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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  2.4 GDI w/ convenience package - 2012 Kia Sorento
  By broncob - December 30 - 6:27 am

  My wife and I recently purchased a 2012 Sorento. We were very impressed by the performance of the the new GDI engine and have found it more than adequate for getting around the mountains of Colorado. It also handles very well for a crossover. We got the convenience package and the interior is very well laid out and stylish. My only complaint is that the back seat room is a little tight if someone tall is up front, but the sacrifice is worth it for the 3rd row. Compared to other companies, you get so much more standard with Kia (bluetooth, USB, trim, etc.) We just traded in a 2010 Hyundai Tucson with a similar power plant and never had a single issue in 20,000 miles.

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  Kia Sorento GDI 2.4L LX 2012 - 2013 Kia Sorento
  By neelm - December 30 - 2:03 am

  Just leased this from Kia Sacramento, black color. I have done about 800 miles in the last week and have mixed feelings about the suv. I got the GDI assuming I would get a mixed mileage of about 25mpg but I am only getting about 19-23 mpg city and highway. This is a letdown for sure. I hope it increase down the line as the engine breaksin. The power seems adequate with 1-2 ppl in the car but with 4-5 ppl the car feels underpowered and I wish I had got the v6 engine if I was to get 20mpg anyway. The ride is stiff and tends to wear you down and i feel tired after a trip which was never the case in my well sprung camry. UVO has issues with bluetooth conectivity.

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  Just What I Was Looking For - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By Emma in Virginia - December 30 - 1:50 am

  I had a 2000 Kia Sportaqe for 8 years and could not kill it. Therefor I wanted another Kia but with more cargo space. Great to drive with good gas mileage. I get 21MPG in mostly city type driving. Highway is near 30MPG. Cargo space is fantastic compared to other similar models and makes. Kia motors were very helpful in transferring the warranty to me on the day of purchase. With only 15,000 miles on the odometer, I got a "new" car for a great price.

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  Need moe refinement - 2011 Kia Optima
  By jerryjerry - December 29 - 4:46 pm

  Performance -- most good, but power and transmission appears to be out of sync. Comfort -- the noise level is higher than camry and accord. Value -- though it has more features, it still could be priced more competitive. Fun to Drive -- as mentioned before. the engine and transmission appears to be out of sync. Engine power does not translate to overall performance. Some what loud noise from engine. Interior Design -- Overall good Exterior Design -- This is subjective. Overall it looks good, my only concern is the profile doesnt look that attractive. Build Quality -- Appears good, however, its a Kia. time will tell. Reliablity -- Again, its a Kia. Its know for minor issues.

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  wow - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By john - December 29 - 1:23 am

  Ive owned this truck since November of 2004 and wow, am I impressed. It handles like a car - very quick and very tight. I remember the test drive and saying to my wife I hope its not just the demo model that drives this good. It is roomy on the inside. Im 6 2" and i have enough room. I really enjoy driving it. The only downer is the lousy gas mileage. The sticker states 15mpg city 20hwy. I mostly drive highway and Im getting around 14mpg; way off. Ive got 2700 miles on it so far. I could only hope it holds up through the years. The torque on demand is fantastic. I would buy this truck all over again.

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  Love my Little Car - 2001 Kia Rio
  By Taclivin - December 28 - 10:00 am

  This little car has been a great one. No issues with regular oil changes, tires, and brakes. It is a tiny car and really only fits the driver comfortably. Kids in the back have absolutely NO leg room,and if you have a passenger next to you be prepared to be close...really close.This little car never did me any wrong, and with had no frills, there was never anything extra to break. It was my daily commuter. The heater in this car works amazingly! Cold start to fully thawed in 5min flat! After ten years it has began to rattle itself to death. To the point where I no longer want to drive on the freeway. I have no interest in getting my little beater fixed, just gonna drive it till it dies.

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  Outstanding Value! - 2008 Kia Amanti
  By Jagnomore - December 27 - 6:50 pm

  I have owned a Lincoln LS and Jaguar S- Type. Both have had their issues. The Amanti is hands down a better riding and quieter machine than both; with more features. Recently returned from a 500 mile trip and got 26-27 mpg overall with outstanding ride. Superb power, extremely comfortable and user friendly interior. Unique styling that does NOT look like everything else on the road. And, best of all-- this car only had 2k miles but paid less than 60% of original price. Undoubtedly the best riding car yet. KIA has done a superb job in building this machine; I was a little reluctant to purchase the brand, but glad I did.

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  I must be lucky! - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Outafocus - December 27 - 9:40 am

  After 5 years and 78,000 miles I have nothing really bad to say about my Kia minivan. It gets 22-23 MPG on the highway loaded with as much as we can stuff in it. The ride and handling are very nice. Repairs? Ive only had one and that was front brakes at 72,000 miles. I had the timing belt and water pump changed at 60,000 for the warranty and, thats it. First set of tires lasted 48,000 and the current set of Michelins are a little more than half worn at 30,000 miles. Is everything perfect? Nope. The plastic parts around door thresholds, etc., are waaaay too thin. They crack and break easily. Taking the seats in and out is a real pain. If I could buy another one like this one I would in a minute!

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  Never Again - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Leftyflinter - December 27 - 7:03 am

  I have owned 6 brand new vehicles and this has to be worse than the 15 year old Subaru I got rid of that had 235,000 miles on it. I can not think of any positive feedback for this vehicle. The warranty is only good if the manufacturer will fix/repair the problems.

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  9 years and still going strong - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By nicegirl - December 26 - 11:23 pm

  I have over 123,000 miles on the car and have had no major repairs, except while under warranty it was discovered that I had a faulty transmission. It was replaced immediately. I agree with an earlier post that repairs, tires, brakes, even windshield wipers are more expensive than they should be. My pain has begun fading as well, but its been 9 yrs. since I bought it. Very reliable.