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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  OPTIMA - 2008 Kia Optima
  By ron - December 26 - 7:46 am

  Took it home and took it right back the next morning. It came off the truck with a bad alignment. Pulled to the right. It took about 6-8 days to fix. I asked where is my car? Oh its at Nissan. What Nissan? yeah, they have the alignment machine. Im like why dont the kia dealer have the equipment necessary to support the warranty? The salesmen asked me do I know how much that cost like i cared. The car has been great since i got it back. 1800 mi now. Took the family to Bolxi, MS and it did fine. Gas mileage great compared to my 6.0 L silverado. With $3000 cash back i walked out the door for LX model $14,600

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  Fully satifisfied with my Forte - 2010 Kia Forte
  By Doug - December 26 - 6:33 am

  This car is pure pleasure to drive from the moment you get behind the wheel to the highway experience. This car has excellent handling good performance, pretty decent gas mileage. The bluetooth is nice and the satellite radio is another plus. Steering column control is not only convenient but it is also good for safety. I couldnt be happier with this car.

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  best car we have ever owned - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By bob h - December 25 - 10:53 am

  If you want peace and quiet when driving on vacation, a comfortable ride and easy steering then this is the car you should give a look at. Dont let other car dealers persuade you by bad mouthing it. If you are a smart shopper and can think for yourself then you will definitely see all the great attributes the Kia Amanti has. We have driven it 31,000 miles and no problems. Our last trip of 5300 miles we averaged 27.9 miles per gallon. The only car with quieter Db noise level ratings is the Rolls Royce, so save yourself some money and enjoy the pleasure of a great car. The Amanti is now one of the most recommended used car buys.

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  First but not last Kia - 2009 Kia Spectra
  By NCjp - December 25 - 8:43 am

  I have waited to write this for a few months because everyone loves their new car in the first couple of weeks. Four months later still finding that I love to drive this car. The styling of the Spectra 5 sticks out from others. Very affordable to operate and the features for the money are great. Never looked at a KIA before this purchase but will look there first for the next one.

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  Buy It - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Bob - December 24 - 3:53 am

  After researching Lexus 330 and Arcura MDX the Sorento provided many of the same features for far less money.

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  Please somebody fix my windows - 2001 Kia Optima
  By JoannR262 - December 24 - 2:00 am

  I really like my Kia - but there is always a problem with the electric windows, always. They go up halfway and stop working, or wont go up at all. They do go down just fine, but driving in the snow after passing a toll booth with the window down is ridiculous. I am trying another dealership to try and get the problem fixed. Other than this one problem, I have been satisfied.

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  Even the base model is a good deal!! - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By travisp11 - December 24 - 2:00 am

  After getting tired of paying GM for spare parts for our 1996 Olds wagon...we decided to go Korean. We bought our base-trim 2003 Spectra for $11,000(Automatic with A/C and a CD player)after rebates and feel like we got a great deal. It is impossible to find another car, brand new, for this price with this great of a warranty (aside from Hyundai which is similar). A friend of mine bought a Sephia in 2000 and after 60,000 miles his is still running strong and if ours should not be doing so well in a few years, who cares...Kia fits the mechanic bill on major components!!

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  Great Value & 10yr. 100,000 warantee - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By swin728 - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Better ride then I thought possible in Minivan after driving others. Plenty of power. Price that cant be beat.

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  One of my favorite vehicles - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By NC Owner - December 24 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I were skeptical at first before the test drive. We really liked the styling, comfort and standard features that cost a lot more on other similar SUVs. Safety was a big decision criteria too. We have put 14,000 miles on it and loved every mile. It is very quiet, powerful and no problems or issues - just smiles!

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  Base model LX good bang for buck - 2015 Kia Forte
  By leighto - December 23 - 11:08 pm

  "Never thought I would buy a new Kia!. After driving a Toyota Echo for the last 5 years I decided I needed something bigger, newer and almost as good gas mileage. I have owned the 2015 Kia LX 1.8L for the last month and have been averaging a combined 36 miles per gallon which is better than EPA rates. Decided to go for the base model as it was on cash special for $12,500(could not refuse). Decent features for base model, with power groups and satellite radio and blue tooth. Huge upgrade from roll up windows Echo. The ride is comfortable with good seats and driving feel. Ride noise is a little loud, but what can you expect for $12,500. Blue tooth and voice commands work very well.