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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  Dependable Car - 2005 Kia Optima
  By SafetyFirst - March 8 - 5:43 am

  I purchased my 2005 Kia Optima from a friend in June 2007 and it had almost 30k miles on it. I was in school and couldnt afford to get the 30k scheduled tune-up (shame on me). I did get regular oil changes and tire rotations. Only once did the car need to go to the shop and the problem was an accelerator sensor that was covered by the warranty. I never broke down in this car during the three years/45k miles I put on it. I believe the gas mileage to be great and the car felt solid. I just recently traded it in with 72k miles on it and bought a 2009 Kia Optima with 12K. I purchased a second Kia because I was so impressed with the reliability.

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  Updated Post - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By kialover - March 7 - 8:00 pm

  I posted on this car about a year ago, I loved it then and I love it more now! This car is great in the snow!! I cant believe it, just 2 days ago, we got about 10 inches of snow in Grand Rapids MI. During that storm we had to go out. That car just plowed through it, without the roads plowed yet! I am very pleased with this car. We get good mileage, about 21 mpg every time, mostly city.

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  Soul + - unbelievable bargain ! - 2011 Kia Soul
  By pnut166 - March 7 - 5:12 am

  Just got my new 2011 Kia Soul + AT yesterday. First impression: a lot of bang for the buck ! I got a fully-loaded Soul +, out-the-door for $15400, after trading in a trashed, near-death 2000 Focus. My first Kia experience, and the dealership was first-class all the way - best car-buying experience ever ! Now, on to the car. A pretty low-tech powertrain, but it gets the job done. Somewhat harsh engine noise, and , surprisingly, a four-speed tranny. A couple more gears would have given this car alot more in the way of fuel savings and comfort. But, it gets good mileage, is fairly peppy, and the manual mode adds to the driving fun. Interior looks somewhat cheap, but vastly improved over past

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  Fun & reliable ride; not a sports car - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By fhopp - March 6 - 8:03 am

  A list of fact/impressions with my 2001 Sportage: + Reliable + OEM tires sucked--go with yokahomas + Love the suspension--take road humps at 40 mph + Love the manueverability--turns on a dime + Styling inspired by 1950s cold war military--good or bad + Well designed seating--Im 64" and I have plenty of room; also, elevating the rear seats makes riding in back not- so-bad BUT... + Could Kia have found cheaper materials for the interior trim?! + Like the power windows and the base accessory set BUT... + need to redesign front cup holder and rear tailgate + affordable maintenance and easy to repair--both at body shop and at home

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  a lot of car for the price - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By masterpaula - March 5 - 7:43 pm

  Have had the Spectra5 for little over a month. My wife and I are very impressed with the quality of the car. Fit and finish are excellent, the level of standard equipment found in the KIA is higher than its competitors and the price is lower. If youre looking for a small car with a lot room, great looks, a high level of standard equipment, an excellent ride and a decent price take a serious look at the Spectra5 and forget any preconceived ideas you might have had about KIA, it really is a great car.

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  So far so good, so simple. - 2001 Kia Rio
  By dhutchinson - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Kia Rio in November, 2001 I was skeptical when buying the Kia last year, I had driven a 1987 Honda Accord for many years and didnt want to pay for any more repairs. Along with other financial obligations the Kia Rio was a great deal. Ive currently got around 12000 miles on it, and havent had any troubles at all. We also took it on a trip to New York and it handled very well, however cruise control would have been nice. So far so good....I am cautious as I approach more miles, I hope the "cheapest car in America", can give me Honda dependability.

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  OH YA BABY!!!! - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By tw5051 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  my last car was a sephia i needed an automatic...will always recomend a KIA.

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  Very Impressed - 2011 Kia Optima
  By orion1192001 - March 3 - 4:11 am

  I saw this car on the road and decided to go in and check it out. I was very impressed. It had more features, power, practicality, and features than other cars I was considering for about $5,000 less. 2 years ago I would never have considered a Kia, but this car is legitimate. After a few hundred miles I am still appreciating its refinement and drive. Try to shelve your bias and just test drive the thing, I think you will be pleasantly surprised....

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  OK so far - 2008 Kia Optima
  By fred ruedy - March 2 - 6:43 pm

  We purchased our optima after doing lots of research (consumer reports, edmunds, etc). The reviews caught our attention so we investigated and test drove the vehicle. The quiet ride in a strong cross wind was a positive. We also drove the Camry and Fusion. Both of these cars were nice but the price on the optima sold us. I wish the noise from the suspension were not as sharp when driving on roads with tar strips or ruts. I like the feel of the road and the ease of handling.

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  Watch the car mileage - 2009 Kia Optima
  By airport kia - March 1 - 10:36 am

  The Optima is a beautiful car both on the interior and exterior. The new 4 cyl engine stuggles while driving in the city.It get only 15-17 mph city which makes it a clunker. The driver seat is very un comfortable. After driving the new Chevolet Malibu, I realize I bought the wrong car. I can live with this car but would not recomend it to family and friends. The engine is a underperformer. To compare the Optima to the Camary is like rating a race horse versus a donkey. All the features on the car work excellent. The red lighting on the dash get annoying after a while. And what is with the 16 inch wheels?