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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  Awesome Amanti - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Z Dawg - March 27 - 4:23 am

  Beautiful car, fun to drive. Great sound system, handles well, super quiet. Considered others, the Chrysler 300, Ford 500, but this one is hands down the best value, and pretty comfortable on long trips.

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  Amazing Car - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By LoveMyKia - March 26 - 10:00 am

  I had a 2000 VW Beetle that I traded in for my brand new Kia. The VW was a piece of TRASH and this kia is, in one word, amazing. The build quality, performance, and everything else far surpassed the VW. It is near silent on the freeway, it has SIX airbags, and yes, its FAST. Dont waste your money on honda, toyota, or vw, Kia is by far the best way to go. Plus its guaranteed for 10 years, who else can do that?

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  Great Car - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By bmh41202 - March 26 - 10:00 am

  This is just an all around great car. From the 2.0 liter DOHC engine. To the sleak interior design.

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  kia - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By Good Buyer - March 26 - 10:00 am

  Kia is attacking the cadilac and lincoln not just the buick and mercury markets. I have driven cadilac and lincolns for 30 years but switched to amanti this year

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  I LOVE MY AMANTI - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By STACEY - March 26 - 10:00 am

  THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY ROOMY EVEN IN THE BACK. THE TRUNK SPACE IS ABUNDANT. THIS CAR IS A MIX BETWEEN A MERCEDES, A LINCOLN TOWN CAR, AND A JAGUAR. BUT I FEEL IT IS MORE ECONOMICAL.

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  Forget Naysayers - 2004 Kia Optima
  By groovemac - March 26 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Kia Optima after doing months of research. I looked at Camrys, Hondas, and Hyundais. When I settled on my Kia I had doubts based on comments I had heard from others about Korean reliability. This by far has been the best car I have owned. The enginer runs so quiet at times I think its not running. The car has all the features I wanted i.e. Infinity Sound totally adjustable driver and passenger seats. Automatic headlights, suroof etc. Great warranty and I payed less than $20,000.

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  I Adore My Amanti - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By I Love My Amanti!! - March 25 - 4:26 pm

  I love my Amanti -- Ive named mine Sterling and it is a fantastic car. It gets a lot of looks on the road as it is still a newer model that a lot of people have not seen. Ive been stopped at red lights and in parking lots by people who want to see the car and know what it is. People seem to adore it. As I do. The car is solid, rides very nicely and is full of creature comforts. I bought mine fully loaded.

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  Try and Youll Buy - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By cibs13 - March 25 - 8:20 am

  I test drove a Kia Spectra not really expecting much but after the test drive I was sold. Its quiet, roomy and great on gas. Im a big guy and I was comfortable in the front seat. Plenty of leg room and my back doesnt hurt. I even fell a sleep in the back seat while my wife was driving and I was sitting with my daughter.

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  Great Car for the money.... - 2010 Kia Forte
  By lisa - March 24 - 2:30 pm

  I just purchased my 2010 Kia Forte SX 4 door...i love this car! It looks good from the outside and drives great!! I thought because of the 4 cylinder....no power but this car really can kick into some speed! The gas use has been great and it really gets some mileage to the gallons. If you are looking for a great looking car, great price then the Kia Forte is it. Im very happy with my purchase and never thought I would say that about a KIA...no doubt KIA has done a great job with this new vehicle.

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  The new hot hatch - 2009 Kia Spectra
  By Robert E. Burton - March 23 - 2:30 pm

  I have personally been watching this car for 3 years. Im glad I waited to buy after the 2008 model year. Kia has improved the styling tremendously by getting rid of a lot of the plastic skirting. This car has a clean appearance. The five spoke wheels are a plus over the old eight spoke alloys. This car is a hoot to drive, especially with the stick. The engine has good low end torque. Regardless of what you read or hear about this car, I say if youre interested go test drive one. Personally I see me driving this car for more than 100,000 miles.