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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  Please come home. - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By dario jr - June 14 - 10:00 am

  When I bought this car I didnt come home for 3 days and my wife gave me hell. I gave her the keys and she was gone for 4 days but I understood. WE LOVE THIS AMANTI!

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  great auto - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By ken richardson - June 14 - 10:00 am

  my first car not of american manufacture. I am very pleasantly surprised by the quality of this auto. I also have received many compliments about the design. My last auto was a Lincoln Continental and this auto is every bit as nice and comfortable as the Lincoln. I would not hesitate to buy another Kia.

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  sorento - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By ulbrich - June 14 - 10:00 am

  great performance from the V6. very nice interior, and roomy seating.

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  So far replaced 75% of the van - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By hyundai5 - June 14 - 5:26 am

  It all started not 7 months after I purchased it with the battery, then plugs @ 15,000 miles they blamed the condition of the plugs on champion? Each 3 months it was something else, this year the entire transmission. And the 5th set of rotors 3rd set of belts 2nd ac sys. Control panel have so many claims on this van, its almost getting to be routine, like changing your oil, I like the engine but if that so much as misfires Im done with it! It has always had a problem firing upon starting, gonna have the plugs looked at again wrote them a letter, they sent me a 500.00 check, all I wanted was an extended warranty I feel I deserve that after 26 unscheduled repairs in 4 yrs!

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  Smart 1st time purchase! - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By happyasaclam - June 13 - 7:20 pm

  I purchased my car new, as a treat to myself, and it was a smart decision. The Kia looks and feels like a higher-end car. The low cost makes buying a new car accessible to people new to car buying. The warranty is just an added bonus that leaves you feeling very secure about future problems that will eventually arise as your car gets older.

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  Newly bought - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By John - June 12 - 11:53 pm

  My buying experience was the best I could expect. I have driven the car 200 miles since buying it yesterday and love the feel of the wheel and the comfort. I look forward to filling it with my family members!

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  2003 Kia Sedona EX - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Doug - June 12 - 2:40 pm

  The South Koreans have nearly hit a homerun with this one! Good build quality, fit-and-finish, looks, comfort, and rock solid value all make the Sedona minivan a good choice for todays families. There are just a couple of refinement issues, but they are negligible. The one thing that DOES suck, though, is the mileage. Youre doing well if you get 22 mpg on the highway, cruising at a constant speed on flat land. Trouble is, we have LOTS of hills/valleys here in Cincinnati, so mileage here tends to be awful - normally around 15 mpg in the city. The 3.5-liter V6 has plenty of power to get us up those really steep hills, but its a thirsty engine. Overall, Im pretty happy with my van.

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  Great vehicle so far - 2008 Kia Sportage
  By Denise - June 12 - 4:06 am

  We just bought our new suv a few days ago and we love it. We test drove the mazda 3, chev malibu and the honda civic but ended up buying an suv. It was less expensive than any of the other vehicles with just as many or more features.

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  GREAT LITTLE CAR - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By COREY - June 11 - 8:43 pm

  This is my third KIA. They are terribly underrated. Between the three I have logged over 150,000 miles without any trouble whatsoever. The Spectra I just recently purchased is fully loaded, awesome 6 speaker CD player, puts my brothers Mazda 3 to shame. To anyone thinking of buying one, they are a good vehicle, could use a little more power though.

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  Dont Underestimate the KIA Spectra - 2009 Kia Spectra
  By Tom R. - June 11 - 3:56 am

  Having traded in a 2002 Hyundai Elantra for my KIA Spectra, I expected some close similarities in these Korean cousins. My expectations were pleasantly met in getting behind the wheel of this great little economy car. For my Cash-for-Clunkers allowance for a 1999 Isuzu Trooper and my Hyundai trade-in, I drove away in my KIA Spectra EX for $10,000, including tax, title and registration. I have enjoyed the KIA Spectra experience from the moment I pulled off the dealers lot.