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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  this car gets the job done - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By justjack - October 7 - 2:00 am

  one word - fabulous

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  high mileage person - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By ssch51 - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I travel over 7 months of a year. I previously owned a kia sophia but it was not big enough for the equipment I carry -printers computers etc. I then bought the Sedona. So far I like the ride, comfort and mileage. I am empressed with the Kia vehicles. I as I stated need reliable vehicle to travel for my job.

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  Nice surprise - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Mooflygoos - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Did not know KIA brand, accidential stopped at the dealer, took the Sorentio of test drive, after comparing it to other SUV and doing a little research, could not find a better buy. Excellent value for the vehicle and features. It is a fun vehicle to drive. Excellent safety features, which resulted in a lower cost of insurance. Nice warrant, looked at several other vehicle, for the money could not find one that could compare.

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  KIA Sedona EX - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By KIA Mini-Van - October 6 - 9:03 pm

  We bought our KIA Sedona because we needed more seating room for carpooling. We didnt want to spend $$$$ on a mini-van, so we went with the KIA because of the price and warranty. A GREAT vehicle! We love it! Not as roomy as other mini-vans, but GREAT for our purpose...carpooling.

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  Love My 2013 Optima - 2013 Kia Optima
  By classy38 - October 6 - 6:29 pm

  I started off searching for a Mercedes and did not see one that had all of the features I wanted without breaking the bank. Then I spotted a gorgeous Infiniti that I liked very much but did not have all of the bell and whistles as the Kia Optima like rear seat warmers and the panoramic sunroof. Not to mention the Infiniti was at least 3 years older, with a partial warranty. After looking at the Optima there was no comparison to the amenities and the price was great compared to the type of vehicles that I was searching for. I was able to get everything I wanted in this vehicle without paying a fortune. This car is great it handles well, it looks good, and it looks better with tinted windows.

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  Well Pleased - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By michigan - October 6 - 10:00 am

  Its too early to give a realistic review but I wanted to say for the first 500 miles in the 2 days I have had it it it is great.I traded in a 99 Pontiac Montana loaded with 65,000 highway miles. It was falling apart. The Kia is tight, rides better and drives better thus far. Time will tell. Seems to be well worth the money.

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  Tight fun - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By David - October 6 - 2:48 am

  I have test driven 4 different Kia Sorentos and I recommend skipping any of the 4 cylinder models. I went over to the Nissan dealer after trying those models and almost didnt return. The 6 cylinder is pure driving joy. They have a $32,000 model with the 6 cylinder, leather, satellite radio.. And no sun roof.. For me this model would have been perfect except the radio really sounds lousy and its virtually impossible to upgrade. This is a $10,000 savings over other similarly equipped three row SUVs on the market. Since I really care about my music I wouldve had to upgrade to the $38,000 model which adds a panoramic sunroof gorgeous rims and larger tires plus an infinity sound system. The drive is very nimble and sporty while-being smooth enough for those of us who like a little tactile communication with the road. Other three row SUVs on the market feel much more cumbersome, heavy And over bloated by comparison: while the 2016 Kia Sorrento feels lean, agile, youthful and fun to drive. It feels like a precision machine: very well put together.

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  Wow! - 2012 Kia Soul
  By fdarcy - October 5 - 9:49 am

  I love my new Kia Soul! I have one child, and this is a perfect little vehicle for my small family to drive in town and in the country. The gas mileage is fabulous for long drives and I can easily park in small parking spots in the city. I have not owned a car I love this much in a very long time. There is plenty of cargo space in the back, and I LOVE the satellite radio! The combination of great features and great gas mileage makes road trips exciting rather than exasperating. We are so pleased to have purchased this car!

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  2003 Kia Sedona - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Antonino Bonaccorso - October 5 - 7:03 am

  The vehicle has plenty of room for tall and short people. Its quiet inside the vehicle when you drive it. Also love the body shape.

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  Great SUV for the price! - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By Teresa - October 4 - 7:23 am

  I just bought my first Kia Sportage yesterday and I love it! I feel very comfortable in it considering I am only 51" and it handles like a car. For all the options I got, you cant beat the price compared to the Nissan Murano or Toyota Highlander.