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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  Best Van,,,PERIOD! - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By JWM - June 5 - 2:53 am

  Were ready to trade in for a Berrago..after driving a loaner for 2 days, we just couldnt give up the comfort and reliability of our EX Sedona...to bad they are discontinuing this model in 2011.

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  Great value if you can get a deal - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By JerryO - June 5 - 2:30 am

  Handles well, very solid feel. You can feel the higher weight in the ride and when you hit potholes, just absorbs it. Interior hip room is great, especially in the back seat with a carseat in the middle(mid-seat 3 pt. belt great for kids to see road too). Looks like a Lexus, very similar features in general, but at 19K, well worth the investment. Smooth acceleration and fun with the 5-auto w/shifter. Looks as strong as it drives.

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  WOW WHAT A CAR! - 2012 Kia Optima
  By beafantoo - June 4 - 6:08 am

  I am 62 weigh 315 lbs and this car wows me to no end. Great looking car, great comfortable car, very nice styling. My car has the tech package and nav..I would recommend this car to everybody.. I am getting about 27.8 mpg with most of my driving in the city, I purchased the car 3 weeks ago and have put 1000. miles on it already, very responsive around turns with great handling. Very fast for a 4cyl. you wont go wrong buying this car..

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  A dream to drive... love my Optima! - 2011 Kia Optima
  By trainer1366 - June 3 - 9:50 pm

  A Dark Cherry EX with the Premium package. It is taking me a while to get used to the length --I feel like Im in a full size car. The car receives a lot of attention! Comments like, "What kind of sports car is this? Lexus IS, ES or Jag? Peter S. and the KIA design team dialed up the heat and produced the best looking sedan on the road. Hands down.

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  This car rocks!! - 2007 Kia Optima
  By Dano - June 3 - 3:53 am

  I have had this car for about 5 months and have almost 10000 miles on it. I am a big guy and I found the room and comfort to be very surprising. I chose the 4 cyl. over the 6 because I found it to be more sporty and responsive than the 6 which seemed a little laggy to me. The interior styling and the heavy resemblance to the Lexus at well under half the price is a big plus. If this car performs over the long run as I expect I will definetly be a longtime Kia customer.

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  ILUVMYSORENTO - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By JayneM - June 3 - 2:00 am

  A good buying experience ended in a good purchase. Good quality SUV. I did all the research possible before buying. I would finish the salespersons sentences, I could probably sell them myself. I was very confident going into this buy with all the knowledge possible. It is a great looking SUV. I get a lot of looks driving it. I love all the special features. Mine is semi-loaded, with leather interiors and the wood-grain package. Window visors and bug- deflector finish off the look.

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  Id never even considered a Kia Soul ! - 2016 Kia Soul
  By Alec Little - June 2 - 12:12 pm

  I bought my Kia Soul ! about a month ago. My wife has always driven larger SUVs and Ive driven a 4-door Pickup truck for the past 10-years. I fully expected the Soul to have sluggish pickup and I expected to be bounced around like in any lightweight economy vehicle. Let me tell you, this car is comfortable, it has plenty of pep (2.0L) and is fun to drive. Im particularly pleased with the quality of the materials and workmanship in the car. Plus this Soul! has more electronics than I have ever had in my previous luxury vehicles. I was so impressed that I purchased the extended bumper-to-bumper warranty which I have never done before. I had driven my pickup for 10-years and if my impressions prove correct, Ill be driving this just as long.

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  2005 KIA SEDONA LX - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By DIANNA - May 31 - 11:46 pm

  THIS IS THE BEST MINIVAN I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. IT HAS GREAT PICK UP AND HAS GREAT GAS MILEAGE FOR A MINIVAN. I LOVE TO DRIVE IT SO MUCH THAT I NOW ASK TO PICK THINGS UP FROM THE STORE OR TAKE ANYONE ANYWHERE THEY NEED TO GO. IT IS EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE AND MY FAMILY LOVES IT AS MUCH AS I DO. BY THE WAY THIS IS THE FIRST BRAND NEW VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED IN MY 35 YEARS OF DRIVING. I HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS VEHICLE TO EVERYONE. I AM A SINGLE GRANDMOTHER THAT LOVES TO TAKE HER GRANDCHILDREN EVERYWHERE SO AS YOU CAN SEE I DRIVE IT A LOT.

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  Love, love, love the PARDY VAN!!!!! - 2016 Kia Sedona
  By Daezjones11814 - May 31 - 8:33 am

  We have the BEST minivan on the market! We have the Sedona SX Limited with the technology package, dual sunroofs, and all the bells and whistles. Instead of going for the eighth seat we went with the second row with foot rests. Weve been on a few road trips already and the foot rests were of great value. The heated and cool seats are amazing! The driver seat contours to my body which makes driving very comfy. Ive only been in the passenger seat twice but when I was in it it felt just as good as the drivers seat. The power sliding doors are heaven sent. Also the power life gate is a must if you have children. The leather is very easy to clean spills off of, bonus!! The gas mileage is good compared to other vehicles, city about 19 and straight highway 25-28. Overall this vehicle is a must if you have a family or are starting one. You wont be disappointed with this minivan.

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  WOW!! It is a KIA!!!! - 2012 Kia Optima
  By mrvega - May 30 - 1:27 am

  Purchased my 2012 SX 3 weeks ago and I am truly amazed. It doesnt feel or look like a KIA. The ride is very smooth yet sporty. Quieter and more stable at speed than my mothers 2009 Camry SE V6 even though the SE V6 feels like it accelerates quicker yet handles and feels better than the Camry. The style is elegant yet sporty (Many people compliment the exterior and interior). Even though it is a 4 cylinder, because of the turbo, it doesnt feel sluggish especially at slower speeds. Gas mileage could be better. It is returning 18-19 City hwy around 28 The style in my opinion looks much better than the Mazda 6, New Camry, Sonata, Accord, Malibu, and more expensive cars.