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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  Great Car - 2005 Kia Optima
  By KiaLover - January 7 - 9:16 pm

  So far no problems great car

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  Love my SOUL - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Liberdee - January 7 - 4:50 pm

  I am very thrilled and excited about my new SOUL. I got the base model and it has all the features that I need and they all come STANDARD. I priced a Nissan and NOTHING came standard, even the ABS and the warranty had to be purchased extra. My Base SOUL came with 6 mos. free satellite radio (love it) excellent stereo, no flashy lights - no problem with me! Auto locks and windows. It even detects if a person is sitting in the passengers seat by weight to determine if the passenger air bag should be on or off. WOW. I am sooo pleases. Fun to drive and excellent value for the price. Base starts at 13,300. and goes up from there. I used the cash for clunkers program and now have my dream!

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  Great Colorado SUV - 2008 Kia Sportage
  By Jule - January 6 - 10:56 pm

  I bought the Volcanic red Sportage in May of 2008 after much comparison shopping for a small suv. Test drove the CRV,Rav4, Rogue, and Outlander. Based on price, comfort and mpg it came down to the Outlander and the Sportage. Rav was uncomfortable and noisy! Outlander didnt have a light colored interior and was priced a bit higher so went w/the KIA and got it for the same price as a 2007. I get 25-30 mpg(city to hwy). It has 18,700 miles and 3 oil changes on it. Runs great, no problems. Good in snow,rain and mountains. I scaled down from a Windstar minivan and am very happy w/my choice! Recently rented a Sorento and it was even more comfortable, smoother ride and quieter on the hwy Go KIA

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  Never Ever again - 2001 Kia Optima
  By Upsidedown - January 5 - 2:00 am

  The car is roomy, great gas mileage with the five speed, and the base 4 cyl is not bad at all. However I have had nothing but problems with this car. Everything from the center console falling apart to the infamous power window problems. Premature clutch failure, electrical dash problems, engine problems and on and on. Yes there is a bumper to bumper warranty, but it does not pay for car rental if you have to leave the vehicle in the shop (which you certainly will). When you factor in the horrendous resale and/or trade-in value I would say that this is one of the worst automobile purchases you could ever make

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  2001 kia sportage limited ex edition - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By Ruth DeBolt - January 5 - 2:00 am

  No engine problems so far. Found it to be excellent on snowy roads. Radio reception not very good. Dont like where the front cup holders are located since it covers up the h/ac dials and clock. Have had some electronic window problems with the back passenger window and the heater fan continues to blow after the heater has been turned off. had it fixed once but the problem returned and havent bothered getting it looked at again. The brake dust is a minor problem on the front wheels that my husband complains about. but all in all we have found it to be a good deal and will probably buy another kia

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  Service Stinks - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By David Louis2 - January 5 - 2:00 am

  After 30,000 mile service by dealer Transmission began to slip on second shift after making a left hand turn. Dealer stated it is normal for transmission to slip when aceleriting after making a left turn that it is serching for a gear.( BS ) Dealer was suposed to drain radiator and flush,then fill with new antifreez. after ariving home I checked under hood and radiator cap had never been removed,still had dust and dirt on cap with no signs of ever being removed. Was told tey drained radiator, and flushed and refilled through the reserve tank. MORE BS. I love the vehicle but hope I can find a dealer who will listen to me and fix my problems.

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  Only had it a week - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By dlb14frost - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Have only had it a week now, but so far VERY nice. Great fit and finish. Wife loves the dual climate controls and heated seats.

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  Sorento is the SUV to choose! - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Graham, S.E. - January 5 - 2:00 am

  I researched the market before deciding on purchasing the Sorento. I was initially attracted by the sleek design and the fact that it looks like my dream vehicle the Lexus RX 300 (which by the way I can not afford). But the Sorento was a better value for the price anyway. It handles well, looks darn good (an eye-catcher), is very spacious, and is easy on the wallet. Overall, I love the vehicles sporty, but classy, look.

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  Fun to zip around! - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Elaine - January 4 - 9:43 pm

  Have not had any trouble getting up hills, keeping up with traffic. Love the ease of parking. The CD player is great. When I turn the heat or air conditioner on there is no long wait to feel comfortable. Most of all, the mileage is excellent.

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  2004 Kia Sedona for Better or Worse - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Galeana Kia - January 3 - 10:30 am

  I have owned this Kia for over 2 years and it is a great auto to own; for the money you could not buy a better van with all the equipment on it. The gas mileage is the only problem I have had to date; I get 10 to 12 in city and 15 to 16 on highway. They say everything is ok with the car but still gas mileage doesnt lie. Other than that it is a GREAT CAR!