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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  my kia - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By Irishhobbit - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 2000 Kia (it had 101k miles) at the end of last year and have averaged 1000 miles a month. I love to drive it and fits all my gear for camping. Ive had a few problems do to someone over heating the engine before I bought it.

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  Amanti the best clone available - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By bdndrb - December 6 - 10:00 am

  This is a great looking car, I moved out of a SUV and was a little concerned about being lower to the ground and having the same viewing advantage. No problem, the windaow, mirrors and the sun roof give excellent overall views. The accessories are excellent, the A/C works well in automatic the sound system is super good, and the ride is comfortable. So far I have no complaints or problems. definitely excellent value for the price.

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  The Amanti is the Premium - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By mgsand - December 4 - 11:03 pm

  The Amanti is a well put together sedan with a lot of extras. It handles well and the fuel economy is acceptable, 25+ on the hwy @ 65-70 MPH. The warranty certainly supersedes any other vehicle in its class. Everyone thinks it is a Mercedes or Jaguar, it is a great car to drive. I also think it is priced very reasonably.

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  A most excellent and fun little car - 2016 Kia Soul
  By Paul Wilson - December 4 - 2:33 pm

  I am 6 5" tall and over 300 pounds. I have trouble finding cars I can be comfortable in. My spouse of course is a little gal at 5 2" so we needed to find something we could agree on. This is not my first Kia or even my first Soul. We originally bought a 2000 Rio which our daughter drove into the ground. We also bought a 2011 Soul 1600cc with 5 speed manual. That was a very fun car but it had two big issues. Cruise control was not available even in aftermarket for that year and it was too loud on the freeway. The engine noise restricted it to being an around town car. No way were you going to drive 1,000 miles to visit your in-laws. So we traded the 2011 in for the 2016 base with 1600 engine and 6 speed automatic. You’re sitting there thinking “but it’s no bigger.” Well, it isn’t and then it is. The interior is a little roomier, but more importantly the gear ratio is very different and this has a lot more get up and go because of the gearing. It has cruise control and has great sound deadening which the original did not have. This car has many other features the 2011 Soul did not. It has selectable steering, sort of a drive by wire system. It has an ECO engine mode which provides optimal acceleration for economy driving. The stereo is easy to use and includes satellite as well as USB and Aux jack. I plug my smartphone in and play music by way of Pandora. Unlimited channels and cheaper too, plus I can reject songs I don’t care for. Try that SeriusXM. The 1600 engine has been around for a long time and runs like a Swiss watch. My base model also has auto on/off headlights, electric windows, as well as keyless remote for doors and trunk lid. Perhaps the best feature was the price. It was $16,635. One thing I like is the heat and air. Simple to use and you don’t have to constantly tweak the temperature setting. Fog on windshield disappears almost instantly. Kia did a lot to improve the Soul. Soul’s are tight well built cars that are fun to drive.

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  Great Car - 2013 Kia Rio
  By kiabeliever1 - December 4 - 1:19 am

  I never used to like kia cars but when I saw the kia rio I was hooked. I average about 31mpg on the street. The car is very comfortable. The controls are very easy to reach and the interior design is very very nice. Materials used on the inside dont feel cheap. As many people say that kia uses super cheap parts. The engine is strong and has good lift. ( I say this statement based on its class, small compact sedan) Outside noise is minimal. Overall this is a GREAT buy. Especially the warranty that kia gives. youll never have to worry about the engine or transmission for 10 yrs or 100,000 miles. I got my rio lx for $15,500 with the power package plus an additional $500 off with kia finance.

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  Been a great little car... - 2007 Kia Optima
  By Mike Z - December 3 - 10:06 am

  I was skeptical when I test drove the Optima, Im 63 and 220 lbs, so I thought I wouldnt fit in it. The seat is fine, and I have more than enough room to sit with an adult in the back seat behind me. Ive been impressed with the fit/finish and reliability. Ive got 46,000 miles on the car and the only time its been in the shop is for regular maint (oil/trans), and the visor broke twice. By far the most reliable of the 10 cars Ive owned in my life. I went from a loaded SUV, so I went with a loaded optima; leather, moonroof, and the infinity sound system is amazing. Smooth ride, plenty of power.

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  Awesome Car - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Paul in Hickory, NC - December 3 - 2:33 am

  I really did a lot of homework before I decided to make a purchase. I compared it to the Toyota Corolla, the Honda Civic, and the Nissan Sentra. For the money and the warranty, I could not have gotten a better car. I really enjoy driving my Spectra5, it turns a lot of heads. It is in the red color... and I will be having the windows tinted on it with vent visors. I highly suggest this car to anyone. A very fun car.

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  Do yourself a favor - 2009 Kia Borrego
  By Franman - December 3 - 1:13 am

  Wife wanted a comfortable and safe suv she could see out of. The Borrego passed with flying colors! This car is a pleasure to drive both in town and on a trip. We put over 1500 miles on it the second week a am totally pleased with this vehicle. Get the EX package, its a great value. All seams all correctly aligned, outstanding workmanship.

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  "Good enough" car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By ftc - December 1 - 3:10 pm

  As empty-nester, great choice for down- sizing from a minivan. I was looking for either a squarish hatchback, a wagon or a car-based SUV. Fun to drive, small on the outside with very good use of interior space. Plenty of space for my bicycle inside. Driver position is better than anything else I tried (Scion xB, Honda Element, Toyota Matrix). I have 1100 miles so far, and mileage is getting better with each tank of gas. Excellent visibility and reacts predictably during quick lane changes. No surprises. Sensible packaging without the need to go to the "top" trim level in other makes to get the safety features.

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  Worth every penny - 2001 Kia Spectra
  By ayoder - December 1 - 7:10 am

  I bought mine new in 2001 and Ive put a little over 70,000 miles on it. Its paid off and now Im really getting my money out of it. Its still running great and drives as good as 2 other new cars Ive recently test driven. I have done all the recommended maintenance and its still running like a top. I had only minor warranty repairs done and have no complaints. Ive been looking for a used higher end KIA like the optima to purchase but I think everyone knows how great these cars are they arent trading them in so there are none available in my area. Can you say watch out Honda someones coming up quickly behind you and their price is better?