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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  Very poor reliability - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Lori - November 4 - 11:36 am

  I bought the 2003 Kia Sedona in November 2003 and was happy with the interior specs it provided. Other than that, I have been very unhappy with this car. It has been in the dealership service department on an average of every 4-5 months since I bought it. Beware of this car! Below is a list of the problems I have had. Thank goodness they have a good warranty. I will get rid of this car as soon as the warranty runs out. Problems: speedometer broke; back heater did not work; rear defrost strips peeled off; rear power outlets did not work; alternator went; battery was replaced; front defrost broken; power steering went; power driver seat broken; fuse box cover broken; remote entry sloppy.

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  Outstanding! - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Irish Kat - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Prior to shopping for a vehicle, I did quite a bit of internet research, and had narrowed my search down to 3 SUVs; the first one I rejected because front seat area just wasnt user-friendly. I checked out the Sorento....WOW! Everything about it is perfect, from the first time I opened the door to parking it in my driveway. Now when Im driving down the freeway, I not only "look good".....I look SMART!!!

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  BIG MISTAKE TO BUY - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By BWRS88 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  AFTER 9 TRIPS TO THE DEALER IN 16 MONTHS, IVE GIVEN UP AND IM GETTING RID OF THIS PIECE OF JUNK. I DONT KNOW WHAT IS WORSE, THE DEALER OR THE CAR. 4 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED IT, IVE HAD NOTHING BUT CONSTANT PROBLEMS STARTING WITH THE A/C NOT WORKING TWICE, STRESS CRACK IN WINDSHIELD, TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT,COOLING SYSTEM, DRIVER SEAT COMING LOOSE. NEED I SAY MORE!

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  Hood released while driving - 2011 Kia Soul
  By UB - November 3 - 6:10 pm

  2011 Soul driving 55 mph hood released flew back hitting roof, denting roof, denting hood, damaging both fenders. Why hasnt this problem been published? Why didnt the safety latch work?

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  Excellent Economy Package - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Stanley D. - November 3 - 1:03 am

  With about 3,400 miles since August, our Kia Soul Plus has been reliable and economical. Gas mileage is about 26 mpg in suburban driving. The Soul is nimble and has a small turning radius. Interior space is excellent with room for five adults. Controls are easy to find and use. The Soul is well equipped for a modest price.

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  3rd updatre - 2011 Kia Optima
  By donnie71281 - November 2 - 9:27 pm

  Ive not got 4,000 miles on my EX-Turbo. I still love this care as much as the day i bought it. Not a single issue with the car. The turbo engine is fantastic. Fit and finish is great and this car is the favorite of all the cars ive ever owned. The only thing i would change is having just 1. (which may change)

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  Best car in its segment! - 2010 Kia Forte
  By Muhammad Waqas - November 2 - 2:33 pm

  I bougth this car couple of months ago. I dont think there is any car better in this segment than forte. I have driven almost all the major cars in the segment, and forte beats them all. Civic might be a little more refined, but forte has more power and features. Mazda 3 is fun to drive on short routes, but on highway, forte beats it and it has better fuel economy with more space. Lancers engine is very noisy, and it has a terrible fuel economy.

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  9 month review - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By darda71 - November 2 - 1:33 pm

  I purchased my Sorento March 2010 I now have 5,000 miles.. I do enjoy the vehicle except there a many rattles inside and the ride seems to be a bit harsh..not very comfortable.. The 4-cy is just adequate.. My car does not like to go up any hills/inclines.. the engine revs up to 4-5000 rpm and will not shift until I get to the top. Gas mileage is around 18mpg nothing great. Waiting to see how the AWD will be in the snow/ice. So far not overly satisfied with the vehicle.. but not the worst choice either.. I would like a better engine and better ride.

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  Great little sedan - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By joshatl - November 2 - 12:46 pm

  What can I say? Im impressed by the overall performance of my 2007 Spectra. I had driven Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra in the past until I decided to try Kia Spectra. This car handles well, engine is strong and very responsive, also great on gas. Based on my experiences, I would say it drives better than Corolla and Elantra, and somewhat similar to Civic. The only difference is probably in the material quality used to build the interior. But considering the price I paid for my Spectra, I feel okay about it. It has now 112K miles on it, and I just got the drive and timing belts, water pump and engine mount replaced. I will at least drive this car until it reaches 200K.

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  Warning Dont buy this vehicle - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By Terri Q - October 31 - 6:00 am

  This Sedona did not come with your safety and comfort in mind. First of all you cannot have the recirculated air on at the same time as your fan. So you have to endure car exhaust fumes if you take any trip. Second which is even worse, the seats are uncomfortable for traveling and there is no remedy for that because you cannot use a cushion or seat cover. If you use a seat cover or a thin pad, no matter how much you weigh it turns off your airbags making your safety at risk. This was not a smart deal. I called Kia to find out how to turn the airbag on at all times. They said you will just have to live with it.