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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  A gamble that is still paying off - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By 1st time van owner - November 22 - 2:00 am

  We bought the Sedona because it was about $10K less than what I was going to pay for an Odyssey. People warned me about poor build quality and other things. The build quality is pretty good. You simply get a very good car for the price. Its engine is powerful enough if you dont go over 85 mph very often. The handling sucks, it feel like the suspension is well too soft or the van is too heavy. Still, we have not experienced a single problem, so I guess the gambling is paying off.

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  GSX rules - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By J. Schroer - November 20 - 10:00 am

  I have had no problems with window seals or handling with my Kia GSX it took a while to get what I wanted and I still was not able to get the ABS that I wanted.My Kia looks sharp and gets good mileage. I also have lots of room in the trunk which is a major plus. I also like the warranty that comes with it! Thank you Kia!

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  Great Value - 2010 Kia Sedona
  By zeuscharles - November 16 - 9:41 pm

  I view a car as a depreciating asset and a necessary evil that needs to be reliable and safe. I do not view my vehicles as a statement of my success nor do I view them as a mobile living room. That said, I bought a used 2010 Sedonna LX with 18000 miles on the odometer, covered the steering wheel with a laced leather cover, and I am thrilled with it. It drives as nicely as many other minivans, gets fair gas mileage, and was a great value. Based on my first three months with the vehicle, I highly recommend the Kia Sedonna LX if you are seeking enjoyable and well priced transportation.

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  Great SUV, very dependable & comfortable - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Tom B - November 15 - 1:36 pm

  Purchased new, now have 50K+ miles, my daughter drives it. Never a break down! Very comfortable, and dependable. Typical maintenance issue you have with any car...change brake pads, tires, oil (no surprise) but never any big problems. Two items replaced under warranty...no big deal.

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  Not a Bad Econobox - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By nethed - November 14 - 10:00 am

  not bad at all for the price. Havent had any major problems or any mechanical problems with the car. I drive a lot, and i mean a lot. pushing 30000 in just 6 months of driving. However, i have had a lot of minor annoyances with the car. Such as the stereo didnt match the Sticker, the Back seat doesnt latch correctly, the Truck Release is flaky at best. Overall Though its a good deal for the money.

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  Good car, so far! - 2002 Kia Sportage
  By Breezy - November 14 - 10:00 am

  13000 tough miles on this car in just seven months with no serious problems (the drink tray floor broke, but it still holds most cups and mugs). I like the fuel efficiency, which is the upside of less than stellar engine power. Its nimble in city traffic, and with its tight turn radius, short wheelbase and ample ground clearance, you can always find creative places to park. Weve had no trouble on dirt roads and gravel, but stay out of the snow, mud or sand unless you have the 4wd. If you plan to drive on such roads, consider getting a skid plate to protect the oil pan & vital parts.

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  Nice lil car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By silver bullet - November 13 - 3:16 pm

  At 65, 300 lbs I wondered at first if I could even fit in it, to my surprise I did. Now at about 45000 miles I cant complain much. It has good power and with the stick in it I really go if I need to, but I think it needs to have a sixth gear in it. I put an after market sound system in but left the factory deck in it and it sounds quite good. I had no problems other than the front spoiler is gone due to rubbing on parking ties and drive entries.

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  Very Happy So Far - 2013 Kia Rio
  By gmmcnair - November 12 - 10:17 pm

  I bought my Rio LX hatchback a little over a month ago. I have the 6 speed automatic, and just about nothing else as far as extras. I am not into fluff on cars, but this one is nicely equipped and has all the amenities that one needs in a basic daily driver. The little 1.6 liter engine is spirited off the line (slows down a little bit after that), and gives me decent numbers. I drive in a lot of heavy, stop and start, traffic, and I get about 26-28 mpg overall. Highway mileage hovers around 40....this is without the active ECO button engaged (turns the car into a slug).

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  Money well spent - 2002 Kia Rio
  By Roguebull - November 4 - 5:43 am

  Bought Rio with 53K miles on it (still in warranty!), took the back seats out, used it as a mini ranch truck so I could drive my truck less. I live in the cold Pacific Northwest but the Rio has never failed to start on the first revolution. Ive had it off road, (which it is not designed for), and on snowy mountain fire trails. I carried lumber, pipe, dogs and feed bags inside with the windows up and the rear seats out. It got from 29 mpg to 37 mpg depending on how I used it. Only complaint: little hard for big man in western hat to squeeze in and out of. But it never let me down in 40K miles, did all it was asked to do and more, and thus is one of the best buys for the dollar Ive owned.

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  I love my Kia! - 2005 Kia Optima
  By melly07 - November 3 - 11:30 am

  I bought my car used with 84,000 miles on it, its been a great car, currently we have to replace the blower resistor in the a/c but warranty is covering it. This car has plenty of power and handles very well.