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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  My 2002 Kia Spectra Reliable - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By JED - January 20 - 8:03 pm

  I have 65,000 miles on it. I only have has minor issues on the car. Its pretty reliable and GREAT on gas. If someone is looking for a car thats economical and cant afford a civic or a corolla this is the car with comparable features as the competitors. I wish Kia and Hyundai would hold their value much better. Overall its been a great car and Korean have come up in the auto industry.

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  My Amanti - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Kristi - January 20 - 1:26 pm

  I was one of those who would only drive American vehicles. I bought a 2004 Grand Prix GT new and traded it for a new 05 Impala. Both were nothing but trouble. Because of the warranty I decided to try KIA. This has been the greatest car. Its dependable and built very well. Unlike my previous cars it is extremely safe. I have driven it over 15000 miles in 4 months and not a problem once.

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  good SUV but - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By stuart - January 20 - 12:00 am

  dead battery three times. the dealer has no clue. a slightly hard ride, front seats could be wider other than that i like the vehicle. great off road preformance (part time 4wd), handles great, quiet and tows a small pop/up trailer well. good value for what i paid for it...time will tell

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  My Kia Stinks - 2012 Kia Optima
  By sylus - January 19 - 9:12 pm

  We bought a 2012 ex turbo in April 2012. from week one we could smell mold in the car. After typing in my kia smells into google it appears this is a know issue on models across the Kia range from 2011. Six months later we still cant get Kia to admit the mold problem and we are stuck with the car despite several attempts to recify it. Incredibly dissapointed in the car, getting mold into our lungs and Kias response. No good having a warranty for 7 years if its in the workshop all the time.

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  So far so good - 2014 Kia Cadenza
  By i_love_cars1 - January 18 - 12:44 pm

  I purchased the 2014 Cadenza in late June and immediately took a 2,500 road trip to California. The Cadenza is a very well behaved sedan that will turn heads and compete with the so-called big boys. I averaged over 30MPG for the trip and power was more than sufficient for my liking. The seats were extremely comfortable and I loved the seat coolers on both front seats, especially as we ventured into the 100+ degree Central Valley. I previously drove a 2002 Audi A6 and was tempted to go that route again, but for $20,000 less, I get fantastic mileage, same creature comfort, a beautifully designed exterior and easy to use electronics. Ill be interested to see how it holds up in the coming years

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  Very First Foreign Car! - 2009 Kia Optima
  By swineheart - January 17 - 9:19 am

  Ive always owned American cars, I am a Vet and felt bad about not supporting American auto makers. Ive owned Chevys, Fords and Olds. I Love my KIA Optima! I bought it due to the cost of gas and the options on the car. For the money, you cant go wrong. It has a high safety rating, roomy interior, good stereo options and best of all great EPA rating for a midsize sedan. Its comfortable on the highway and zips around town. If you are in the market for a sedan thats affordable and still fun to drive, I highly recommend the Optima.

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  Fun AND Value - 2012 Kia Soul
  By kevster63 - January 17 - 5:08 am

  I have had my Soul for about 9 months now, and have 11K miles on her. I find it way too fun to drive, and as a daily driver I find my commute a far better experience than it once was. It has great performance considering the 2.0 liter engine (I also own a Hemi...), and scoots along just fine. The biggest issue is its lack of aerodynamics (but the BOX is cute!) so its mileage suffers on the highway if you are travelling faster than 65-70mph. Below 65mph it gets GREAT mileage, so I can easily average 30 mpg on my daily commute (20/80 city/hwy). Comfy seats, Awesome UVO sound system, bluetooth features, and more, make it fun! I have had absolutely NO reliability issues! 11K miles and HAPPY!

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  3 months and still thrilled ! - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By dlb14frost - January 16 - 2:00 am

  Must say Im VERY pleased with my Sorento EX 4X4. Vehicle has the luxury package but no ABS or load leveling and so far havent needed either. Its been colder and snowier than average here and its handled well in the snow conditions. I have to admitt its probably been the most fun to drive vehicle Ive ever had. Used to drive Subaru Outback and Forester but I like the Kia better. I was a bit reluctant to try a Kia but glad I made the switch !

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  Best car I have owned - 2005 Kia Optima
  By 4Dr EXV6 Sedan - January 15 - 4:36 pm

  I can not understand why this car is not very popular. Have driven it for a year and has never failed me. A point that motor writers do not mention is that this car drives on low octane as well as high octane gas and if required can easily be converted to LPG.

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  POOR GAS MILEAGE - 2012 Kia Optima
  By errolb - January 15 - 3:22 pm

  I bought a new 2012 Kia Optima LX a few months ago. I like everything about the car except the gas mileage, stated to average 28mpg, all I get is 22mpg. That is a big difference when gas is over $4/gallon. (Every car I have previously owned achieves the stated mpg.) The matter is compounded by the poor response from Kia. I have spoken to two consumer service agents, both of whom were unresponsive to the point of being rude. They contended that the mileage rating was after 5000 miles of break-in, despite the fact that the manual clearly says no break-in is required, and actually tried to blame the dealer (?). A disappointing commentary on an otherwise good car.