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:

• 

  Best Kept Secret! - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By mankowski - April 12 - 2:00 am

  At nearly half the cost of mini vans this one rocks! At 6000 miles not a trip to the shop...

• 

  Great van & Great value - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By BJP - April 12 - 2:00 am

  Tried several minivans and I liked the Sedona EX the best. I fit well in it at 66". You get a lot for your money in comparison to Honda or Toyota or a domestic. I was really surprised at the quality of the interior and the general fit of the van. Good stero the EX is well worth the extra $. The HP may scare you off but there is good acceleration with over 210 pounds of torque

• 

  Who would of thought? - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Renob - April 12 - 2:00 am

  Well I went and test drove just about everything in the 20k to 30k price range then I went to Kia. I was shocked I had never seen a Sorento, They looked great but then I drove it and WOW. Kia has made a believer out of me; I got the EX with everything except 4x4 and love it. All the other SUVs could not even come close, The Kia is a joy to drive and with all that leather and a nice 10 speaker sound I have to fight with my wife to drive it. It is by far the best bang for the buck and with their warranty you won’t have anything to worry about for a Long time. So do yourself a favor and go drive a Sorento.

• 

  Best car Ive ever owned - 2004 Kia Optima
  By 1Canuck - April 11 - 11:20 pm

  Bought this car in 2006 with 18K miles, now (2009) just went over 70K miles. Hands-down the best car Ive ever owned. I track gas mileage every fill-up and have averaged 27mpg combined city/hwy driving. Car has been very reliable though I did make sure to preemptively change my timing belt at 50K miles just to be safe! Car is comfortable, handles great, very strong for a 4cyl and looks great. Would definitely buy another Optima without hesitation!

• 

  I love my Kia - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Cathy - April 11 - 2:00 pm

  Easily one of the best driving SUVs Ive ever owned. Steering is very responsive and the ride is quite comfortable and smooth. It handles as well on a city highway as it does on rough terrain. My husband and I use it to pull our boat, which it does with relative ease. I would recommend the Sorento to anyone looking to purchase a SUV.

• 

  Love the Soul Sport - 2010 Kia Soul
  By SiouxCitySoul - April 11 - 5:13 am

  I have had my Soul for a few weeks now. It was my first new car purchase. It is definitely a change from my previous Pontiac Grand Prix, but thus far I am really enjoying the vehicle! Im not sure if it is just my vehicle, but one complaint is that I cannot use the automatic shutoff device on the gas station pumps, as they shut off about 1 second late, and about a cup of gas will overflow from the Souls tank each time. It was something that never happened with my old vehicle, but it consistently happening at EVERY station Ive filled. I definitely recommend the Kia Soul!

• 

  Sorento - 2014 Kia Sorento
  By Maureen Morgan - April 10 - 6:12 pm

• 

  Nice family sedan - 2004 Kia Optima
  By ol luke - April 10 - 4:13 pm

  This car is a nice car for the money. It has the optional "sportamatic" auto- clutch transmission. I wish it wouldnt kick down automatically. The cloth seats are comfortable, and it rides like a Cadillac. Has as many features as our 1995 Maxima - minus the leather and climate control (Maxima bought used for $12,000, Kia bought new for $14,000.). Great Honda or Toyota alternative. Give Kia a try!

• 

  Glad I Found This Car! - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Hoosiersec - April 10 - 1:40 pm

  After researching for nearly two months for my new SUV, I finally found the best built car and most comfortable to drivein its class. The looks of the car are head turning and the performance has been great. Although I have only the car for less than a week, I have zero regrets for my final decision. I had test driven the View (tinny and cheap feeling), the Pathfinder, 4Runner and Pilot, and wasnt sold on any of them. Although my needs changed throughout my search (thought Id like the 8-seat potential), but always left the dealerships unimpressed. The value and performance of this SUV are unbeatable. I have driven a Jimmy for the past four years, and am glad to finally be out of it!!

• 

  Kia Spectra Review - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Denise - April 10 - 1:36 pm

  This car has been very economical and dependable for me. With my busy life and small family, I needed something that would always start! It looks nice, drives nice, gets excellent gas mileage, and is cheap to insure. I always bought used cars and inherited other peoples problems. This new car has a great warranty, free oil changes for as long as I own it, and so far, no headaches!