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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  sedona - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By truedale3fan - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Love it....runs great responds wonderfully. We bought it because of the standard package items that were additional on most all the other vans and love it because of the things that are not standard.

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  MY NEW KIA - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By chai - August 8 - 2:00 am

  We bought our kia in march 2003 and found it to be a great investment. We do a lot of running around kids to various sporting events and driving others in our family to places they need to go. It has a great warranty that no one else can match . I would and have recommended kias to my friends and family.

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  German Build & Asian Reliablity - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Ray Taylor - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely wonderful SUV. German build quality. Asian reliability. 16,000 miles and no problems. Tight as a bank vault. Best build quality of any car Ive ever owned. Ive owned 3 Mercedes and 2 Beemers.

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  Overall - Good - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By able - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Plus - finish and fit, quality of materials used and engineering design elements (drain plugs in transmission pan and differential unlike american vehicles) Minus - unlit cruise controls, no radio volume on the steering wheel (whats up with that???) and last but not least abismal gas mileage!!!

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  Nice car for the money - 2008 Kia Spectra
  By ikillbugs - August 7 - 4:26 pm

  I bought my 2008 Kia used but with very few miles on it. I love the looks and the overall ride is excellent, even at 80 mph on the interstate (although past 80 it does get a bit shaky). I got the EX model, and given a choice (after the fact) I would certainly look for an SX model with the sportier suspension. It does not handle that well in tight corners, but I bought it for a commuter, not a race car. I rated it at 8 for BUILD QUALITY and RELIABILITY simply because I just dont know. I have only had the car a month. So far so good ;-)

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  I got SOUL - 2010 Kia Soul
  By reivilo - August 7 - 2:43 pm

  After owning the car for 9 months i can say I am still in love with this vehicle. Im 63" and fit very comfortably in here. All the gadgets are a blast to use.

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  Excellent Sport Utility - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By BigT - August 7 - 10:00 am

  We have really enjoyed our Kia Sportage EX 4X4 in all of the different elements. From the beaten path to the snow covered roads, this SUV handles extremely well. We have traveled with this car using the car rack and the towing package. With 36000 miles this vehicle has become an outstanding vehicle for our young family. Overall we are pleased with KIA quality and looking into our second KIA vehicle.

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  4dr sedan kia forte lx - 2017 Kia Forte
  By Darin robles - August 6 - 10:57 pm

  I and my wife purchased a brand new kia forte lx on the 9th of may and ill tell you what.the car has so much to offer in a kia that i and my wife was immpressed with all the features it has in todays technology.performance and the design was amazing.i consider this car to be a sports luxury car buts its immpressive looks are deceiving for a 4dr sedan.i love driving this car thats shows sporty look and luxury at the same time.pricing for the car was good and affordable payments.its cheaper to finance this car through kia.they gave us a 5.9% and 72 months.saved us 5000 dollars for 1 year of payments we wont have to pay into at 84months.they work hard to get us out from our negative equity in our last car and got us into a brand new car.i just about fell over because i didnt think we both would qualify for a new loan,but kia made it happen.i would recommend anyone to purchase a car from kia.prescott,valley az.my 09 toyota corrolla i purchased back in 15 at prescott honda was insane.had put way too many parts replacements in the past 21 months.p.o.s i wouldnt recommend this car.though its been told that toyota lasts longer but parts are expensive.our budget is now more efficient for us.stress and money maintaince free with our new kia.dont forget when you break a car in,you must brake it easy not hard and steer soft on turns and accelerate gently.maintain oil and filter changes and air filters too.your dealer will help you keep track of your maintainence so you can have a car that will run for years to come and less problems to deal with if not like most people do,they run their cars to the ground and expect no problems.wake up america.if you take good care of your kids so much then why dont you do the same for your car.

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  4 or 5 depending on expectations - 2016 Kia Soul
  By bryan kauffman - August 6 - 12:09 pm

  Was looking for something that could hold a family of three, one still rocking a car seat, and be enjoyable when I rode alone to and from work (plus I love the aesthetics). Got a topped out version of the plus model after considering the Exclaim. The features I wanted while shaving off about $1500/$2000 off the price, though I think if I wanted the additional features the Exclaim is certainly worth looking at. Driving Impression: Engine - meh. Just okay with the 2.0 liter. But, I am fine with that. If they come out with the much discussed turbo model, I think that will sell briskly and make it the alternative to the VW GTI. Doesnt struggle to keep up in traffic or pass. Just doesnt blow your hair back. Braking seems solid. Wind noise is less than I expected considering the shape. Ride feels composed on the highway. Visibility is spectacular. Body roll around corners is average. Interior - Got the leather with ventilated/heated seats, a huge touch screen display with navigation (no service to buy to use it either.....bonus!) Back seat easily fit my kids carseat. Would probably be tight if he was still in an infant seat. Lots of soft touch materials. Odometer display is a bit lackluster. Back seats are comfy for an adult of average height. Nice bonus that the outboard seats are also heated. USB port and 2 120v adapters up front too. Storage - Plenty of cup holders, a nice little cubby space for change and a glasses holder. Armrest storage feels a little insubstantial and doesnt come with any useful trays or anything. Wish you could adjust it a bit. glove box is cavernous. The rear storage cover is great and can be adjusted or removed if needed. Storage being the rear seats is adequate and honestly larger than anticipated considering the size of the vehicle. Storage under the floor cover are a wonderful surprise. Overall: I would probably give it a 4.5 star review if possible. I think, dollar for dollar, it checks all the boxes and then some with room for only minor improvements. I am thrilled with it and actually am looking a lot more forward to my commute.

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  My All Time Favorite! - 2012 Kia Soul
  By skrubs - August 6 - 5:22 am

  I love my Kia Soul! I have owned 4 new cars in my lifetime and this one is my all time favorite. It is fun to drive. It handles great on winding roads. It is a very cool looking car. My iPhone connects to it via Bluetooth so I can answer my phone by pushing a button on the steering wheel and listen through my speakers. I can play my iTunes playlist using the same technology. Today I thought I would check to see if there were any recalls on my car, and the Kia isnt even listed in the NTSA site. That means no recalls for the entire line of Kias. Plus you cant beat the warranty. Awesome car!