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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  Great car for the price - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By Frank Estrada - December 13 - 1:36 pm

  We bought our Kia as an alternative to a minivan and could not be happier. Its plenty large for a family of 5 comfortably. If you try to open the rear door in your garage you might find it a bit interesting. Living in the mid-west, winters get cold and the wiper defroster is awesome. Spring for the 4WD if in snow climates. Engine has lots of torque and even with enhancement features you might find yourself gripping the wheel with all your might.

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  I am so in love with this car! - 2002 Kia Optima
  By Tracy - December 13 - 8:56 am

  I have never been happier with a car in my life. It rides beautifully and meets my every demand. Before checking out the Optima I had originally resigned myself to a lesser model of a car (different make) with fewer options at this price. On a whim I decided to test drive it and knew right then it was the car I had to have. Its much more car than I ever expected to own and the price is unbelievable for what you get. Cant beat that warranty! I recommend this car to everyone who will listen!

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  First Optima - 2007 Kia Optima
  By Smart Driver - December 12 - 5:30 pm

  This car provides a tight, sport-tuned, yet somewhat opulant ride. It reminds me very much of the Audi A4 V6 for about $18k savings.

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  great minivan! - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By keetoburrito - December 12 - 7:30 am

  My dad bought this van years ago, and now I drive it to and from work very often. It is a great van, and we havent really had many problems with it. However, if a door is not shut properly, it will wear down the battery. Otherwise, it is great and very reliable. The outer paint is a little worn due to high temperatures when we go to the desert, but it doesnt affect the cars performance. I have not seen any of the problems with transmission, A/C, or anything else and the van is almost at 38,000 miles.

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  I luv this car! - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By young j - December 10 - 9:26 pm

  I like my 2005 Kia Spectra. Ii previously owned a 2003 Corolla and it didnt even have as many features as the Kia. I love the automatic transmission - shifts smoothly and revs easily.

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  12398745+665 - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By v - December 10 - 2:00 am

  this car is fast speedy and good it shold be priced less

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  Who needs GM? - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Tronzani - December 10 - 1:56 am

  I have driven GM products my entire life and never would be caught dead in a Kia. I was always raised that you got what you paid for, and from what I have now learned I paid for a Jag at a fraction of the cost! The fit and finish is amazing, the seats are comfortable (And heated with 5 settings!) and the ride is like a cloud! The Infinity sound system can blow your ears off, and the wood trim is fantastic. For a full sized sedan the gas mileage is great, and the 200 hp will really rock out o the gate. Not only that, but the trunk is spacious with more then I know what to do with, and the back seat is easy to navigate. The doors open wider then most vehicles and this is an overall dream!

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  Great for families - 2009 Kia Rondo
  By brondie - December 8 - 8:50 pm

  We were looking for something to replace my Taurus Wagon, but wanted to be sure to get better gas mileage and better room. This covers all the basis. I love the features it has and the handling is great. My husband is comfortable in this unlike he was in the HHR we almost bought. So far I have no complaints.

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  2.5 Years and Still Reliable - 2011 Kia Soul
  By officiallyjuju - December 8 - 11:47 am

  The Soul is spacious and does everything I need it to do. Its been a reliable car for the past two and a half years, giving me little to no issues. Unfortunately, I did buy the 2011 model with the 4 speed transmission which is very evident when I need the pick-me-up but besides that it drives well.

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  Kia Spectra - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By Dennis M. - December 7 - 10:00 am

  This model is a marked improvement over the earlier models. It has a sporty look, but still has the room necessary to transport four people comfortably. I had purchased a new model in 2002 and there is no comparison. The new model has plenty of trunk space for traveling. I also appreciate the feel of a heavier car in terms of safety and blocking out the road noise.