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 Looking SUV - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By JJWALKERS - March 23 - 2:00 am

  After Looking at Different SUVs, WE decided on the Kia Sorento EX 4X4.We loved the exterior look. It has that Lexas look. The price was good for all the features it has. It seems to be pretty quick. Its hard to review everyting about the Sorento right now as we have only had it a few days. One negative comment I have right now is the ride. On the highway, I didnt find the ride as smooth as I thought it should be. I felt too much vibration. The dealer said it was the short wheelbase, and too much air in the tires. It rode a little better after reducing the pressure to 30psi. Let you know more later.

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  Great bargain - 2010 Kia Forte
  By dankocke - March 23 - 1:07 am

  For the price (with rebates) this is hands down the best car in its category. For the price that is... not for what it is. While it has all sorts of wonderful features like bluetooth, satellite, etc., it does not have the same feel of a VW, Toyota, or Honda. That said, the fuel economy is not as good either. Ive filled it up 3 times now and in cold weather in mixed driving Ive averaged 27mpg. I use to get that in my Acura TSX. The Forte is a very nice car, though. It feels solid, is very quiet, and has a huge trunk. I have the coffee interior which is fantastic looking. I wish Kia would drop the 2.4l into the EX as the suspension on the SX is too stiff.

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  Spectra Rating - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By R. J. Williams - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Transmission Questioable- Problems required the Transmission be replaced twice in one month after the original failed.

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  Looks Great Ride Tune Out Road Noise - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By A. NEWMAN - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Great fuel economy and comfort level. Rattle in front end cant be located after numerous attempts. One of the best cars Ive ever driven. Would recommend to anyone wanting luxury on a budget

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  Great Car. - 2004 Kia Optima
  By SeaJay830 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I love my Kia. It has performed better than I could have ever expected and I have the 4 cylinder model. I get 32-35 MPG highway and I dont drive it easy.

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  2nd Kia - 2004 Kia Optima
  By mandrew - March 21 - 10:00 am

  We truely love the Kia products and the Optimas value was extreemly good.We feel like we are driving a Mercedes at a fraction of the cost! Keep up the great work Kia!

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  2004 kia sedona - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Kaydi45 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I had a dodge Caravan but the new ones were to pricey. I also had a kia sophia as my second car, I like it runs well. So I went and looked at the sedona. The price was good and 2,000 off for Kia loyalty, made it even better, plus the warranty and 5 years road side asistence made it even better. It runs great and lots of room, on the down side it does use a lot of gas, but I know its a mini van, and it has all kinds of power very peppy.

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  A New "Return Buyer" for Kia - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By minivanmomma1 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  This van is dependable, comfortable, luxurious, and a thrill to drive. My husband and I dispute on who will drive it on the weekends. It has so much room for long trips and for the kids. It also was a huge help when we moved last April to our new house. I love this van as does my whole family. It is such a smooth ride and the engine is so quiet that my husband cannot hear me drive up. I really love this van! I highly recomend Kia vehicles to anyone. Just ask my brother. He and his wife just bought a Sorrento to take their new baby home in this July!

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  2004 Kia Sedona - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Rip - March 21 - 10:00 am

  The Sedona by Kia has been basically a good purchase. I was disappointed in the gas mileage, both in town and out on the road. The "take-out" rear seats are heavy when removing.

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  Go KIA - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By michael taddonio - March 21 - 10:00 am

  One of the best cars that I ever owned!!