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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  A Great Little Car! - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By Tammie - July 6 - 5:50 pm

  Only 1 problem in 3 years--had to get the Catalic Converter replaced but it was under warranty. Took numerous visits to the dealership to get this done--to run all the necessary tests when the check engine light kept coming on. They got it fixed and its been running fine for 8 months since.

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  2.5 years 72000 miles running strong - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By dons - July 6 - 8:13 am

  K so I bought this new.. Wanted a hatchback because of the fact the rear seats fold completely flat.. Wanted room without sacrificing gas mileage and getting a suv. Exterior is soft tho.. As all vehicles are nowdays. All dings and bumps show up, and the plastic front bumper not so great with 6 or more inches of snow on the ground.. In effect it became a plow during the winter, but with studs got around great anyway. Interior roomy. Wife and 3 kids and me fit great. Car headliner easily stainable oddly enough not sure what happened there. Car has been across country from Washington to Texas and back with no real issues.

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  beutiful - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By bilybob - July 6 - 2:00 am

  PERFECT i wouldnt change a thing it drives great and great sound system great warranty greatlots of room

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  Love my sorento - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By GinnyB - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Only have 2200 miles, and so far my Sorento is everything I asked for and then some. Living in the Northeast, this winter was a breeze after getting this car in February. Wished I had gotten it sooner. The only draw back so far is the gas milage.

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  Cheap used car, wouldnt buy new - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By Kia Driver - July 4 - 7:23 pm

  I find this to be a decent used car for someone just learning to drive or looking for nothing more than point A to point B transportation. Its been pretty reliable although when things do break, they are expensive to repair. Many parts have to be ordered from Korea and its hard to find a mechanic that will work on them. Very difficult to work on yourself as well. The "little things" like interior trim and such start falling apart around 50k miles though. By 87K the dash was warped, interior trim always falling off, drivers seat no longer went back, and power windows only worked sometimes. The drive train itself is fairly reliable though.

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  Kia Optima 2012 review update - 2012 Kia Optima
  By soxfan99 - July 4 - 4:36 pm

  Wanted to write an updated review on my Kia Optima 2012 EX. As far as the vehicle itself, starting to show wear at 32k miles on the interior and exterior with light use (car is garaged daily). Arm rest is peeling. Carpet on rear deck is discoloring. "Leather" seats are starting to break down. Mileage has not changed or improved still averaging around 23mpg C-H driving. Tires that Kia is equipping the Optima with - horrible. Have the alignment checked (this is a known problem). This Optima has gone out 2 times. So in all not a horrible car, but cheaply made - we are glad its a lease. We will be turning in and not looking back.

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  Turbo Problems in 2011 Kia Sportage - 2011 Kia Sportage
  By Tam - July 4 - 2:10 am

  I bought my Kia 2011 Sportage SX brand new from a local Kia dealership. I was thinking of purchasing either the Dodge Journey or Sportage at the time, but the 100,000-mile-warranty on the Kia Sportage is what sold the car for me. It also came well equipped and I have to admit I am now spoiled by a nice sunroof, and all the little bells and whistles that the SX comes with. HOWEVER.....the turbo engine has been replaced TWICE in this car. Once at 40,000 miles (which was fine because it was under warranty), and just recently at 104,000 miles....which cost me $600. The Kia Dealership doesnt say much about this....even though Ive asked if this is a common Sportage problem. Before I purchased this car several family and friends told me the jury was out on a 4-cylinder with a turbo, and now I can see why. Other than that, I LOVE my Kia Sportage and am hoping the 2nd NEWLY INSTALLED turbo engine will last at least another 50,000 miles. Taking bets..... :)

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  so far so good for the price - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By ibos38 - July 2 - 7:29 am

  Have not had this vehicle too long but already took it on a 7 hour road trip and was very happy with the performance. I did manage to get the mileage for the buck but mostly when going 65 mph. I was very happy with the 3rd row feature which was the whole reason for buying this model since we had to drive around a few extra people while we were visiting. Even with the 3rd seat up we could get some luggage in the back, an overnight bag and a few other things. I have a big family and someone always wants to tag along with me and my two kids. I test drove the Mazda CX9 and Highlander but was most convinced by this model on price and performance.

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  Great Car - 2002 Kia Optima
  By 2 accidents - July 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought the base Optima just as a cheap commuting car. After $4,000 for a trade in that was worth $400, I bought a 5 speed LX for $12,500 and monthly payments of about $200. Not bad for a brand new car with a great warranty. However, since I bought it in Oct. 2002, Ive been in two accidents. One was a hit and run and the other involved a guy slamming into me from behind and pushing me into another car. The Optima held up surprisingly well. The guy who hit mes Intrepid was undrivable while the only damage to my car was a dent in the back bumper! It has also been a pleasure to drive - when its not in the body shop!

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  pretty cool car - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By Ignacio - July 1 - 10:00 am

  this car is basic transportation. accelerates slowly but is good for teenagers with cautious parents that dont want them to drag race. it has nice taillights. its comfortable and looks nice on the inside. fits five adults comfortably.