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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  Theres a surprising amount of zip! - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By Peggy - September 26 - 7:43 am

  Weve owned this vehicle for a bit over a month. Its been a surprisingly fun, smooth and quiet ride. (I drive a lot and have become very sensitive to road noise.) This vehicle is very soundly built, with beyond expectations quality and accoutrements.

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  good car - 2008 Kia Spectra
  By bnk - September 25 - 10:23 am

  i had a rodeo before so it sucked the gas and I went and bought this car. Its not too fast but its the sx so its sporty. Wish it had chrome wheels and a system

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  2016 KIA SEDONA EX rules the roost. - 2016 Kia Sedona
  By Dave - September 22 - 9:49 pm

  This is our first experience of what was called a mini van, but what now is called a MPV, ( multi purpose vehicle ). We only considered the safer MPVs, Honda, Toyota and KIA, the others were considered too much of a health hazard to their passengers. All 3 we tested drove very well, the KIA Sedona just has had a firmer, more confident driving experience. The fuel economy of the Honda was the best of the bunch, but was let down by the poor access to the 3 row seating, very dated interior, and the price would be considerably more to get some the basic standard features of the KIA. So our choice was between the Toyota and the KIA in the end. The Toyota is good, just dash board looks and feels, if come from a different generation in the past, and price for a similar spec was nearly $5000 more than the KIA. The Sedona just has a modern design, inside and out, taken the best features of some the others, and made them better still, then backed by a ten year warranty, became a easy choice.

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  Great Deal - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By jamesh - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I am a new owner so I cannot say much about the vehicle other than the great value that I got in this purchase. I purchased an EX model fully loaded and paid $21K. All the other vans I looked at were all $30K+ for the same features. And on top of it all the 10 year warranty.

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  2013 LX Kia Sportage AWD - 2013 Kia Sportage
  By Atvings@verizon.net - September 19 - 4:57 pm

  I have a 2013 Sportage AWD, I have over 70,000 miles and drive it every day. I have no complaints about this car. I am 6 ft 1" and feel very comfortable driving this car anywhere, even on long trips. You cant beat the AWD, its actually better than the Suburus AWD system. As long as you do the regular oil changes and tire rotation, this car will perform the way you want it to.I would highly recommend this car to anyone, this is more bang for the buck without a doubt. And once again the AWD system is awesome, you will be surprised too. I will say a 5 star all the way around.

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  great buy - 2004 Kia Optima
  By xxx1 - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I drive my Optima EXV6 50 miles a day and I get great milage. The ride is always comfortable, both in town and on the highway. I also have the relief to know that I ride with the best warranty in the field. I highly reccomend this to anyone who is looking for a $30,000. ride for much less.

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  Awesome! - 2002 Kia Optima
  By Allen - September 18 - 9:26 am

  My aunt purchased this car new, and i have always wanted it. I got it and love it. My car has 154,000 miles on it with many more to come. NEVER has left me stranded, the only thing ever replaced is 02 Sensor which is normal to go out after 100,000 on any make or model car.

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  Amazing Car; Absolutely No Complaints! - 2002 Kia Rio
  By Aaron Bruhnsen - September 17 - 10:00 am

  I got my new Rio about 3 weeks ago, and Im extremely impressed with its reliability, power, comfort, and handling. The customer service at the dealership I purchased the car from (Red Ridge KIA) couldnt have been nicer when selling me the car, and they took the time to go over all the warrenty info. and special features of the car. When I first test drove the car, I didnt expect alot from the car due to its extremely low price, and the prior reviews I had read. I loved my Rio; it drove very sturdy, and the pick- up was incredible for such a small engine. Gas milage is great, the insurance is cheap, and the safety features are excellent.

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  We Love our Sedona - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By SheriO - September 17 - 10:00 am

  The Sedona is everything and more then we thought it would be. I cannot believe all the features is has for the price. The ride is unbelievable. I am afraid of getting a speeding ticket, it just flies when you drive it and it is so smooth. I would not hesitate to look at other KIAs when I need another vehicle.

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  My New Favorite Vehicle - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By David Ventura - September 16 - 2:20 am

  I have owned many cars with many great features but none of them compare to the features the Kia has. The luxury package is worth the extra with the heated seats for the cold winter days and the all wheel drive traction. What I originally liked most was the classy style that looked just like a Lexus only better. I plan on keeping this car for a very long time.