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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  Nice Ride! - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Optimas Prime - November 27 - 6:03 pm

  I bought my Optima EX V6 this month and its VERY nice. Leather seats, Infinity audio system w/6 CD, mp3 plugin. Got the electronic stability package and the premium package. Drives and handles much nicer than my Ford Taurus. Surprisingly smooth ride on freeways and in town. Auto air keeps the interior at a constant 72 degrees (adjustable of course). Night driving, dash lights (soft blue) are admirable and well laid out. Easy to see or disregard when concentrating on driving. Average 33 mpg! 27 mpg when using the 5 speed Sportmatic transmission (FUN FUN FUN). It feels like a "Drive by wire" car. Pearl White turns heads. Air bags galore. Safe 5*.

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  Watch out Kia Motors does not honor warranty - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Chris Brady - November 27 - 5:36 pm

  From the beginning, this van consumed oil excessively. Kia dealers refused to address the problem. Not a lot of space for groceries. Internal pieces are cheap and they fall off.

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  Great car for the money - 2008 Kia Rondo
  By Mary - November 25 - 12:30 am

  I just purchased the 08 Kia Rondo, new in 09. Got a great price, $14,900 for a V6, seats 7. Wanted a car with a good warranty, and didnt want to pay a fortune for it. I am very pleased with everything so far!

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  2012 Optima EX purchased new - 2012 Kia Optima
  By Michiganrunner - November 23 - 11:01 am

  I love my car....except...from the time I bought it just over 3 yrs ago, Ive had battery issues. Now Im thinking its an electronic issue. I can sit in my car not running, and listen to the radio for 15 mins and the battery will die. Cant count the number of times Ive had it jumped. KIA replaced the battery last year...and the problem continues. I only have 32,300 miles on my car in over 3 yrs- with a newer battery, and its died twice within 3 weeks. Thankfully my local Kia dealer is going to pick it up from my work tomorrow morning, evaluate it, and bring it back to me before I leave work. My electronics freaked out today when I attempted to restart. I prepared to call Kias free roadside assistance again and needed my VIN# to do so. Id waited approx an hr and a half before calling. I went to my car to get the VIN...and it magically started! Wth? All electronic features had to be reset, but it actually started right up. Hence I do not believe it to be a battery issue, but an electronic one

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  Not highly recommended!!!! - 2000 Kia Sephia
  By Ronsmom - November 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Kia Sephia new 4 years ago. Not even a year after I had it the computer went bad in it and just shut down in the middle of the road. The customer service is horrible!! Nothing is "covered" under the warranty. It dents easily, the sealant on the windshield comes off, the seatbelts only latch when they want to, and the gear shift gets stuck. I do not recommend these cars at all.

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  The best 4wd SUV - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Family Vehicle - November 23 - 2:00 am

  This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. I always have people coming up to me and asking how I like It. I tell them I dont like I love it. If you own this vehicle you would understand what I was saying....VERY VERY HAPPY..This vehicle is the same as the Lexux LS300, but $20.000 less..oops that doesnt make it the same it makes it better.I would definatly recomend this vehicle to anybody..............Don (Long Island)

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  Too Bad for poor service - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By M.L. - November 22 - 9:36 pm

  Like the car, but the service stinks. Had to have the front grill replaced three times already for deformed molding and it needs to be replaced again. Front suspension rode like a skateboard until one service tech stuffed more rubber in there. Nothing major has broken, but its those little things that add up. Bumper to Bumper warrenty? NO, the salesman lied. Decent service, not a chance. Doubt I would ever purchase a Kia again because of their poor poor service. With all that said, plus much more that could be, I still like the Amanti. But it is a machine, and proper service is necessary at times.

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  a wagon for Empty Nesters - 2002 Kia Rio
  By pizza driver - November 22 - 10:00 am

  It handled our late winter snows and our steep driveway. Gets 30+mpg on road trips. For a wagon, the AC is very good, weve had the hotest July in over 10 years. Its fun to drive, even with the Automatic. We are looking forward to an Autumn trip to the Ozarks.

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  Good Car - 2010 Kia Forte
  By Dot T - November 22 - 2:20 am

  We all like new cars so I kept this 4 months before writing a review. I get good gas mileage, an average of 26 -28 mpg hwy/cty. I love the stereo, cell phone and other controls on the steering wheel and the fact that I dont have to turn my lights off and on. I will wait to really rate reliability. In 4 months Ive had no problems. My previous car was an Accord, this car is quieter and more fun to drive. I hope it lasts as long.

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  2007 KIA Rondo EX V6 Luxury - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By Brian Williams - November 21 - 9:56 am

  I purchased a 2007 Rondo EX V6 Luxury in Aug. To say I am pleased is an understatement. I traded my 98 Legacy wagon on it, and though it lacks AWD, the Rondo is quite adept at handling our snowy December (our dealer added a set of studded winter tires on rims as part of the deal). I like the handling, the acceleration, the brakes, the looks, the comfort, the practicality, the quality - I like everything! The 3rd row seats are great at toting an occasional 5th or 6th passenger, and provide lots of space when folded. Everything works so smoothly and efficiently - the seats tumble or fold so well, the controls are smooth, etc. What a car! Truly one of the best values in autodom today.