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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  its great! - 2001 Kia Rio
  By Kaysie - July 9 - 5:10 am

  I have a 2001, and its an awesome car. Its very reliable, and it is very stylish as well. One of my favorite things about it is how it doesnt use a ton of gas at one time, it is very conservative about gas usage. I really cant think of any major drawbacks to it, it is an all around great car. Ive had it for 5 years and it hasnt let me down yet!

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  Great value, Great car, Great company - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By Kevin - July 9 - 1:13 am

  Super experience with the KIA dealership. Test drove in pouring rain, handled great w/o abs. Got the EX w/ auto trans. Simple controls, easy drive, decent safety features, and impressive looks for 17,000 car. You wont win the Indy 500, but youll look great driving in everyday traffic and save $ on gas and laugh at people in their big, expensive gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. Warranty super, so no need for ext. warranty. Auto trans, cruise, and rear spoiler, and I drove away paying less than 17000. KIA has arrived. Give it a try.

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  LOVE THIS CAR! - 2014 Kia Soul
  By Em Cer - July 8 - 8:34 am

  best first car to buy ever! im so happy with my decision.

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  I would do it again.... - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By TeeBrock - July 8 - 6:47 am

  Great all around vehicle. Low maintenance other than routine stuff. Great in the snowy midwest. Lacks a bit in the fuel mileage, but its a trade off.

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  Best on the market - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By Ed Lipinsky, Sr - July 7 - 11:13 am

  Ive owned a van before but sold it because of the miles on it and things started go wrong with it. Bought an SUV. Missed the van and decided to get another one. I looked at other manufacturers and someone at work told me about the Sedona. He told me to go and see one because he loves his. I did go to see one and brought it on the spot; they had to locate it. Best van for the money & no one can match the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. I love to drive it. Its like driving in your living room recliner. It beats all the others for ride, comfort,and style. I have all the bells & whistles. I would recommend this van to any one looking to buy one, even if you never dreamed of owning a van, like I did.

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  My Soul - 2010 Kia Soul
  By EricP - July 5 - 3:43 pm

  I just purchased a new 2010 Kia Soul and was used to driving a 2001 BMW X5. I am totally amazed at the performance and fully loaded system the ! (Exclaim) model offers! I love my 18" stylish wheels and low profile tires, mood lighting speakers, and overall look. I never suspected my little gal would get so many neck breaking looks!!! I selected Titanium for the color and totally love it! I never thought I would own a Kia, but when GM and Ford wouldnt deal with me on trade in, I took Head Motor Company up on their offer of giving more for a trade in, no hype there, totally amazing facts!!!

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  A lot of fun for the value - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Iceman - July 5 - 6:33 am

  I have had my Spectra5 for 8 months now and have found it to be a "steal". It is fun to drive and has a lot of value. I did research similar vehicles when I purchased it, but for the warranty and price, I could not turn it down. It has a lot of "Pep" and as pretty quiet at highway speeds.

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  Great bargain - 2009 Kia Borrego
  By Luis - July 3 - 2:00 am

  I never was considering buying a Kia but saw an ad with the borregos listed at a great price. I did some research on the borrego on the Internet and it got great reviews. I test drove it and was amazed at the vehicle. I have the 6 cly. It has great power and rides smooth. Turning radius is great. I have a Volvo xc90 and cars are similar except I paid almost $20,000 more for the Volvo. The Volvo has better leather and insulation for wind noise. Other than that I think the borrego is a great car for the price. Gas mileage could be better but its a good size SUV. My Volvo gets a little better gas mileage but needs premium gas. Overall the borrego is a decent car for the price I paid.

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  My 2011 Kia Sorento EXV6 AWD vehicle - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By judy cadorette - July 3 - 2:00 am

  I am really enjoying my new Kia, I love driving it and love the looks of it.The rear camera is a wonderful feature to have and I also enjoy the bluetooth, and we all enjoy the double moonroofs! We went out for dinner the other night and all 7 of us went in my car!(smaller people need to sit in the 3rd row seating)My husband enjoys driving it so much,he is thinking of getting one also! I would definitely recommend this car. Judy Cadorette

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  Excellent car,very comfortable riding - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By charles frank - June 30 - 2:00 am

  We love our 2003 KIA Sedona Van. Went on a trip and it rode beautifully. You can feel the quality of this vehicle on the road. We averaged about 23 miles a gallon on the trip. We love all the extra conveniences built into this van. Thanks Kia for a great van and very reasonably priced. We recommend this van to all our friends and many have bought the same van especially because of the affordable price. Try it, youll love it too.