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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  Outstanding Driveability - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By Caseman 1969 - April 9 - 10:06 am

  We have owned our Sorento for almost a year now and besides the gas mileage, it has been an outstanding purchase. The vehicle looks small and agile from outside, but when you get in it and drive it, things improve to an unparalleled level of comfort. The acceleration is excellent, which does not help fuel economy. Brakes are excellent. Interior fit and finish are excellent. Had a new Sonata pull out in front of us yesterday when we were doing 55, and the vehicles ABS and stability control worked in perfect harmony to avoid a very serious crash. Fuel economy ranges from 20 around town, to as much as 23 on a recent trip to the Outer Banks. Buy with confidence. This is a great vehicle.

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  Totally Suprised - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Larry - April 8 - 12:06 pm

  The Sorentos price, features, and ride totally amazes me! I wasnt even LOOKING at Kias! Stopped to look at a used Edge on the lot, and Don (salesmen) asked if Id considered a Sorento. As he described features not standard on other models I was looking at he got my attention! I bought a 4 cyl. for the mpg which is much better than my Saturn Vues manual. The ride is VERY car like, The cabin is SO quiet. Even the blinker and blower motor are quiet! And the satellite radio and blue tooth are luxurys Id have never looked for, but seem indispensable now! It was the fifth SUV I drove (on a list of four) and I could not be happier. Even the sales experience- Was FUN! A+++ Kia!

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  Not a complaint outta me - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By I_dig_my_KIA - April 8 - 10:00 am

  In reality, she isnt that much cheaper than the competition, but the Sedona is well built, packed with extras that are options on competitive vehicles, and an all around people hauler. I read many complaints about the LX not coming with Keyless entry? Well learn to barter with your dealer. I got keyless, floormats, lifetime detailing and oil changes thrown in for free. total price of the nicest minivan I have ever owned: $17,400. Compared to my 98 Grand Voyager, this thing is faultless.

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  Great car, fun to drive! - 2006 Kia Rio
  By MikeT - April 8 - 6:13 am

  This is my 5th Kia in 8 years. The quality just keeps on getting better! I had the original 2001 Kia Rio, it was economical and cute, nothing exciting but great value with the warranty. Last month I traded in my 2004 Spectra for the Rio 5 SX. I instantly fell in love with the metal pedals, leather wrapped steering wheel and comfortable cloth. I am 63" and felt more room in the Rio then in the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic I tested earlier in the week. Plenty of leg space and high roof give this car a spacious feel to it. The engine is spirited and peppy. Much more power then you would expect from a 1.6 Litre 110 hp engine. Summary: Great looks in and out, comfy, powerful. plenty of airbags!

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  This is a KIA? - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Deathofevangelion - April 6 - 11:53 am

  First time I ever bought a KIA. What took so long? I had a Grand Caravan, needed something smaller. Looked at the Xb, which is nice the Soul is better. While it has a smaller cargo area compared to the Xb, the rest of the vehicle makes up for it ten fold. I have in car blue tooth a kick butt radio, mood lights, and more all for under 17k. Not bad at all. It rides nice, I live in PA where we have a ton of hills, it has more than enough power to navigate. This car is fun, my kids love it. It looks nice. Mine is Molten. I just cant say enough of how great this car is. The fit and finish is great. The warranty is great. If you are worried because its a KIA, dont. Just test it. Youll love it!

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  road trip with a brand new car - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By trish - April 6 - 11:36 am

  I just bought my Spectra 5 a week before taking it on a 2,000 mile road trip. I am 53", my husband is 63". Surprise, he loves it as much as I do; he wasnt cramped and I wasnt wore out after driving it for 2 days and 1,000 miles on the return trip. Had no problem with acceleration through the mountains or keeping up with traffic and passing on the highway. Fuel economy was fantastic, almost 39 miles to the gallon. So far there is nothing i dont love about my new car.

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  2017 Kia Sorento Limited AWD - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By Gary Anderson - April 6 - 9:28 am

  I did a lot of homework before my purchase. By far the Sorento has the best quality, interior, and technology. The navigation and blue tooth are very user friendly. In addition, the vehicle is so so quiet, it is hard to believe as there are extra insulation and acoustic glass. Kia engineers hit a home run on the build quality. The more I drive this vehicle the more I really enjoy it and can appreciate such great quality. Even the electric steering has great road feel, since Kia placed the motor on the steering rack. This is the first Kia I have owned and I never thought I would buy a Kia, but I am sold now. Kia hired an engineer from Audi and he has really upped the quality. I would put this crossover up against Lexus any day of the week. The front seats are very comfortable and supportive so you do not get driver fatigue. You will not be disappointed and you must include this vehicle on your short list if you are in the market.

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  My First Kia minivan - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Mannyfern - April 4 - 2:00 am

  This minivan has all the things youd want in a family vehicle. My Sedona EX came with leather, power seats, abs, am/fm cassette, cd 6 speaker stereo, plenty of cup holders and all for about 20 grand. The performance from the 3.5L V6 engine is excellent. You can feel the torque at low rpms move you along quickly, making it fun to drive. So far after 3000 miles my Sedona has had no problems whatsoever. I shoped around and for could not find anything close to it value wise. The great warranty of 10 year / 100,000 miles on drivetrain makes it a no brainer.

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  Kia Soul4u - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Victory - April 1 - 8:03 pm

  Just bought it today, been looking at the Soul for awhile, like the styling, my wife loves it and my 12 year old son. Great sound system, the road noise isnt unbearable, the ride is good, feels solid and is fun to drive and it seems to turn heads not that is a selling factor for me. All in all I think I made a good purchase.

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  I love my cute car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By maytwin - March 31 - 6:56 pm

  My car is fun to drive! I got a great deal, on a car that has everything on it. It rides quietly, even with the sunroof open! It rocks!! I am trying to get my sister to buy the same car.