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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  06 Kia Sorento - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By Tonibugg - February 5 - 2:06 pm

  I love this SUV!! It handles great and the body style is sleek. My husband was not thrilled about buying a Kia at first but the warranty, free oil changes, and standard safety features for the price spoke volumes! It is my best car purchase to date. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone interested in an SUV!

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  2006 Kia Sedona - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By lavrishevo - February 4 - 10:16 pm

  Overall a great van. Very comfortable and powerful. I have had two very minor problems what were immediately fixed by the dealer as they were slight design flaws being 06 was the first redesign production year. I currently have a little over 22,000 miles and the van is running strong. Gas mileage has improved slightly with the “breaking” in of the engine but MPG has always been good with conservative driving habits. Consiering I live in Puerto Rico which is 80% city driving the van is holding up great. Very happy with this purchase!

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  Never thought Id own a Kia - 2013 Kia Optima
  By Sly_Jester - February 4 - 9:56 am

  Well, I bought a Kia... Man was that a great move! Keep in mind Im a Honda kind of guy and how dare I walk away from the accord models that have done me right for so many years?! Well, After weeks of comparing and constrating numbers and figures (warranty, mpg, price) I did it, In the summer of 2014 (June to be exact) I purchased a used 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid EX with 17,500 miles for $21,597.88 (ttt). Let me be the first to tell you the step up from an accord to this beauty was a life changer. The ergonomics of this car just makes me feel like Im at home. Oh and the features well shes loaded nothing spared for the best! It may sound like Im joking but the luster I have for this car is still present today. So lets get to the nuts and bolts! How is she today(12 July 2016) (Im referring to the optima)? She has approx. 127k miles on her... Yes 127,000 miles. Any problems?! Yes, the backup camera doesnt work all the time. Well... Anything else?! No, I change my oil every 4K miles (full synthetic mobile 1), I have put two sets of tires on her, one K&N air filter, 6 cabin air filters, regular fluid changes, and she still spits out avg 33mpg. I have 99 problems but a Hybrid component aint one. Now keep in mind I drive 1000 miles a week on avg. she has been in two accidents (cosmetic damages), but has never left me stranded or in distress (knock on wood). I will tell anyone who is looking for a reliable vehicle to consider Kia. I plan on putting another 150k miles on her before I retire her so Ill keep you posted when I hit 200k. Until then drive Kia and stop texting and driving!

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  Great Value, Features, & Style - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By cmont120 - January 31 - 11:41 am

  After researching for the past year I finally leased the Sportage. I used to say that I would never own a Kia but now I am proud to say that I do! I turned in a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe and have to say that the Kia blows the Honda out of the water. The style inside and out is very nice and the features are great. Love this car so much I have convinced my family to join the Hyundai/Kia family too!

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  great minivan - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By j.k. - January 29 - 11:40 am

  very comfortable, less cash, same features as other minivans, reliable, great service at kia, kids enjoy the ride

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  10 yrs and still looks/drives well - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By tomerikac - January 29 - 3:48 am

  Update: Took the Sedona in at 99.5k miles because trans was slipping into 5th gear. After submitting much paperwork showing detailed maintenance, KIA replaced trans free, along with motor mounts and exhaust which had cracked. Wow! So now at 107k miles, the thing is clean and runds well. I had to replace the door handle that just came off in my hand. $30 and 2 hrs work. Im thinking of trading it in on a Rondo. Id prefer the better gas mileage and no one seems to know just how nice those Rondos were, so they are priced low. Go KIA!!!

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  Under $20,000 - 2008 Kia Amanti
  By Ron Ator - January 29 - 2:46 am

  I cant believe I got this car for under 20k. Yes I understand the 2009 models are on the way but I paid less than 65% of sticker price on this car. More power than Ill ever need but it is nice to know its there. I drive 45 miles round trip to work in a fuel conservation mode and consistently get better fuel mileage than I did in my Kia Spectra 5. The car is so comfortable that I find myself never being in a hurry to get where Im going. You should understand Im 62" and 240lbs so finding a comfortable car is not an easy task. Granted I have only had the car for 6 weeks but I could not be happier. People are always checking it out and commenting on it. I love my car!

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  A true bargain - 2006 Kia Amanti
  By Chris - January 28 - 6:56 pm

  I love my Amanti. It is the first new car I ever purchased and have had it three years now. I wish the gas mileage was a little better and the rear view mirror is almost too large and gets in the way of drivers view but all in all I have been quite happy with all the features. For the quality and looks of this car, it could easily cost much more.

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  KIA AMANTI - 2006 Kia Amanti
  By JO ANN - January 27 - 9:30 am

  I absolutely LOVE my Amanti. It preforms excellent, looks smashing, and comfort is outstanding. The only thing I would like to see is a little better gas mileage...but overall I would not trade my car in for anything else.

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  Exceeded my expectations - 2007 Kia Sportage
  By Greg - January 27 - 3:16 am

  We usually buy a two year old vehicle and my last one was a Ford Explorer. Decided this time that for about the same money I could have a new Sportage. Very satisfied with my decision, nice size and good comfort and the quality seems to be fine but time will tell. Gas milage is as advertised plus a little more.