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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  Do NOT BUY! - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By Eli - July 5 - 3:13 am

  I bought my Sorento new in 2006. Within 2 months of driving it off the lot, I had to replace a tire. At the 3 month mark, the check engine light began coming on repeatedly. In 4 years, I have gone through 2 and a half sets of tires, several tail lights and headlamps. NOW, my air compressor went out and the dealership wants $800+ to fix. Although this is an affordable car initially, it will cost you in the long run. It looks nice, but is not fuel efficient and it makes random noises when you are driving. I regret trading my Corolla for this. I will be getting another Toyota ASAP!

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  Dealers lie SO BAD! - 2014 Kia Soul
  By Ben - July 4 - 6:28 pm

  We have a 2014 Soul. Been taking it in 3 years because one side of the rear was lower than the other. Told nothing wrong. Took it in last week because the key would not come out of the door. Was told the key, the gas cap, the rear struts, the rear springs, and the headlight connector are all"worn out" - on a 3-year old car! Paid $2500 for the only extended warranty offered, but it covers absolutely nothing. I would MEVER recommend anyone ever buy a Kia.

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  Awesome Car - 2001 Kia Optima
  By New Yorker - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I just had my first child and needed a reliable car that was inexpensive but still looked flashy. (I wasnt ready for the mini van) The Kia Optima is it! The V-6 is a blast to drive especially with the porsche designed tiptronic transmission. When I sit in traffic its on automatic, but when i want to feel the road and the engine, I flip over to manual mode. Tne interior is roomy. I am a 62 and i am very comfortable in the ride. WE just drove to Disney from NY and it was a pleasure. When it comes to styling, people cannot take their eyes off of this car. My boss who owns multiple luxury cars belives it looks like a BMW.

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  sweet ride - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By riley ed - July 4 - 7:27 am

  Not overwhelmed with power , but awesome on gas.

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  Very good value used - 2008 Kia Sedona
  By wildkard58 - July 4 - 3:44 am

  I bought a 2008 Kia Sedona LX (no options) in November 2011 for $12,600 CDN. The car had 38,000 kms on it with full bumper to bumper warranty until September 2013. Ive had it for 17 days now with 1,000 kms put in. The V6 engine is the same as the Hyundai Genesis V6 - smooth with plenty of power. The Sedona is a very good highway cruiser: quiet, comfortable and decent gas consumption. In the city, the suspension will tell you every bump in the road. It doesnt handle as well as its competitors but thats not saying that the Sedona handles poorly. It is car like in handling but not as good as its competitors. Base LX model is pretty loaded. Very good minivan for your money.

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  Great owning car - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By jim - July 2 - 12:26 pm

  Quiet driving vehicle. Not a lot of power but enough for city and highway. People cant believe its a Kia.

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  Fun, Economical & Reliable - 2003 Kia Rio
  By Navin Mahabir - July 1 - 3:26 am

  I bought this car because it was the cheapest available. But I also did my research and found that Kia quality had been constantly improving. I wanted a car that was reliable--I was selling a Ford that had every option possible and gave problems with almost every one of them. I wanted a car with low cost of ownership and the Kia has been that and much more. Its fun, its reliable, and Ive had to spend no money on it other than gas and oil. Reviewers like JDPower give this car a bad rap, but they dont take into account that for the price of a used Corolla with 50K, you get reliability, a great warranty, and standard features that dont leave you wanting.

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  Great little car - 2004 Kia Rio
  By huff3 - July 1 - 12:50 am

  I bought my Rio used, had all servicing done. Still under warranty. Had this car on a 1k trip last month. Got anywhere from 29 to 33 mpg. Had no problems at all. I have just had 60 k service done, new timing belt, etc. This must be done on time for 4 cylinder engines. This Rio is very reliable, uses no oil, is easy to park, has an adjustable driver’s seat (helps on long trips). Best thing about this car is the warranty. It is much longer than US cars and the service department never gives me a hard time. Better yet is gas mileage.

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  2012 Sedona - 2012 Kia Sedona
  By 2012sedona - June 30 - 7:22 pm

  We traded our 2011 Soul for this Sedona. The soul was a great little car but it was difficult for us to get in and out especially with artificial knees. We absolutely love our Sedona, we have the power package on it which gives you a lot of extras. We average round about driving 23-24 mpg. Not as good as the soul but it sure is a lot easier to get in and out of. The engine is very powerful and will throw you in the back seat if you kick the gas. It has a six speed transmission and we dont even feel it shift. At seventy mph it runs around 1600-1700 rpms. That in itself saves the engine greatly over times. With GM, and Ford quit making vans you only have a very few choices. Love it.

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  Worth My Money - 2001 Kia Rio
  By 1st Time Kia Owner - June 30 - 10:00 am

  Bought it with 39000 miles on it. Went through a cold icy winter with only 1 problem - the lock tended to freeze up. But it has always started on the first try, has a great heater. Gas mileage is better than I expected. Because Im short there is adequate leg room in back of the driver for one of average height.