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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  The verdict is still out... - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By KIA4now - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Had the SUV for a week know. This is my second Sorento...when I bought a 4x2 version I was told that ALL Sorentos came with a limited slip rear. This is not the case! Only 4x4 versions come with the limited slip. Im pleased with the look, power, and standard features. Im a little cautious about the reliability of the vehicle...Ive had the drivers side window stop working...which was fixed by turning off the ignition and restarting. Also have squeaks where the back passenger seats connect to the release for folding down. The clock also runs slow....about 6 minutes over a weeks time. This was a big step for me...my first import. Im really relying on this warranty!

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  My first SUV - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By lok888 - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I decided to buy this Sorento as a family car. I didnt waste much time to make my decision. I just saw the TV commericals, went to the auto show, test drive and did some research from edmunds. I like the styling. It has a Lexus RX300 look. It is very comfortable for rear passengers. Every buttons are soft touch and easy to use. Best price for a fully loaded SUV.

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  My Kia - 2008 Kia Spectra
  By uptomischief - April 24 - 6:23 am

  I have had my Kia about a week. What a fun car. It has excellent pick up and you feel safe scooting out in traffic. The car is very comfortable. Easy to maneuver the seat and tilt wheel to make it comfortable. The keyless entry is great. It has a ton of trunk space. Inside is roomy enough for four people. It has a lot of extras you would not expect such as place to plug in ipod, sturdy cup holders including ones in back seat, CD player, etc. What I found amazing was that this car had all these extras but cruise control is not standard. Overall, this is a great car. It is fun and easy to drive, very economical, comfortable, reliable, safe, and less expensive than the competition

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  Love it! - 2016 Kia Forte
  By Tony B. - April 23 - 10:48 pm

  Have had it for over a week now and love it! Absolute value for the price. Looks stunning and handles well! Definitely recommend.

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  Great SUV for the money - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By williwasfirst - April 23 - 10:59 am

  I had a 2000 Kia Sportage base automatic 4x4 (there is no option for that exact car on Edmunds form here so I picked the closest. I drove this car from about 15,000 miles to 100,000, cross country and back. There are nicer SUVs out there obviously but this one was reliable and inexpensive. Its also kind of fun to drive. The 4x4 is great in snow. Also if you live in the city and park on the street you will love it. At 156 inches long, its very easy to parallel park. I was always amazed at the spots I could fit in. Easier than a Honda Civic.

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  2015 Soul 1.6 automatic=GREAT car! - 2015 Kia Soul
  By smsorange - April 22 - 7:26 am

  Have had the 2015 Soul a few days now. Im totally impressed. It has a shockingly spacious interior, great headroom, and stylish looks. The car has had no issues zipping down the highway even with its small 1.5, but 130 HP engine. I love the options that come standard in the Base model, including AC, Sirius XM, Bluetooth, heated mirrors, steering wheel volume/bluetooth controls, different driving modes (normal, comfort and sport) and cargo dividers under the back area. Mine is white with two-tone seats and it looks really sharp. For the money, I couldnt ask for more. Love it.

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  Buy em for life... - 2006 Kia Rio
  By Big John - April 22 - 6:20 am

  Ive owned 6 Rios and still have 4. Speaks volumes? Always serviced on time. Run great even in winter. Great traction on any road in any weather. Decent acceleration. Cruise all day at 65 MPH and still get 35 MPG. Good visibility all around, comfortable seats, good sound system, great A/C, adjustable wheel, decent headlights, ample cup holders, arm rest. I prefer the manual transmission over the automatic as it requires less service. I own both versions. Finding Kia mechanics who know what theyre doing is not easy. Ive found better self employed mechanics than factory trained individuals. The warranty is basically useless at the mercy of lousy mechanics.

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  Kia Amanti - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By d loeschen - April 21 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Kia. Previously owned a Sedona that I traded in on the Amanti. No regrets at all. The build quality is excellent. Ride and noise levels are superb, the Infiniti sound sytem is wonderful and the leather interior is top notch. With around 6000 miles driven so far the car seems to be performing better and the mileage is improving to an average of 20 mpg in town and 25 on highway. I would highly recomend this vehicle to anyone looking for an affordable luxury car.

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  Great Value! - 2008 Kia Optima
  By GorgeKiaDriver - April 20 - 4:50 pm

  Purchased the base Optima, 4 cyl., 5 speed manual. A lot of car for the money, purchased new last month, 6/2009, for $10,995! Sweet deal. Had 10 miles, now have 300, first tank of gas I received on 18 mpg! Mostly in town, getting use to manual transmission again! Previous review complained about passenger doors not operating from driver side. Turn key once to the right to unlock driver door, twice to unlock all doors! Small price to pay for an inexpensive, quality built vehicle!

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  Replaced trans at 18k - 2012 Kia Optima
  By sassy1866 - April 20 - 4:31 am

  I love this car but at 18k miles Ive had to have the transmission replaced already. As soon as I pay the car off Im getting rid of it. Its fun to drive and looks great inside and out. But to have a major part of the replaced so soon is unacceptable. I had high hopes for Kia but it seems they have a long way to go in reliability.