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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  Great First time car - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By cmede - March 16 - 2:48 pm

  I bought this little guy used about 2 weeks ago. I came from a giant Nissan Altima all plush and built for long drives. I got into this Rondo and fell in love instantly! The seats were spacious for my bigger size, the leg room was great and the overall feel of the car felt like quality. I never thought I would buy something that looked like this. I think its not the nicest to look at. It reminds me of a wagon. But the way it grips the corners, gets up to highway speeds and truly is a hoot to drive. I was worried the 4 Cylinders was going to be a problem on the highway. I was mistaken. For my first car that I bought. I recommend it to anyone. It really is quality with the low price.

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  Great car ...I bought 2 in a week - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By TnBulRdr - March 15 - 11:00 pm

  I like to drive the vehicle and it is smooth and fun. I think it should have better gas mileage due to its size, but oh well. I liked my wifes so much, I bought a second one a week later, so we have 2 in the garage. They are great cars and worth the price.

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  Great value for the money - 2007 Kia Sportage
  By Faststeam - March 15 - 5:10 pm

  Purchased new Sportage 2 weeks ago and love the smooth ride and handling. Ride is very quiet on smooth roads but bumps tend to transfer noise through tires and chassis. Not as roomy as my Sorento I had for four years, but gas mileage is better and maneuverability as well. Overall, cant beat the price considering the features, and the 10 year 10,000 drive train warranty.

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  Great Car - 2008 Kia Sportage
  By PMK - March 12 - 10:56 pm

  My past 4 SUVs have been Jeeps. After my last experience, I decided to look elsewhere. I was about to purchase a Honda CR-V and decided to look at the Kia first. I loved the car so much, that I purchased it that night. The Kia Sportage was $7000 less than the CR-V and the 10 year/100,000 mile bumper to bumper $0 deductible warranty sealed the deal.

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  Happy mom and kids - 2005 Kia Rio
  By Mom of 2 - March 11 - 1:46 pm

  When I bought this car, I was looking for something small enough for me to drive, yet big enough for me and my two kids (5 months and 8 years old). I love my car. My sons car seat fits well in the back seat and my daughter has lots of room. The trunk is large enough to hold my sons humongous stroller and I can still get a good amount of groceries in there too!

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  love the car - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By diane - March 10 - 9:13 pm

  This is a classic car with many options for a reasonable price. It is a great car. Looks like a Mercedes.

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  Hard to beat for the money - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By sskrzysik - March 10 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I searched far and long for a mid sized SUV that could take us up the mountains for skiing. After looking at just about every competitor we found the Sorento the best in every category. Our Sorento is loaded with every option except load leveling. After two months of driving, we truly are happy with our purchase. Being built on a truck frame makes you feel like you own the road without being the biggest out there. The interior quality is superb. Tons of read passenger space!!! Only problem has been a few minor rattles. Haggle with the dealers like we did, dont pay over invoice!! Everyone in the market for a SUV should look at the Sorento.

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  Im a believer - 2004 Kia Optima
  By Frank - March 7 - 10:13 am

  The steering power assist is over compensated and the steering feels almost artificial, but I will never complain about it again. I had a near miss on the freeway yesterday and my Optima maneuvered excellently. If it wasnÂ’t for its excellent maneuverability and the power of the V6, I may not have been here to write this. Most people do not believe I paid $20k for the car (with $3K cash back); most say I must have must have paid at least $25K (its loaded, leather, abs, and power everything). Its longevity remains to be seen, but for now, IÂ’m a believer.

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  Spectra is fun - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By clhowardgc - March 7 - 8:03 am

  Very quiet, good acceleration, even with the automatic. Gas mileage has been improving as we put more miles on, now over 30 mpg. It now has about 7700 miles, with absolutely no problems thus far. One of the selling points was the excellent warranty, but have not had to use it. Passengers have commented it rides better than some larger mid-size vehicles.

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  I love it! - 2007 Kia Sportage
  By 4 door SUV 4 cyl - March 5 - 10:23 am

  Had it 18 months and have 25,000 miles on it. Never had one problem with it. Very dependable and thinking about buying a Sorento just for more room. My husband is 6 3" and is very comfortable driving it and riding in it. It is not 4WD and in the snow I put the ESC on and it drives well in snow. No complaints!