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 Van - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By TLK - December 5 - 2:00 am

  We have owned this car for almost two months and we love it.

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  Where are all the Rondos? - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By Jacks - December 2 - 1:10 pm

  My husband and I knew exactly what type of vehicle we wanted: sporty, great fuel economy, with a third row seat, and under $20K. After searching and searching we found the Rondo. But Id never heard of the Rondo! And Id never seen one on the road! We loved the car and purchased one. But over a month later Ive only seen 2 other Rondos on the road. Where are all of the Rondos?? But thats okay with us. We know we got a great car for a great price!

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  Our Sorento - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Robert - December 2 - 2:23 am

  We like our Sorento. It is a beautiful SUV. It has handled the little off highway excursions flawlessly. The warranty experience has been good except we have no dealerships close by and the front brake rotors need to be turned again at 37K. We love the quiet ride. We would like to see the gas mileage improved (it is an SUV) and to have a true FlexFuel (gasoline, alcohol, diesel, biodiesel) capability combined with hybrid technology (electric). We would also like some accommodation made for HAM radio installations (but that is one of our things). The farthest weve taken it is from CA to UT during a hot summer & it kept us cool. So far one of the better vehicles, but 37K isnt many miles.

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  Nice Car!!!! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By edubb - December 1 - 5:03 pm

  We bought the Sorento on Feb 13th for a good price. The financing options were very favorable. This is our first KIA. My wife and I are die hard honda owners but KIA has changed that. Since the vehicle is new, I cant really comment on maintenance issues. However, we bought the LX+ conv pkg and we love it. It has heated fabric seats and all the little techno stuff. Most we tested costed a lot for these features. Best Value I think for the price!!!

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  Kia at its best - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By govenor - November 28 - 1:13 am

  Vehicle is great! I traded a GMC Jimmy for the Sorento and have not been sorry. Vehicle is fun to drive and performs better than my GMC in the snow. It is very comfortable on long trips.

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  An Excellent Car - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By T. Ast - November 27 - 11:26 pm

  I did a thorough search when looking for a new car (Mazda, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota) and decided on a Kia Spectra. This car came standard with everything I needed. Some options like air and six airbags came at extra price on the other cars I looked at. I was amazed at how quiet the ride was and what a zippy little car it is. So far in mixed driving I have been averaging 32 mpg. The sound system is fine and the car hugs the road even in a heavy downpour. This car came with 4 wheel disc brakes that work so well I think anti-lock brakes would be overkill!

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  My first new car. - 2011 Kia Optima
  By pacoug - November 27 - 7:24 pm

  Ive driven a succession of Maximas, Infinitis and a couple other decent 4 doors, all bought used with moderate miles. This time I went for new for similar money, to see the difference. I must say, a G37 or Maxima is a lot more car than this--but look at the sticker of a new one. I find in most situations the lower power of the 4 is more than enough to get the job done, even if not as thrilling as a 3.7 liter Nissan 6. It sure is a thrill at both the gas pump and the insurance counter. I get 10 more mpg with this car than I did with my last. It has a great warranty while my previous car had no warranty. Cost of ownership: far lower!

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  Love my Sportage - 2017 Kia Sportage
  By Sherryl Lewis - November 27 - 2:39 am

  Love love love.... ride is great, drive feel is great, size is great. Hubby does complain about elbow room on passenger side. He puts seat all the way back. Soooo happy with our purchase **Update.... best decision ever. ABSOLUTELY love the Kia Sportage. Still discovering additional features I wasnt aware of!!!!

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  Why pay more ... for less..... - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By MCA - November 24 - 10:00 am

  So far, we love our Sedona. A few weeks after purchasing the van we took the family (5 of us) on a road trip. The Sedona was comfortable, roomy, had plenty of power, and provided a smooth ride. Before purchasing the Sedona, I researched a number of other vans. Liked the MPV, but it cost more. Looked at a Windstar, but now think it is all hype. My opinion is for value and features you cant beat the Sedona. Hopefully, Ill have the same opinion in 5 years.... but isnt that true with any new vehicle purchase?

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  First Time Kia Owner - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By BBallDad - November 24 - 10:00 am

  After looking at many SUVs on the market the Sorrento is by far the best buy for your buck. So far (knock wood) we have had no problems and the gas mileage is improving (albeit still slightly under 20 mpg on the highway). The wife and kids love the car especially the sunroof and I love the payments!