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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  Good SUV - 2008 Kia Sorento
  By Joanne - March 10 - 5:43 am

  Bought a sorento last Sept. having this SUV for a year we like it a lot; never owned a kia or SUV before but we are very happy driving it. It rides nice and it is very comfortable.

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  Letting my Soul Shine - 2016 Kia Soul
  By Sharyn - March 9 - 12:30 pm

  I have been driving my Soul for almost 2 weeks. My husband & I both love it! It handles well & has been easy to maneuver on our busy highways North of Boston. I have had no problem with speed while pulling out & merging with traffic. The drivers side seat electronic seat adjustments have helped me with my visibility as I am on the shorter side. Also, the space under the drivers seat is perfect to stash my bag while driving. The heated/ventilated seats in the front are fabulous & recently sat in the heated comfortable backseat. I have not experienced driving in snow as of yet, but have driven in rain & at night. The ride has been smooth on all occasions. The ECO button gave me a nice 29mpg for my highway driving.

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  Well Worth The Money - 2006 Kia Rio
  By GoldyLockz - March 8 - 10:20 am

  Bought this car in 06, and I have NEVER had a single problem other then replacing an accent bulb. Gas mileage is excellent averaging at about 36 MPG and it being extremely cute doesnt hurt either! Awesome buy for its class! And I personally think the sound quality is great and and the ride is super quiet.

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  My review - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By jkossoy - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Sorento since mid-June 2003, and have gotten anywhere from 16.5 mpg to 20 mpg with no problems after 6500 miles. In fact several people were impressed with the ride. My wife likes it (she hasnt driven it yet, but her only complaint is that its hard for her to get in (shes 52").

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  Sorento sets the new standard !! - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Scotts Sorento - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I tested a total of 7 different SUVs in the "mid-sized" class, and the Sorento was victorious in ALL categories. It has a good ride, ample room, a very under rated STRONG engine, etc. I was a little leary about the 192 HP in a 4300lb SUV......... BUT, it was the quickest of the 7 I drove ! It even outperformed the Lexus RX300 & the 250HP Acura MDX ! This is a real SUV for a very low price. I have owned it for 4 months, and I am VERY satisfied.

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  I love it! - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Wedad - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I had set my heart on a CR-V and then happened to see this car which was sort of similar to it but for about $7 thousand less. I researched its specs then read all the reviews I could find on Edmunds.com & other websites then took it for a test drive. It came out with flying colors- compatible with the CR-V as far as safety, performance, reliability, warranty, fuel economy, the SUV-like seating,and the even better interior & exterior features than the CR-V. The only real difference was the 4X4 drive. Ive had it for almost 3 weeks and love it. It rides a bit rough on hard roads because of the big 18" wheels and not-so-good suspension (as the Editors reviews explained). otherwise, its perfect for me

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  Well-built - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By John D - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I was impressed with the way the car handled and the comfortable ride. Also it was very quiet compared to my Ford Escape. Im satisfied with everything about the car so far. Ive had it 5 months and driven 5000 miles. The rear sensors and rear camera are very convenient for people that may have a problem turning to check whats behind them. Very nice vehicle. Has it all over the Escape I had.

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  my 2012 Kia Sportage - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By jeno555 - March 4 - 10:01 pm

  I bought a 2012 Kia Sportage when they first came out, it had Nav, heated heats, backup, AC on drivers seat, sunroof everything I could get, I loved the car, great to drive, as long as I was the driver, the passenger seat was to low, and not much padding in the seats, not a smooth ride at all, I talked to a tire dealer about changing the tires to Michelin tires and he said he didnt think it would help the ride much, the passenger seat needs to be a power seat like the driver seat, add more padding to the seats and get rid of those stiff tires, it had great power and a fast start up, but the seats were not comfortable on trips, I traded it last week for a Chevrolet Equinox.

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  wow i cant believe this is a Kia - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By mau-mau - March 3 - 10:40 pm

  It feels like a car when driving in the freeway. Not as many blind spots like the Odyssey and Sienna. it drove like the Honda but doesnt carry the Honda price!

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  Its a college student car but not!!! - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By Monica - March 2 - 5:26 pm

  The only great thing about this car is that it only cost $26 to fill her up. My AC stop working at a certain point now my heater stop working and also my trunk is leaking water which is causing my car to smell like mildew and also my dashborad is rising!!!