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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  True Confessions - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By kiaconvert - January 13 - 10:00 am

  My biggest hangup with the Sorento was admittedly the Kia name and presumed poor qulality. However, my first test drive was a shocker...plenty of power, buttery smooth shifting(5 spd)and a very comfortable interior. The looks arent bad either, borrowing lines from the Acura MDX, Lexus and Mercedes. Kia has taken a giant leap from the punky Sportage to the Sorento, and with the newly available sports package, it comes well trimmed and off-road ready. Its priced with the CRV and RAV4 but compares well with the 4Runner and other mid sized SUVs. Dont buy in this category without honestly testing the Kia first.

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  Surprisingly good car - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By Phil - January 13 - 1:20 am

  After hearing about safety issues with older Kias (side impact problems), I was a little wary of getting into one, but that has apparently been resolved with the new models. I have had my 07 for almost 2 years now, and it is one of the best, most dependable vehicles that I have ever driven. Smooth driver, but you have to watch your speed (my gf hit 93 MPH without realizing the first time she was on the HWay), Ive personally gotten it up to 112 without struggling (I know, bad!). Fantastic fuel economy, good factory sound system with AUX input, intuitive cruse control paddle shifter, GREAT pickup and 0-60 acceleration. Solid feel to doors/trunk/hood.

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  KIA SEDONOA EX - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By thompson - January 11 - 10:00 am

  so far we have not found one thing that we do not like about the SEDONA, its braking is exceptional on wet pavement,the EX is sharp inside and outside. It has proved to be an excellent choice for a disabled person, with all the hand pulls and extra power outlets in back. the removable seats, we are VERY pleased with the choice we made. the price and the gas milage doesnt hurt a bit either.

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  character in a car - 2010 Kia Forte
  By dave - January 10 - 7:43 pm

  I traded in a mazda6 which was good but just boring.Ive had the car for 4 weeks. The new Forte has character. Its a fun car to drive. It has plenty of room, a large trunk, plenty of back seat room.It handles great and with the 2.4 engine has more accelaration then the old mazda6 with a 3.0.The satellite radio and easy MP3 hook up is great.It evens comes with bluetooth which I didnt care about but makes driving safer.It has most options standard on the SX.The new mazda 3 may have a nicer interior(ugly grill) but I would rather have the extra money in my pocket.Once you get used to the delayed throttle its a blast to drive.Nothing in its class has as much power or is as much fun to drive.

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  Rain, ice, and snow - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By fully loaded - January 10 - 2:30 pm

  My fully loaded Sorento that I purchased last week was very impressive through a major northeast storm. During a 40 mile commute that lasted 5 hours, I was never uncomfortable. Since I know every road between work and home I left the highway several times to look for a better way, and witnessed people not able to navigate the smallest of inclines, I was tempted to pass the expensive cars known to Greenwhich CT as they fish tailed back and forth but the on coming traffic proved to be a bad idea for passing.The Sorento kept up with every inch with no slipping. Very impressed with handling and comfort.

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  Cant beat the price per safety & option - 2009 Kia Sportage
  By Jay - January 10 - 1:06 pm

  Were looking for a family size car with decent fuel efficiency under 20K. Weve checked RAV4, CR-V, Mazda 5, Santa Fe, Rondo, & Sportage. After the test driving, knocked off RAV4, Rondo & Mazda 5. CR-V not chosen simply because weve owned Honda & wanted to make a change + price. Santa Fe looked good but fuel efficiency was somewhat disappointing. This sportage gave us smooth ride, enough power (family of 4), and it was quite spacious for all 4 passengers. The 2nd row seat has three reclining options which are great to our kids during a long ride. On top of that, Kias 3K incentive made it impossible to find some other alternatives. Purchased around 13K w/ Cash for clunkers.

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  Good car for price - 2004 Kia Rio
  By Bill Schwalbach - January 8 - 10:00 am

  The car costs just under 10,000. I use it almost completly on the highway, and I have been getting on average 40 mpg. Not the most powerful car, but it will get up to highway speeds just as well as any other car with a 4 cylinder engine. The interior has plenty of little things that dont seem to matter until you have them. It has cup holders you can actually use for more than a can. Im 62" and I fit comfortably inside the car without hitting my head. The gearshift could be set a little farther back though. I have to move my leg when shifting in the low gears. Overall, for the price, and for the amount I save on fuel, it is a great car for the money.

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  Great car for a great price! - 2010 Kia Forte
  By littleashley - January 6 - 4:35 pm

  My husband and I owned this car for a year, and I loved it! We put 20k miles on it with no problems, and the gas mileage was great.. We made it from San Diego to Phoenix with one tank. The body style is classy, not like the older kias. The interior also looks extremely nice with leather, and I liked the digital radio and the way it worked with sirius. The car was also fun to drive.. Its only a 4 cyl, so it doesnt have a lot of pick up, but it handles really well. We had to trade in our car because it was difficult getting the car seat in and out of the back, but thats the only reason!

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  Very Happy with This Car - 2002 Kia Rio
  By Brandon Mintern - January 4 - 9:50 pm

  Its not often you can get a 4-year-old with only 35K miles for $5K, but that was the case with this one. The fuel efficiency has been great, and it gets around the small confines of the city very well. Parallel parking is a breeze, and the manual transmission makes it fun to drive in spite of a bit of a lack of power. Actually, driving it at about 5-6000 RPM can generate decent power for the small engine, but I drive more easily for gas mileage close to 35 MPG. I was very surprised by the amount of space. Front and back seat passengers will not be cramped, and the trunk is surprisingly roomy. For the low price and dependability, along with the overall good design, its a bargain.

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  Some problems, but good car - 2008 Kia Spectra
  By mountaineer6 - January 4 - 5:58 pm

  I bought my 2008 Spectra about 2 years ago with 18,000 miles Certified Pre-Owned. Only major problem Ive had is the front end is so out of whack (sometime shaking violently at highway speeds other times not and knocking noise), and no one can seem to fix it. Was told it was probably the tires, so I replaced them for the problem to resurface as soon as the were worn in. Now Im about to drop another $500 to replace the front struts and hopefully resolve the issue. Kia says that it isnt covered under the warranty (because apparently the struts on a car with 40,000 miles should go bad.) Get 30mpg, SO FUN TO DRIVE, kinda slow but peppy, maneuverable, good visibility, ugly but sporty look.