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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  The next Civic? - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By wbishop311 - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Since my purchase, I have been exceptionally pleased with my Kia Spectra. With tight handling, good pickup with a 5-speed, smooth riding, and sleek style, my Spectra has pleased me beyond my expectations. I have most options and would definitely recommend this car in a 5-speed style to my friends and family.

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  Nothing Compares - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Lee_in_CA - November 1 - 2:00 am

  After researching all the alternatives in this class of vehicle, the Sorento leaves the rest far behind. It is stylish, comfortable, the interior is attractive with amenities one expects to find only in more expensive vehicles. I am adjusting to an SUV after years of loving the cargo space in a large minivan, but the Sorento’s quality for the price is helping me overcome that quickly.

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  Sorento Happy - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Sorento Happy - October 31 - 7:33 pm

  Love this vehicle. Fun to drive!

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  Great car! - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By kia owner - October 31 - 4:23 pm

  I really love my Sportage. We bought it back in January and have not been disappointed. We had an opportunity to buy the 4wd and air conditioning, but choose to stick with the base model. I wouldnt mind having those extras, but I really dont need them. I would rather save a few thousand dollars. The only thing that is a little strange is the air vent; in the summer it is quite warm, even warmer than the outside air. I think it must travel past the engine and get warmed up that way.

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  Great Buy - 2000 Kia Spectra
  By Avian - October 31 - 10:00 am

  I have had this auto for almost two years now and have no complaints. I have driven it from Florida to Canada, and have been on numerous long trips and it has exceeded my expectations for a auto at this price.

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  GREAT - 2000 Kia Sephia
  By MOMONEY - October 31 - 10:00 am

  THIS VEHICLE HAS GIVEN ME NO PROBLEMS, AND I LOVE IT AND THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHACED IT FROM

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  2000 Kia Sephia LS - 2000 Kia Sephia
  By Daryl - October 31 - 10:00 am

  This car has been a nightmare. Its been continously plagued with problems involving the transmission, a bad crank in the engine, and minor trim complaints. The dealer has no interest in taking care of warranty concerns after theyve sold the car. Theyll stall, misdiagnose, and threaten service fees. The Kia Corporate is no help either. The 1-800-333-4KIA is only useful to have the car towed to the nearest dealer. DONT waste your money on a Kia.

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  KIA Sportage: The best reason to walk. - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By Coderifous - October 31 - 10:00 am

  In the shop 3 times within the first 33,000 miles - I missed my lemon law by 2 months. Twice for the transmission, once for the clutch. Id love to take credit for being a poor driver and damaging it myself, but its just not true. I drive it like a granny car and it still died on me. The transmission is dead right now and needs to be replaced. Covered under warranty? Nope. KIAs one slick customer. They could have found a worse place for the cupholder, like on the windshield. Its fine when its not holding a cup, but you pop it out and it blocks some of the interior controls, and also the AC vents. This comes in real handy on a hot day.

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  Dont Do it - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By Gen - October 30 - 5:53 am

  I got a brand new 2002 Kia Spectra. And b/f I was off the lot a headlight was out, it should have been an omen. The windows never worked right, and there was a weird knocking when it rained. And, the alternator was going after only 6 years. Last week, the transmission just went out! We were not going anywhere. $2000.00 worth of repairs on a car with only 136000 miles on it. I have a Subaru Impreza with 196000 miles on it that is 13 years old that is still working great! I only got 400.00 for the car b/c it was just so broken down! My two cents is if you want a car that will give you your moneys worth, buy a Subaru. I had only paid the car off one year b/f it died. Never again!

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  5 Stars out of 5 Stars - 05 Sportage glows - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By JR - October 29 - 11:30 am

  I really couldnt believe I was looking at the new Sportage when I was in the dealer showroom. After test driving the Sorento and the Sportage, I went with the Sportage because: 1 - the Sportage had no hesitation and seemed more powerful upon acceleration. 2 - I thought the Sportage handled beautifully; and 3 - better fuel consumption then its big sister. I am really glad I choose the Sportage. I love the dual exhausts, the safety features at no additional cost which includes the ABS, ESP, side curtain front and rear airbags and the 100,000 mile warranty. The interior room is awesome, and the interior silver trim is sharp. Overall I give this vehicle 5 stars out of 5 stars!