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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  Love this car! - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By lorijohnston - September 1 - 7:10 am

  This is the 2nd Kia I have owned, and I my 2nd positive review for this company. I bought my Kia brand new in 2006 with about 16 miles on the odometer. I currently have about 60K on this vehicle and it is still running beautifully. No major problems, decent gas mileage and plenty of room for my husband, two kids and 90-pound labrador retriever. With the 5-speed manual transmission, we dont seem to have the power issues that have been mentioned in previous reviews.

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  Very Happy - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By rami_cohen - August 31 - 7:46 am

  I bought the Sorento three months ago and I am very happy with it. The V6 engine is very powerful and the car accelerate much better than previous cars I owned. I personally like the rough ride. I also find the noise level to be pretty low compared to my Accord.

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  Buyers Remorse - 2008 Kia Sorento
  By SRM - August 31 - 7:03 am

  This is a gorgeous loaded vehicle, I got all the bells & whistles in this model. BUT if youre commuting like I do, 120 miles a day + up to 20 in errands on lunch etc, its horrible on gas. Im filling up every other day and gas is going up. I traded in my 8 yr old Hyundai Elantra because I have 3 kids, 2 in car seats and a 12 year old who didnt fit in the back. The KIA is better, but still a super tight fit w/2 car seats and a 3rd child. The space isnt as "spacious" as I hoped for. Im trading it in this weekend for a 4cyl car. I cant afford the gas, Im averaging 18.3 mpg which is good for it, but I didnt realize how quickly its used up. If I could afford the gas, Id keep the vehicle.

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  Dealer Good, Van Lousy - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Doug Smith - August 30 - 5:20 pm

  We have had numerous repairs for our 2002 Kia Sedona EX. However, the dealer has been great about doing all repairs under the 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. Sometimes repair work is slow, but the dealer always tries, and never charges anything. Biggest problems with the car are bad gas mileage (but the heavy weight makes it a nice interstate cruiser) and weak A/C. Strange problem we have had is bad transmissions. Would not go in reverse at all, two repairs with rebuilt KIA trannys did not work, but the ultimate new KIA tranny at 40,000 seemed to work. However, we are having the knocking again now, at 50,000, so we may be up for another tranny. Great dealer, lousy vehicle.

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  Watch Warranty - 2000 Kia Sephia
  By DLaPrade - August 30 - 10:00 am

  This is the third new vehicle I ever owned. Of the three, this vehicle has been the most dependable. The only drawback is the warranty is not what it is made out to be. I was told if I didnt service the car with all KIA parts, it would not be covered. Needless to say only the Dealership provides these parts at an inflated price. I am happy with the car but very disallusioned with the Dealership and bogus warranty. Carry your warranty book with you as they will try to tell you things arent covered unless you show them proof from the manual. Customer Service with KIA needs major improvement.

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  Cant Beat The Price! - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By slapshot - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Weve had our Sedona now for about 3 months and we LOVE it! No one else can hold a candle to Kia in what you get for the price. Other vans are thousands more, and they nickel and dime you on options. My biggest concern, of course, will be reliability and ongoing quality of materials. That said, interior and exterior finishes seem solid and well thought out. We hope that our Kia will be with us for a long time to come!

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  Who knew you could love a Kia? - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Melissa C. - August 30 - 10:00 am

  I must say, we almost did not even look at the Sorrento, simply because it is a Kia. We were going to shop for a late model 4 Runner or Pathfinder. This car is wonderful!! We actually found a "used" Sorrento with 4k miles on it and its got EVERYTHING! All the aftermarket goodies, tow pkg, luxury pkg, step sides. I really am so happy with this purchase, and the 10yr/100k mile warranty that comes with it so I know I can keep it for many years to come. Also see if you can swing an aftermarket leather package into your deal, it makes the seats feel like Lazy Boy recliners! I highly recommend the Sorrento, I would, without a doubt, buy this SUV again!!

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  my Kia - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By ilovemykia - August 30 - 12:06 am

  I LOVE my Kia Spectra 5. It has cut my fuel consumption and costs in half; it has more room inside than one would think it has; it operates well; and SO many people have stopped me to ask about it! I LOVE MY KIA.

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  Great New Design - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Diana - August 29 - 3:46 pm

  Great new style, easy handling, economical and more added safety features.

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  Optimum Optima - 2011 Kia Optima
  By optimasx - August 29 - 5:51 am

  Traded a G8 GXP, for this car. I thought I loved that car, And would miss it, but this one is a whole new experience (even without 415 hp). Features, cost, fit and finish, options, this baby is loaded, very nicely styled, and still has 274hp, and gets 37 hwy mpg....and its a KIA!