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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  Excellent car,very comfortable riding - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By charles frank - June 30 - 2:00 am

  We love our 2003 KIA Sedona Van. Went on a trip and it rode beautifully. You can feel the quality of this vehicle on the road. We averaged about 23 miles a gallon on the trip. We love all the extra conveniences built into this van. Thanks Kia for a great van and very reasonably priced. We recommend this van to all our friends and many have bought the same van especially because of the affordable price. Try it, youll love it too.

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  Best buy! - 2011 Kia Soul
  By wjmt316 - June 29 - 9:26 pm

  I have been doing research on the Kia Soul for the past few months. I decided last week to stop at the local KIA dealership and test drive one. Once I test drove one I was hooked! I bought it! I must say this is a GREAT car! The features that come with this car are amazing! Cannot wait to take it one my trip next month. BTW I am averaging 28.5 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway. I always pay attention the the ECO light on the dash to make sure I am maximizing my fuel.

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  Great SUV without going for broke! - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Steve D - June 29 - 9:13 pm

  I was a little nervous in the beginning when deciding what SUV to purchase. The Sorento was the last on my list but impressed me the most. A SUV for $26K fully loaded with leather? I thought it was unheard of, but the Sorento was all that and more. If you are looking for a reliable, spacious, comfortable, classy looking SUV, the Sorento EX should be on the top of your list. People think its either a Lexus or Mercedes; when I tell them its a KIA they are shocked! Its great for lugging our newborn around or just a night out on the town for the two of us.

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  Best Mini out there period. - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Stevenkwon - June 28 - 5:00 pm

  This car is the quintessential, fully functional, total comfort and with all the bells and whistles. Guys.. and Mothers or soon to be parents... THIS IS THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK! Kias SEDONA Mini van stands apart from the over priced tins out there period. With a totally fully equipted one you still walk away with enough money saved or in my opion enough money for the Plasma 40" flat screen or a down payment on a cool sexy Mercedes SLK, CLK

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  Crap-ola - 2001 Kia Sephia
  By jrevier - June 28 - 10:00 am

  In the almost one year that I had this car Ive replaced 2 transmissions and had many scratches buffed out. THis is the worst car Ive ever bought and the dealership I bought it at wasnt any better. Stay away from kia

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  Good First car - 2002 Kia Rio
  By hamerman - June 28 - 10:00 am

  The car is just great. I bought one for my son, and the car seems very well built. For reliability, I had to put a "9" because I am not sure about Kia. It is a new company.

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  love my kia - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By bigmac - June 28 - 10:00 am

  I love everything about my kia especially the turning radius and the in town handling.

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  Surprise, surprise! - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Jochabar - June 28 - 10:00 am

  I looked at all the vans on the market before deciding on a Kia. Never thought I would buy a Kia but was impressed by the overall value and quality of this van. Since we bought the van I have not changed my impression a bit. The van rides great and looks good too (for a van). The interior features and quality are outstanding. Comfortable and functional, this van is hard to beat.

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  Solid Minivan... - 2011 Kia Sedona
  By wskrides - June 28 - 7:55 am

  Traded in an 04 Odyssey which was a reliable tank of a minivan for this 11 Sedona. Got $3K off in rebates/incentives so the deal was sweet for a minivan that doesnt have nearly the bells & whistles and frills of the new model Odyssey and Siena. But it gets the job done by transporting our 5 member family quickly & safely to where we need to go. First thousand miles have been smoooooth...

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  Forte sx 6 spd - 2010 Kia Forte
  By John - June 28 - 7:03 am

  To now, put 150 miles on the car. Really fun to drive after i got the hang of the really touchy clutch. I have drove manual cars forever, this one is really hard to adjust too. But, once done really fun to drive. Interior is very nice in the sx, my only complaint is the seat adjustment is a little weird. Im 62", so seat adjustability is crucial. Overall, great car. Awesome buy for the $$. Had a civic prior to this car, this is hands down a better car in general. 10 yr warr is great too. Only complaint is fuel mileage. I work 2 miles from home and average 24 mpg. But, the fun factor of the 2.4 L 6 spd is worth it.