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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  Luv my KIA - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Luv my KIA - November 19 - 11:33 pm

  Looked at all SUVs and crossovers on market and this by far came out on top. For price and the whole package. Only SUV that came with heated fabric seats. Had a Subaru and loads of problems, nothing compared to the KIA. Great crossover, kids and hubby love it to. Have the 7n seater with awd.

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  Not half bad - 2010 Kia Optima
  By kokopelli - November 18 - 11:40 am

  Actually a rental. Drove it 1000 miles in three days, including some world class twisty roads: Pros: Excellent power. Excellent economy. Last segment was 243 miles on less than seven gallons. Comfortable front seats. Good practical use of space. Cons: Not much of a suspension. Good tires worthy of the engine would help a lot. I would buy this over any competing model for a $1500 relative discount, anyway...

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  My 3rd Sorento!! And I love it...most of the time - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By Happy Kia Customer - November 18 - 5:20 am

  My 2014 EX was a big jump up from my 2011 EX. My 2017 is an even bigger jump!! Great looking in and out! Drive is smooth and (mostly) quiet. Mostly everything has been improved over my 2014 (which I loved) except a couple of things. First, my 2014 was 100% free of squeaks, rattles, vibrations...noise. My 2017 has a couple of rattles on bumpy roads that can get a bit annoying. I get rattles with the sunroof but on very bumpy roads the rattles become vibrations and then its very disappointing...like various sections of the roof get loud vibrations...kind of kills the ride. I also get a little bit of rattle coming from around where the center console meets the dash board. I took everything out of the car like coins, phone/GPS wires, other stuff to make sure it was not any of my loose stuff. Although not consistent...I did get rattles from that section on bumpy roads. So that "noise" is also disappointing and kind of ruins the ride...when it occurs. Everything else is fantastic with this car. I thought the 2014 was a little small (aesthetically) for my 64" tall frame...a little girly is how I put it. But, this 2017 which is only a few inches longer feels like it fits me much better and I feel great (cool) driving such a nice car that also seems manly for me to drive...while still being very stylish. This car looks great from all angles inside and out...very proud to drive it and be seen driving it. Except for the rattles...all other fit-and-finish seems high quality! Materials are all good. Everything is like youd find on a more expensive model/brand....dear I say mid-entry level Mercedes. The only thing knocking this car down a peg or two is the rattles and vibrations...which is a big deal to me...especially since my 2014 had none. I also noticed that my cargo area doesnt seem to be as wide as my 2014. I would get my mountain bike and my dog crate side-by-side easily into my 2014. My 2017 those two items are squeezed right up next to each other...seems a few inches narrower than my 2014. On the other hand, it seems the cargo is a little deeper so that helps. Also, even though the 2017 V6 drives great (better than 14)...I do think that since it is heavier than the 14...Kia should seriously think about upping the V6 power by about 25hp and maybe get a 7 or 8 speed automatic like the competitors are doing. I do think my back up camera parking assist guides are not calibrated like my 14 was. I could drive my 14 backwards all over town just by looking at my dash video...the guides were very accurate. I knew if my guide lines were touching anything on my camera then I knew my car wasnt going to hit anything. It was excellent for parking backwards in tight spots and getting out of tight spots...I relied on it a lot...TRUSTED it! My 17 guideline seem off so I really have to rely on my mirrors to see the parking lines and be extra careful. If I just followed my camera Id likely side-swipe cars parked next to me. The camera lines dont match up with the real parking lines...so that isnt cool. Might have to ask my dealer about that. So, overall, Id give my 2017 a 4.5 stars and not a 5 because of the occasional rattles/vibrations (Kia should have ironed out for the 2017) and the backup camera guides arent calibrated well...not as easy to park or get out of tight spaces as my 14. Otherwise...I LOVE my 2017 EX V6 Sorento!!

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  Obsessed - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Nicole - November 17 - 11:53 pm

  Being a nurse, I needed a car that would be reliable enough to get me to work in all weather. I am beyond pleased with this car and saying Im obsessed would be an understatement.

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  Good deal - 2008 Kia Sorento
  By Ravi - November 17 - 9:03 am

  I was looking for a car with value for my money. I didnt want to spend a load of money on features which are attractive but after a while we dont use it. Kia Sorento was perfect in my budget and the other accessories i was looking for. So far the car is running absolutely fine.

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  2010 forta - 2010 Kia Forte
  By weso1 - November 16 - 4:33 pm

  Wow this car is fun to drive. Its everything said about the car and more. We first tested the 2.0L EX 5 speed with a little better fuel mileage and like the car. We then tested the 2.4L with a 6 speed SX model loaded with options and fell in love.The transmission was a little getting used too with the gears so close and has a lot of get up and go.I would get this car in this price range over any other. We are very happy.

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  2006 Kia Spectra EX - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By dooscoop32 - November 16 - 2:33 pm

  Having had an assortment of problems with a previous American car, we decided to look at the Korean Kia Spectra EX. Wow, were we ever pleasantly surprised. This is a great little car. The doors close solidly with a click. The engine cranks quickly and is eerily quiet for a small car. Power is more than adequate for our intended use. Seating position and comfort are outstanding. The power options list for this car is lengthy including power, heated mirrors, power windows and locks, trunk release, tilt wheel, rear defroster, CD stereo, A/C, keyless remote entry and more! The build quality feels first-class. This car is an absolute pleasure to own. And the gas mileage is great too!

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  Great SUV for Good Price - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By charlesm1950 - November 16 - 10:00 am

  I had been looking for an SUV that was safe, comfortable, reliable and fit within my budget. I test drove the RAV4, Saturn, CRV, Santa Fe, and Tribute before driving the Kia Sorento. I was impressed by the styling, similar to the Lexus RX-300, and the fit and finish. The engine had plenty of power and the quality seemed better than the Saturn and on par with the others. I placed my faith in buying a Kia on the success of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sedona minivan. Ill keep interested parties informed of my long term experience in the Sorento town meeting group. Overall... a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

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  Hurray Kia - 2008 Kia Rio
  By chris b - November 15 - 7:00 pm

  I purchased this vehicle as I was in need of a commuter car (I drive 200 mile/day). I also own a Sorento and Have been very happy with it. There is plenty of room even in the back seat (my wife is nearly 6 ft and she felt comfortable in the back with our two kids). After driving most of the competition, I just had to go with kia again. For the money there is none better.

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  My Car Is My Office - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By Mike - November 15 - 5:30 am

  I spend any where from 10 to 17 hours a day in my vehicle due to my job. Fun to drive car with the sports car feel without the sports car cost. Roomy for passengers or cargo.