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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  Think about your spine first - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Orsant - June 27 - 2:00 am

  If you have back problems like me, do not think to buy a Sorento.The ride is very stiff and road vibrations will affect your spinde for sure. I have herniatic disc and since I bought this car I am in pain. Besides that,if you are healthy go ahead and buy one

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  Kia Specrta GSX - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By sporty90 - June 26 - 5:17 am

  All and all this car is great for the money, the performance of this car is amazing in my eyes. Fun to drive, with its rated 125 horsepower, add a little aftermarket adjustments this car could have a great future. never had a problem for the engine. now at 109,000 miles still drives like brand new!!!!

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  Review_SS - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By S.S - June 23 - 9:10 pm

  Thhe performance of this vehicle is quite good. It has good handling and good acceleration. As a result the mileage for city driving is around 19 mpg. However the mileage it gives on the hwy is approximately 30 mpg which I think is not bad. The quality and reliability however is not comparable to a Honda Civic.

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  nice suv - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Tanya - June 16 - 4:13 am

  This is a nice small SUV. I just wish the gas mileage was a little better. I came out of a small car and I could get so much further on a tank of gas. With prices rising that is important. My kids love the roomy space and they picked out the car and they are very satisfied.

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  Snappy - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By griz - June 13 - 6:33 am

  We bought this car as a commuter car. Drive 25 miles daily to work. It is so comfortable and fun that we now use it almost exclusively. Took it on vacation this year and drove 2600 miles in 2 weeks averaging 36 mpg at 67 mph. At 80 mph it averaged 31 mpg. Snappy does not like 91 octane gas but does best with 87 octane.

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  Great car - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By George - June 13 - 2:13 am

  A great little car. Took a long trip with it, handled all kinds of road conditions well. 4 cyl had no problem with steep grades on mountain highways. We dont have 3rd seat, that would make a difference in power.

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2001 Kia Spectra
  By stevecobb12550 - June 12 - 9:32 am

  I bought the Kia used at 18,000 miles, and then drove it for almost 150,000 without a problem. Gas mileage was about 33 mpg highway, and it was rock solid. Sure, the sheet metal is so thin that you could dent the car just by breathing on it, and the rear defroster was useless, but the car was a real trooper. Hatchback was very useful, too, I could load all kinds of things in there. The only mistake I made was not changing the timing belt, and it broke at 145k miles, ruining the engine. At 145k miles, the CV joints needed replacing, and so did the struts, but it was a great car.

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  A great choice - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Mike - June 11 - 5:53 pm

  After driving my used 2001 KIA Rio to 120,000 trouble-free miles, it was time to trade it in. The $3000 rebate and some research made the Optima an easy choice. Simply put I really love this car. Performance is excellent, the 5-speed manual is smooth as silk, the engine feels more powerful than the numbers would suggest. Handling is good and the interior is comfortable and quiet (a big change from my old Rio. It was a great little car, but lets face it, it was a go-cart with doors!). You could easily spend a lot more for a car with fewer features. The KIA brand may not have "status" but they do deliver a lot of value for the money.

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  Keep in Perspective - 2001 Kia Sephia
  By ericdunham - June 8 - 10:25 am

  I bought this car used for $800 with over 200k miles on the odometer, a wreck in the near past and work to be done in the near future. I knew it wasnt a great car, but I needed a car—I was broke. Well over a year later, this little thing is coming up on 250k miles and until today I had no major work done on it. I replaced an alternator belt a couple months ago and that was it. The bill today was $660—a price I would normally never consider on a car I bought for $800. But this car just takes a beating and keeps on going! Im awful about maintaining my vehicles and I hate to spend money on them, and yet this little car has never faltered. As long as you know its not a BMW, youll be happy!

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  Content - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By Kevin - June 8 - 7:40 am

  I enjoy driving the Sedona. The sound and power of the engine is pleasing. The size is just right for my family. I saved money on a new sofa by avoiding the delivery charge and picking it up at the warehouse myself. It fit perfectly in the Kia. We get 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Good amount of standard features for a base model. Paint looks good and is holding up well. Steering wheel was crooked from factory, interior grab handle came loose, fuel line adjusted, a/c compressor noise fixed, rubber windshield seal came lose, driver side window seal folded under. All problems fixed for free by dealer. I did expect fewer problems from a new vehicle. We have 22,000 miles on our van.