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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  Redefining Value - 2010 Kia Forte
  By islandreamer - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Just bought the 2010 Forte SX 5sp A/M. I had a hunch that this would be a worthwhile purchased after reading all the rave reviews. It was hard to convince my partner that Kia has come a long way since the 90s and even the mid 2000s. The standard features you find at any Forte model are extra on Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Nissans. The bumper and powertrain warranty has no match. The best part is that we were able to buy it at about 300 above invoice with the Southern Hospitality deal (free oil/filter/tire rotation, etc. for life). Thank you Greenbrier Supercenter.

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  Great so far! - 2011 Kia Sportage
  By rob8here - March 9 - 10:00 am

  So far I really love this car. Its got all the benefits of a small car (mpg, parking, turn radius), but its really fun to drive and has lots of "utility" features.

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  I love my 2012 Kia Soul Base Automatic w/options - 2012 Kia Soul
  By sprchrgrguy - March 7 - 10:59 am

  I bought my new 2012 Soul base automatic in mid September. BRIGHT SILVER. I Love Love it! I was going to settle for the base base manual but once I drove the automatic base I fell in love. Its not over loaded but just loaded enough. Cruise, sports matic, side blinkers, bluetooth, steering wheel controls and ECO. I am sure their is more.This is my fourth Kia and so happy with KIA. All their cars are great! Even though it only has the hubcaps it sure looks great. I already have 3300 miles on it. and looking forward to many many more.

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  2014 Kia Forte Nails It - 2014 Kia Forte
  By lazyike - March 5 - 12:44 pm

  Ive had this new 2014 Kia Forte for a month now, and so far it has exceeded all of my expectations. I was looking for a commuter car that got at least 30+ mpg, and at 68" and 260 lbs, I needed to be able to fit comfortably. I checked out the other brands in the segment (Carollas, Cruzes, Civics, Elantras, and Focus) but in the end I felt like I got more bang for the buck out of the new Forte. I was actually leaning toward the Elantra until the newly redesigned Forte came out. Once I saw how spacious the cabin was, along with how loaded the EX model is, I was pretty much sold. The fact that I had so much room to be comfortable while sitting in it sealed the deal.

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  My Favorite Car - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By liss - March 4 - 5:26 am

  I love my Rondo because it offers top safety items, has excellent visibility, is fun to drive - engine is plenty powerful enough for thruway driving - and looks sharp. Id buy another in a heartbeat.

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  My leap of faith to KIA - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By WJM - March 3 - 6:36 pm

  Owned Toyotas and Hondas, liked new design enough to try the KIA brand. Have had for 2 weeks, so far lots to like. Feels different than past cars owned, not quite as "refined" in spots, but makes up for it with overall design execution.

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  2005 Kia Sorento LX - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By danielle - March 1 - 10:50 pm

  I absolutely fell in love with my car the minute I drove it off the lot. I have told everyone I know to run right out and buy one. Unfortunately my car is horrible in the winter weather. There is absolutely no traction against snow and ice. The added traction button is a false hope as well. I recently had it in for new tires and even the mechanic said its not the tires, its the car itself. I hope that in the near future a 4x4 will handle the snow better because I would like to buy another one when my lease is up. But I am highly against anyone getting a 2wd unless you live in warm sunny weather 24-7.

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  love my kia - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By carol - March 1 - 7:33 am

  I love this suv, it is fun to drive and comfortable. Lots of value here, love the warranty!

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  Love my kia - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By chris - February 28 - 8:20 pm

  I traded my Kia Sportage for a Kia Sorento. It was the best choice that I made. The Sorento has more space and storage. Very comfortable. Its easy to handle on the road and has a lot of power. Everything you need while driving is easy to reach. It looks great and drives great!

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  Not your typical econobox - 2006 Kia Rio
  By mwrobe1 - February 27 - 5:26 pm

  A great commuter car for $13k. Im 65" 235lbs and the Rio fit me the best out of all the subcompacts. Adequate power and excellent mpg. Front seats are very comfortable! Stereo system is pretty decent for stock. Fun to drive...easy to park...cruises nice and smooth on the highway. Handling is surprisingly sporty. Interior is styled and laid out well.