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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  16K miles in 6 months - 2002 Kia Rio
  By Ed VanderVeen - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 2002 Kia Rio in July 2002 and so far so good. I drive 85 miles round trip to work each day and the gas milage on my full size pick up was killing me. My wife & I decided that I needed an inexpensive vehicle with good gas milage and a/c to drive to work in. The Kia Rio was the solution. So far I have put 16,000 miles on it (including a trip from Dallas to Chicago) and have had zero problems.

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  Excellent value and sporty looks - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By cybern - April 29 - 3:16 pm

  Bought with 15,000 miles and was pleasantly surprised with the interior room and luxury. Performance could be better but is satisfactory for everyday driving. Get lots of compliments. Am anxious to buy a 2008 Sorento, entirely new and exciting styling.

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  RENT A FORTE - 2010 Kia Forte
  By FORTE - April 27 - 4:53 am

  I was given a rent a car when my car was in for repair. I requested the 2010 Forte that was on the lot since I had an interest in buying one and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for an extended test drive. I liked the car and all of the extras that are included.. bluetooth, etc. I was pleased with the ride and the gas mileage was OK. I was hoping for a little better. HOWEVER, I was very disappointed that in 7 places on the car, the paint was already bubbling and peeling. The paint appeared to be applied in a tthin fashion. I know this was an issue on one of the 2005 Kia models but would have hoped this was corrected. Has anyone else had any problem like this????

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  Should have bought sooner - 2016 Kia Sedona
  By Mom of 4 - April 20 - 7:05 am

  With small kids this is a dream. I previously had a 2015 Dodge Journey and Ill tell you what, the Sedona is a luxury ride compared to that. The Sedona has so much room, easy to get my kids in and out of car seats, the air conditioning works excellent in the back seats which is so important for me since I live in Phoenix, AZ. We have the 8 passenger, so we never need to have the rear seats up and that leaves up with a lot of cargo room. It rides smooth, handles nicely and is comfortable. My only complaints are, I already had one of the motors replaced on the rear sliding door. (mine is a 2016 with 18,000 miles) Without a warranty it would have been over $1,000 at the dealership I went to. Also, The sound system is beyond cheap.. totally poor quality & there is no navigation and no power lift-gate (which I feel should be standard on a minivan) All in all my husband and I were those people that said we would never drive a mini van yet we are both bummed we didnt purchase this before we wasted money when we bought the dodge.

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  Mileage disaster - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By imtoad - April 18 - 1:40 am

  I really enjoy this car except for the mileage. It is rated 19 mpg city but despite the fact that I am very rarely ever stuck in traffic, I rarely average over 14.2 mpg.

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  Very Pleased - 2008 Kia Sorento
  By Nik - April 17 - 2:00 am

  I test drove many vehicles and the Sorento proved to be the smoothest ride out of those tested in my price range. I had heard negative feedback from the older versions of KIA vehicles which made me nervous but I decided to take a chance based on the look, feel and value for my money. It turned out to be a great choice! Very quiet and smooth. Im loving it!

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  Kia wagon review from Pam - 2003 Kia Rio
  By pamer - April 16 - 10:00 am

  This car is wonderful to drive, it has only one problem, if you drive gravel roads, it has a problem with mud, the mud sticks up underneath, and you get a bit of a shimmy from it. The automatic carwash with the undercarriage feature will solve this if you get it before it becomes too caked on

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  I am impressed - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By RubyRedMe - April 16 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Spectra 5 months ago. I didnt expect much, considering the price I paid for it, but I am finding I really like it, and would seriously consider buying another Kia when the time comes. The inside is very comfortable, with thoughtfully arranged controls. My only complaint so far, is the paint job. My Kia seems to have a "bullseye" on it, as it has been "dinged" three major times in parking lots. Each time, I notice that the paint is flaking rather alarminly well beyond where the actual damage is! Also, the tires that come standard on it (Hankook) are really a joke. Ive already replace them, and am much happier with the overall handling.

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  Worth The Money - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By kia mama - April 16 - 10:00 am

  I passed a Kia dealership one day while out with my children. I saw the "back" of this SUV and said "what is that"? They said thats a Kia Sorrento. I had never heard of, or seen one before. I went back to the dealership to get a better look and really liked what I saw. Not wanting to be a guinny pig I was leary about buying a vehicle new to the market, but the warranty sold me along with the price. Nine months later, I am very happy with my Sorrento. I have, and would recommend it to others...for the price, you cant match it or beat it!

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  Kia Optima - 2004 Kia Optima
  By jamesgw - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Have had no problems..only service has been oil changes