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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  Kia Sorento Review - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Ken Sparks - December 24 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the Sorento after owning a Kia Sephia. I put alot of miles on the Sephia and had no problems but was looking for a large vehicle that would handle snow and off road conditions. I purchesed the Sorento after seeing one upclose for the first time, The ride on the test drive was great peppy roomy and comfortable. With a 100,000 mile warrenty how can you go wrong.

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  My Sorento - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By track726 - December 24 - 10:00 am

  I absoulutly LOVE my Kia. Its so much fun and its very reliable and comfortable to drive. All my friends love it and my family do too. Its fun and I just LOVE it

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  Pleasant experience - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Joy Kahn - December 24 - 10:00 am

  Truly enjoyable driving. Luxurious interior for the price. The only negative is the very, very, poor gas mileage. Its a fun car to drive. Handles like a dream.

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  My 1st Kia - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Toya - December 24 - 10:00 am

  Several people have told me not to buy a Kia, and for awhile I took their advice. Well, I was looking for a SUV and wanted to trade in my Ford Focus. I test drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Ford Escape and The Sorento. I was not planning on buying a Kia, but by riding by and stopping just to give it a try. I Fell In Love with it and drove it home the same day. I would like to give some advise of my own. Go buy a Kia if not go test drive one

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  What a bargain - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By JJKRN - December 22 - 10:16 pm

  I found this car by accident, drove it reluctantly, and fell in love. I make a good living and NEVER play keep up with the Jones type games.The exterior is kind of weird looking to my taste, but the interior is beyond first class I find it very responsive, good mileage, and a pleasure to commute in. If youre looking for a first class car, and want to save a lot of money, try the Amanti.

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  Catchy Title! - 2016 Kia Sedona
  By Jing Joba - December 22 - 6:25 pm

  Love it.

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  love my Spectra - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Aneisha loves spectr - December 22 - 10:46 am

  I LOVE MY SPECTRA! This is an excellent car. I looked at Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Scion and they are all okay but dont compare to Kia. I chose the Polar Ice Blue and get stopped all the time and no one believes my car is a Kia. The gas mileage is excellent and it is so fun to drive. I leave my house earlier for work so that I can take the scenic route.

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  Kia Sedona Review - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Jess H - December 22 - 9:10 am

  We love our Kia Sedona. The affordability and warranty on the car is just wonderful especially for a family on one income. Our only complaint is the steering is very touchy.

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  Love my new Forte - 2016 Kia Forte
  By Theresa Erkila - December 22 - 3:09 am

  If you are looking for a great affordable car go and check out Cowboy Kia in Conroe Texas! They made sure I got the vehicle I wanted in the color I wanted and the price I wanted. The sales team and finance department were fantastic and made sure I was comfortable during the entire process. Everyone was very nice. As I have only had my Forte for a little over a week I cant comment on service because I havent needed any. I love the interior and it handles nicely! Everything about it is great! I would recommend getting a Kia to all. Very affordable and plenty of extras for the price. Great on gas too. I am really looking forward to my trip to Louisville Kentucky next week. Derby Time!!

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  Great Vehicle! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Saul & Ruby - December 19 - 11:33 pm

  We bought our Sorento on Memorial Day and decided on it because we learned it is now built in the U.S. by American workers. I researched price, performance, interior & exterior quality and visited dealers of different makes and models for 3 weeks. THIS is the vehicle we returned to. It has much more accessories for your dollar than the Escape, Rav4, Equinox or Tuscon. With the 5 year bumper to bumper warranty, we couldnt say no. The interior is quality material and the outside looks great. The ride is great as well. I highly recommend this crossover/suv. KIA looks like they are going to be around for a very long time. Nice going KIA.