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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  Warranty is just a Word - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By UnhappyOwner - February 15 - 10:03 am

  Beware of the warranty, Kia really does not cover much at all. 10-Year 100,000 mile warranty really means that anytime you have a problem the dealer will attempt to explain why it is not covered. The warranty is garbage. Do not let the warranty enter into your decision to purchase this vehicle because the warranty is a big joke.

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  Outstanding! Move over Toyota! - 2008 Kia Spectra
  By joe - February 15 - 5:03 am

  Before you pay more for a Toyota, Honda,etc, you owe it to yourself to look at the Kia! I bought this car a month ago and i cant say enough good about it. Style and features outside are great! Interior features and style, looks and feels awesome, then we get to the best part. This car handles and drives incredibly! I have the SX model which has the sport tuned suspension and it handles and feels like a sports car! I dont understand edmunds review about the motor. They say it gets noisy at high rpm, not mine! The 2.0 in this car has plenty of power and does not require high revs to push or pass! I have the 5 speed manual, its great! Dont overlook the Kia, youll just pay more!

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  Dont Waste Your Money - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Gary Kelemen - February 14 - 11:10 am

  At 80000 miles, the ICV valve broke and damaged the engine. After 2 months of warranty work, there is a persistent oil leak that the only dealership within 30 miles cannot fix. I spent $600 on auto rental during warranty repair. It just isnt worth owning. Run away from KIA!!

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  Owner and lover - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By Rondo-izer - February 13 - 9:30 am

  Very versatile. We only shopped for 7 passenger vehicles. I was hesitant at first, but now I drive it more than my wife does. This has come in handy more than we thought. There are many small items that come in handy, the 12v plug in the rear, rear cargo light, the 12v plug in the console with the cable guide so it will close and not crimp the wire. 2nd row ac vents are also very nice in allowing air to circulate. Tons of cargo space!! Plenty of cup holders helps with kids. Test drive it and you wont believe the visibility or how quiet and enjoyable your ride will be!

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  What a Mistake - 2007 Kia Rio
  By Bruce - February 13 - 6:36 am

  I like that way this car handles and that is what sold me. The repair problems have made me decide to get rid of this car after having had it only 10 months. It seems like its hard to keep ahead of it falling apart. I have never had the misfortune to have ever gotten a car like this before.

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  I went with this, and not that - 2010 Kia Soul
  By jennyd - February 9 - 5:00 am

  I have been a Ford girl my whole life. Life has change and I needed something more in my price range and found the Soul !. This is the perfect car for me. It is fun to drive, it looks sharp on the road, and handles great for local driving, and highway driving. I am not sure what noisy highway driving means, but I drove about 400 miles on the highway and had no issue with noise, or anything, in fact it was a great trip! I highly recommend the Soul. And for those that have commented to me to buy American, well, if there were cars that were more in my budget, I think I would still buy a Soul!

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  shockingly good! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By nocal kia convert - February 8 - 9:23 am

  EX 2WD I4 limited/premium & 3rd row I drove a TON of competitors, didnt even know about the new Sorento until I spotted one. It is not just a lot of car for the money, its simply a shockingly nice vehicle. It really shouldnt be compared against RAV4 or CRV - much nicer interior and exterior design, definitely larger, and a more refined ride than either. Size/features/ride slot it more against the Highlander, Murano, or MDX - but undercuts all of those by $10k or more comparably equipped. Interior design/features more tasteful than all save perhaps the MDX. Murano and MDX have a more sportier drive, but for the 10-15K premium they seem a stretch as neither is exactly a Cayenne.

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  Love My Amanti - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By Herman de Vries - February 7 - 12:43 pm

  The Amanti was my choice after test driving Cadillac, Mercedes, Buick and a few others. Hands down, it was the winner for quality vs. price. After buying the car, my brother spent an afternoon in the car with me. He owns a new Park Avenue and his comments were, "It rides better, it runs and rides quieter and is more comfortable than my Buick. I wish Id bought one of these." The only disappointment is the city mileage. On the road Ive gotten 30 miles on the Imperial gallon, but in the city in winter, its murder. A pleasure to drive, the one word that describes this car is "smooth, smooth, smooth."

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  Loved my 2001 Optima so much, I upgraded - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Replaced 01 w/ 08 - February 6 - 1:23 pm

  Bought my 2008 EX V6 Optima in June 2008...replaced my 2001 with the same thing because I loved it so much. KIA has the best roadside assistance and warranty. I paid a pretty penny for it ($22K), but left out no features. With my annual mileage averaging 5,000- 6,000, my 10 years will be up before the 100,000 miles on the warranty. And yes, I will keep it that long! People always take a second look at my car when I am driving. Its a sharp- looking vehicle, and it is just as reliable as the Camry and Accord (although NOTHING can beat a Toyota or Honda). I will always by KIAs because both of my Optimas have proven to be reliable. Love our Sedona minivan, too. Foreign is the only way to go.

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  Excellent MPG - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Excellent MPG!!! - February 5 - 7:33 am

  I purchased my 2011 4 cyl Sorento in March 2010 (With Premium 1 and Limited) and normally experience 29-32 MPG on the highway. City driving is around 25- 27. I have 5,500 miles now and very pleased with the MPG. I have been a loyal Honda customer, but they were not willing to consider negotiating on the new Crosstour. Im very pleased with the Sorento thus far.