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:

• 

  good value, but not refined.... - 2011 Kia Optima
  By jerryjerry - August 20 - 5:39 am

  Did the online shopping at Edmunds before I bought this for my son. Ive been driving it the last 5 months as well. The power train is not smooth. Shifting is awkward after a few months. Very loud in hwy, wish we had longer test drive on hwy before we bought it. I think they were very aggressive when they stated their gas mileage. Im getting 3 miles below in Georgia driving. And my son stated it pull to the left as others have experienced.

• 

  No Dealership In CA - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By BONG - August 20 - 2:16 am

  driving this vehicle for a year is not that good because for the first two mos of driving, i noticed the popping noise from driver side or when you hitting pot holes and turning.after a year, the a/c compressor has a knocking noise and need replacement and they need to order the Dont buy kia when you are in california or dont go to california when you have this kia cars..They dont have participating dealer in ca.......parts.when you turn L/R/maneuver or backing, you need extra effort.

• 

  2006 Sedona "Lemon" - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By jwmrjm - August 19 - 1:43 pm

  Within a few weeks the transmission went out. The technicians had difficulty diagnosing the problem before deciding to order a new transmission from Korea. Two "loaner vehicles were provided. Both of these Sedona’s had electrical malfunctions. The fuel pump has been replaced. The intake air system has failed. The tire pressure sensors have failed. The horn has failed and Kia installed the "wrong" replacement making yet two more trips back to the shop. The vehicle has spent 1/4 of its life in the shop. Kia has failed to honor terms of extended warranty contract. Do not buy Kia.

• 

  Great car all around! - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By human - August 19 - 10:46 am

  I never thought I would consider a Kia. But on paper, this car beat everything else in its class so I thought it was worth checking out. After the test drive I was sold! The ride is smooth and solid and the interior is quiet. Easily the best bang for the buck especially with the $1750 rebate. Image conscious drivers will have to pay thousands more for a similar performing car. "Reliability" = 9 because I havent owned it for too long. "Fuel Economy" = 8 because Corollas and Civics have better MPG ratings.

• 

  Kia owner for life - 2004 Kia Optima
  By David Hatch - August 19 - 8:40 am

  This is the second Kia Ive purchased - first was an 02 Sedona EX that has been so solid, my ex-wife fought for (and got it) in the divorce. I paid around 12K brand new as an 04 left over and have had very few problems. So far after 80K miles all Ive done is oil changes, new brake pads, and two new tires (one a side wall puncture). Have not had to used the warranty on this one, but had to in the past on the Sedona (power window, rear wiper motor) and had no hassles in invoking the warranty. Great commuter car that also offers pleanty of interior room. My next car will also be a Kia, but by the way this ones going, that doesnt look like Ill be getting a new one for a while!

• 

  Really Enjoying it - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By carconnoisseur - August 18 - 3:57 pm

  We have now had our 2012 Sorento for 2 months/3800mi and we are loving it. We sold our CRV and upgraded to the Kia. The Kia seems much better made and the interior is vastly more comfortable. Most notable is the interior is much quieter. The MPG for us has been very good, with mostly highway I calculated 31.5 mpg, almost exactly what it should be. Also over the CRV you get a direct injection engine and a six-speed transmission. And do not forget the Stellar Warranty!

• 

  Best compact car for the price! - 2016 Kia Forte
  By Larry - August 18 - 1:37 pm

  The price for the base model with popular package (+$1000) is well worth it. The #1 reason that I chose Kia is that they do not use the CVT transmission that all of the other brands in its class does. The 1.8L engine has plenty of power even with the air conditioner on high and with passengers. The interior is very nice for a base model and the popular package gets you a lot, including backup camera, Bluetooth, etc. Trunk space is best in its class. If you can get a 2016 with the PP for under $18K you will not regret it and remember the transmission! CVT s wear out at around 70,000 miles and cost around $7000 to replace (they cannot be repaired) perhaps this is why Kia chooses to not to use them because of their 100,000 mile warranty, KIA uses the dual clutch transmission. The hand controls are very ergonomic which helps keep your eyes on the road. Kia does not deal with Takata Airbags (look up Takata Airbag Inflators) I cannot express enough about staying away from any auto that is equipped with the CVT transmission. Kia along with Mobis (a German engineering company) have engineered great autos.The Cons: I only have only 1 and that is when driving the Forte all you see is the road which is great for an experienced driver, but for a beginner they are bound to miss judge resulting in hitting curbs etc.

• 

  Great little car! - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Sandra W - August 18 - 2:53 am

  Ive had my Spectra 5 for one month and continue to be impressed with it. I have had not one issue thus far. Whether in the city, on the highway or even on a gravel road, the car is comfortable & much fun to drive. It handles extremely well, the sport suspension is great. So much bang for the buck, its surprising that there arent more of them on the road.

• 

  Buyer beware!! - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By MotherRockDog - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Sportage 4WD because the price was right and the warranty couldnt be beat. I need a 4WD where I live and it seemed like a nice little SUV. Well its a good thing it has such a great warranty because its in the shop practically every other month with a variety of problems. From minor things like the dome lights not working and the door to the gas tank not opening (I had to pry it open with a screwdriver), to major things like the nuetral safety switch crunching into a dozen pieces under the clutch pedal and the 4WD breaking TWICE (so far). Ive been without 4WD for most of the winter. My Sportage has been carted away on a flatbed three times so far.

• 

  Love My Kia - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By mike meldahl - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I commute 130 miles a day and my Sportage has never let me down. I have done nothing but change the oil, rotate the tires, and had a 30k tune- up.