. The exterior has a sassy look. While there could be a bit more pep in the 4-speed auto transmission, overall I would definitely recommend this car - an excellent car for the money!

• 

  Great deal and ride! - 2012 Kia Optima
  By Don Heisler - August 22 - 6:05 am

  I got mine way below book and it was one time lease owner so it was taken care of. If you find one treated right it should last. In all makes of vehicles there are bad apples so get an extended warranty because any used car will have parts that fail. Mechanic friend said that kia has come along way and I couldnt be happier. Great sporty luxury car for low price. Fast and very fun K5 edition!

• 

  Sorento vs Lexus - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By El Fiebru - August 22 - 2:00 am

  I am very happy with the Kia Sorento that I recently purchased. Is a great vehicle, in my opinion we can compare this with a Lexus but better price!! Great performance and value, the Koreans should be happy with this product. The only problem is that dealers are in need of more familiarization with Korean products, specialy after market parts or accessories! Overall the Sorento is a great buy!!!

• 

  Although a great car ... sorry I purchased it - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By A. Odom - August 21 - 11:42 pm

  Overall, I think it is a great car, but it has one MAJOR flaw that upsets me. Being designed in Korea, most of the folks there are small and those seat bolsters hold them in place nicely Im sure. Due to cancer meds, I have gained some weight and no longer have a little butt and as such the seat bolsters are very hard and jab me in the hips making it very uncomfortable. I didnt notice this during the test drive, but after the purchase and the 100 mile drive home I realized that I had made a bad decision to purchase this auto. If you dont have a big rear end, then this is a great car, but if your behind is above average, I suggest you not purchase this car. KIA should make the bolsters softer so that they dont jab a person in the hips. I mentioned the discomfort to the dealer and they indicated that they were sorry.UPDATE: while not perfect, the seat feels much better. Just dont have a big butt!

• 

  Very Happy - 2013 Kia Sorento
  By richardar6 - August 21 - 3:00 pm

  Purchased 1 month ago and couldnt be happier. Fit and finish is impressive. Its not too big,not too small. Turning radius is Excellent. Handles great for what it is. V6 has great pick up. Is it perfect? No, but no vehicle is. The ride is Euro firm (which dosent bother me and the trade off is better handling). MPG is OK, but not anything to write home about- of course I didnt get the V6 for good gas mileage and Ive never gotten advertised MPGs on any vehicle Ive owned. 20-21mpg with my lead foot. The only thing I dont like is road and wind noise- thats it.

• 

  Nice Little car w/a price U CANT beat! - 2002 Kia Rio
  By David-WI - August 21 - 10:00 am

  I REALLY like this little car. Plus I COULDNT pass up on the price either. Granted it is a little 4cyl car but it has nearly everything you need at a base model price. I paid 12K even for this car and got nearly everything I wanted. I had the dealer install after market cruise and I am set!! The A/C works just fine, it has a roomy hatch and it looks great!!! All for 12K!! How can you go wrong????

• 

  Kia Sedona - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Alabama - August 21 - 10:00 am

  We are long time owners of mini-vans. Found the Kia Sedona to be a real good deal with lots of features found in much more expensive cars. Nice suprise!

• 

  Bulb Replacement II - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Andy - August 21 - 8:13 am

  I stopped counting the number of headlight & taillights Ive replaced. Ive had several warranty repairs and each one was a LONG wait for parts to come in from overseas. One dealership I took it to did every thing but roll out the red carpet. Unfortunately, the one I purchased it from, which is 50 miles closer to me, has not been so accommodating. For the money, I have no regrets. But I will stay away from Kia in the future due to the servicing of their warranty.

• 

  satisfied customer - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By terry - August 21 - 2:10 am

  this is a very well designed auto . great pick up . the inside is as nice as the outside in design and comfort . the exterior even looks like a luxury car.

• 

  Engine Problem - 2013 Kia Optima
  By sms3613 - August 21 - 1:10 am

  So i bought my 2013 Kia Opitma in October of 2013 and I just had to replace my engine this month. Took it to two different dealers and they couldnt diagnose the problem. Finally went to a dealer that could and they told me I needed a new engine. The car isnt even 6 months old and has about 10000 miles on it. Its a great looking car and fun to drive on the weekends. Customer service could be a lot better and helpful.