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:

• 

  Excellent Car! - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By kiadriver - January 26 - 6:16 pm

  The car was given to me as a loaner while my Chevy was in for service and I was so impressed with how much better it was than my own car I wound up buying it. The ride is GREAT, even over potholed northern IL roads. I was very impressed that it comes with all-wheel independent suspension. Handling and ride are excellent. The interior is nicely thought out and very comfortable on long trips, and the car does well in the winter. Only issue was it needed a new radiator at 54000 miles. Kia fixed it under warranty for no charge despite the fact I purchased it used from a Chevy dealer. No other problems at all (knock on wood!).

• 

  Kia Rules - 2007 Kia Optima
  By JK - January 25 - 8:10 am

  Smooth ride and good road feel. Quite cabin and very responsive to sudden maneuvers. Strong 4 cylinder engine...good torque. Exceptional fit and finish. Feels like quality throughout.

• 

  Rondo-the perfect compact people mover! - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By familyof4 - January 22 - 8:56 pm

  We needed a vehicle that could carry our family of 4 easily yet have the option of more seats for the occasional in-law visit or the kids friends. Minivans and SUVs were too big and we wanted the good gas mileage and all the safety features. The Rondo surprised us nicely. Not only was the interior better than what we expected, but the ride is actually fun! Its not a sportscar by any means but the ride is peppy and smooth and handling is great. Throw in all the standard features, great warranty and low price and youve got all that youd want in a non-minivan.

• 

  I LOVE MY KIA - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By CHARLENE - January 22 - 2:00 am

  IT IS A COMFORABLE, SMOOTH RIDING VEHICLE. HANDLES VERY WELL, TIGHT TURNING RADIUS. GOOD VISABILITY. A LOT OF LITTLE EXTRA TOUCHES.

• 

  Best Buy for A Man On A Fixed Income - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Jay Pee - January 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 2003 Sorento EX 4WD 4dr in June of last year after researching it for about 6 months. This is my first SUV and I love it. I really bought it for myself but my wife has taken over it.I drive it about once a week. I love the sound of the exhaust. It makes you feel like you are driving a real truck instead of some tall wagon. The only bad thing I can say is that Im sorry I dont have two. By the way, we have over 25,000 miles on it without a single complaint. I can say that most of the Car Magazines do not give it enough credit for being such an outstanding SUV.

• 

  EX fully loaded is an awesome car - 2011 Kia Optima
  By boneyard1 - January 21 - 9:31 am

  Currently reviewing the 2011 Optima EX with 66,000 miles. I wouldnt like the car nearly as much with the LX package or even without the tech or premium packages, but when loaded with those options, this is a great ride and tremendous value! Drives great, plenty of power when needed, and great highway gas mileage. I usually only get 24-25mpg when city driving, but easily get over 30mpg on any kind of road trip. Ive had no issues mechanically. Love the upgrades that are available on this car and it looks/feels like a car twice its price. Plenty of room in the backseat for adults and also children in car seats.

• 

  Great car at a great price - 2002 Kia Rio
  By citygirl - January 19 - 8:53 am

  This car has been great to drive. My family is a Kia-owner one, and so far out of numerous cars, we have never had any big problems. Sure, every brand will have some lemons or you are going to be disappointed if you are forced into a car or are lied to like some posters here have been (everyone should do research before visiting a dealer, including the disappointed poster who believed the dealer that this car gets 35-40 mpg).The Kia may not be as trendy to drive, but the quality surpasses many brands Ive seen, including Toyota and Ford. The $12k I paid was great and I have used the roadside assistance when I locked keys inside. The a/c broke once and it was fixed in an hour, under warranty.No other problems.

• 

  Very good car - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Nino - January 18 - 9:26 am

  I bought the car just two weeks ago. My only complaint is the fuel economy. It is 19 MPG: mixed city/highway driving which is lower than the advertised. Otherwise, this is a very good car. This is my first crossover/SUV type of vehicle and I love it. The ride is quiet and comfortable. The performance is great with the V6 engine. I synced my iPhone immediately and now I can play all my music through the speakers and make all my calls with voice activated commands. The interior design is simple but stylish and sleek. The car feels very spacious. Very comfortable driver seat. Overall, after two weeks of daily driving, I really like this car.

• 

  I love my Kia Soul!!!!!!! - 2011 Kia Soul
  By jax223 - January 18 - 1:31 am

  I love my Kia Soul. Its sporty and has a lot of pick up. You can really feel it gain momentum as you go up a hill- but thats not a bad thing. Its pretty roomy and the ac/heat works really well. Bluetooth is very easy to use. Very easy to drive except handles poorly over speed bumps. I am only getting 19 mpg, but I only need to fill up 1-2 times a month. I have had my soul for 2 months, and have only filled up twice.

• 

  excellent car - 2004 Kia Rio
  By baida63 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I really thing this vehicle is a good buy. It is inexpensive and really stretches your dollar. It rides smoother than my fathers much more expensive car. For what you pay you get a lot.