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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  Rear suspension problems - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By jamie - March 11 - 4:46 pm

  I have only 38,300 miles on my 2007 Kia Spectra and last week developed a wobble in my left rear tire. A bolt apparently vibrated loose and after six days in the shop with nothing done I am told that it is not under warranty because this problem is "Human error." I have never had an alignment on the car yet that is what is being blamed for the problem so Kia has decided that they will not cover the repair. The tech stated that this part "Never comes loose on its own" so "I must have done something wrong." I am furious with Kia and will never purchase another car from them if they do not make this right. I have 2 warranties on this car and this is the response I get from them.Shameful service

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  A great buy. - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Robert Bennett - March 10 - 10:53 am

  We purchased a 2003 Sedona in December 03. The warranty and good things I heard about Kia attracted us to them. We could not be happier! The interior is beautiful. It is a joy to drive. I had a warning light go on indicating an engine problem. I called the 800 number and received immediate help. They picked up the van and checked out the problem. It ended up being a malfunction with the warning light. I was back on the road within 6 hours. Other than that I have had zero problems. This is a great product at a great price point.

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  My First KIA and car in a long time - 2013 Kia Optima
  By shoxxaholix - March 10 - 4:35 am

  Ok, typcially i am a SUV truck\guy. I got this car based on gas mileage and looks. It is like any other car, you drive it hard.. burns gas.. drive it nice.. it does pretty decent.. anything to me was better than 12-17mpg i was getting with my older suv. Its roomy for 7 yr old triplets... driving is a pleasure even though im on the ground again.. even the passenger size has room for my 6.8 friend who fits in it. Overall i am satisfied with it. The dash is nice, performance feels right for a 4 banger... and gas when going from what i was to what i am ..awesome.. i mean.. if i get over 200 miles on a half tank.. and 400 on a full tank.. and im not the nicest of drivers.car is good for me

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  Colors Do Count - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Michelle in MA - March 9 - 5:53 pm

  Love my Sorento. Considered a used Lexus 300 or 330, but got a new,comparable car at an extremely affordable price. My first SUV and would highly recommend to anyone!

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  EXCELLENT VALUE - 2011 Kia Soul
  By datzunzcar - March 8 - 12:03 pm

  I bought my Kia on 8/01/11 and have put over 2700 miles on it. I have averaged 31 mpg on every tank of gas and am extremely pleased with my purchase. From the moment I purchased this car it has been easy to just get in and take off driving. Me and my three kids love it and they have plenty of room to stretch out and be comfortable. I never thought about owning a Kia until this car came out and I like the design and roominess inside. The price is excellent at only $13500 and the 10/100,000 mile warranty makes it even better. If you are looking for a quality automobile for a great price and standard features of higher priced cars look no further than the KIA SOUL as you will not be disappointed

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  Awesome car for the money - 2005 Kia Optima
  By BUDMAN - March 8 - 12:26 am

  I also own a Kia Sorrento and between that SUV and this car I cant believe the comfort, quality and price you pay and I have owned a lot of vehicles and sold them too.

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  4th kia - 2009 Kia Optima
  By LONG TIME KIA FAN! - March 7 - 3:46 pm

  Had for 6 months and have put 4,000 miles on it. Had a 2006 sportage and saw the optima and had to have it. I am blown away at the attention it gets. People are always telling me they love its looks and the red color is sharp. I just smile when I pull up beside a accord or Camry and think to myself I saved thousands and have an equal car. The optima feels smooth and plenty of power from the I-4 it only has a few less horse power than the v-6, save a few bucks and buy the I-4. The trunk really holds a lot and the car is comfortable on long trips. The gas mileage is as advertised which many cars do not match up. So we are very pleased. We do recommend kia to everyone we know.

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  love the car - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By green eyes - March 4 - 11:00 pm

  I love this car. I was looking to get a car and trade in the car i was driving and kia was the only one that was willing to work around my budget. I fell in love with how nice and smooth it drives, i also love how easy the cruise is to use and the air conditioning really works i mean i get cold almost instantly when i turn it on.

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  Surprising, Fun, and WOW on Economy - 2013 Kia Optima
  By dc4kids - March 4 - 4:45 pm

  I have owned the 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid only a week and I LOVE IT! I have owned Porsche, Mercedes, Cadillac, Infiniti, Lincoln, Honda, Volkswagen, Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan, Dodge, Plymouth, and more and I would rate this vehicle as one of my all time favorites. I love the fact that I can drive the vehicle hundred plus miles and the gas gauge ticks off one notch equal to about 2 gallons of gas. The car is quiet, smooth, and well built. I also love the 5 years and 60,000 mile warranty. No worries for about 4-5 years. I figured out I am saving over $300 a month on gas from my Porsche Cayenne S I just replaced. I love that.

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  What are you expecting? - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Clinck - March 3 - 4:40 am

  Purchased this vehicle to replace 06, V8 Explorer. Needed equivalent room for salesmans samples. First impression was good build quality. Standard complaints. Torque steer is manageable if you stay off the full throttle. Brakes are firm, so are the seats. You are not coddled in these chairs, they are stiff. Sorento leans in the twisties more than expected since the ride is jarring with suspension set up. This vehicle rides like a ford Ranger pick up. Dont expect suppleness in the suspension when encountering rough pavement. its not there. The nav system works fine but the voice recognition system is awful. Do I need to speak Korean? We will see how this goes after more than 500 miles