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 pleased KIA owner - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By wendy25 - October 7 - 10:00 am

  this is our first new and foreign vehicle ever. i was alittle skeptical but i got over that real quick when i had the vehicle for a couple of weeks. every problem i had was very minor and very well taken care of with no cost to me what so ever. would i recommend a KIA Sorento to somebody NO i would recommend one to everyone looking to buy an SUV.

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  Best all around car I ve ever owned. - 2006 Kia Amanti
  By mjdeere - October 7 - 6:43 am

  Took this car on a test drive and was immediately impressed with the overall package. Others comment what a beautiful car it is. This car is a quality piece of work. I would have preferred heated mirrors and compass. This car gets "their" attention. It has a certain dignity that is quite obvious from the first mile. For once my wife and I agree on something; Kia is a winner! We were ready to purchase a Chrysler 300 "C" until we met our Kia Amanti.

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  Poor MPG - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By Judy - October 6 - 10:20 pm

  I have no problem with the car other than the MPG is really poor. I get around 16 in the City and around 21 on the Highway. With todays gas prices that hurts. It is comfortable, but wish there was more adjustment options in the driver and passenger front seats.

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  AIR BAG PROBLEM! - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By Maria - October 6 - 7:43 pm

  I love my car but have had several problems with the "AIR BAG" light coming on. It has been in the shop 4 times for this with the last time last week. They said it was due to my low battery but that yet it isnt even a year old. Well, the airbag light came on again yesterday. Very frustrating! Not too happy with service here in El Paso but cannot do much since they are the only KIA dealer. Dont want to trade it in since it is paid off and I really love my car. Has anyone else had problems with the AIRBAG light?

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  Kia Junk - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By m17921 - October 4 - 3:46 pm

  I have a 2011 Kia Sorento. It is getting the transmission replaced for the second time. It has less than 10,000 miles on it. Think twice before buying a Kia. The selling dealership fixed it the first and second time. It still wasnt right so I found another dealer to take over the warranty work. They are putting another transmission in right now. This dealer is wonderful since I didnt buy the car there. They have been better that the dealer that sold me the car. Kia looks good but, pay a little more and buy a Nissan or Toyota. Kia calls with a survey after you get an oil change to see how the service was. Once there is a bigger problem they stop calling because they dont want to hear that

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  great - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By whelgedalen - October 4 - 2:44 am

  bought new in 2002, even though i try not to buy the first model year for any vehicle. my mileage has been a consistent 28 mpg hwy with 6 large people and luggage. plenty of power.

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  Love It - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By julie - October 3 - 6:46 pm

  I just got my Sportage, I do have to say so far this truck is a dream. Comfort in this vehicle is unbelievable. I used to hate driving; now I cant wait to go for a ride. Great for the family. Love the unbelievable options. I didnt know cars had mp3 players.

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  Great value. - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Dana Walters - October 3 - 7:50 am

  Great value, makes you feel as if you spent $23,000-28,000. Very nice well thought out car.

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  My first 1200 miles... - 2014 Kia Cadenza
  By dr_chill_2013 - October 3 - 4:31 am

  This past weekend I took my first road trip (800mi rnd trip); I was more than thrilled with how it handled. It’s seriously autobahn ready! The Cadenza was solid at all speeds 70, 80, 90+. No matter the speed, it continued to accelerate with very little prodding; and the steering remained precise/accurate. MPG: On the 1st leg I avg’d 28.7mpg, on the 2nd I averaged 28mpg; I was NOT driving economically. :) In the city, I have averaged 22mpg so far. The features and appointments crammed into this car are ridiculous! To get the same size of car, with the same features, I would have to spend at least $15K more. In short, there are no dancing rats anywhere near this car; it is a joy to drive!

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  First Impression - 2013 Kia Soul
  By donmack - October 2 - 9:40 am

  I have a 2013 + (plus) with 2 liter automatic. Its a pretty nice car, well built, not too cheap on the fit and finish. Its really big on the inside. visibility is good except for the rear corners. The pillar is kind of thick. The car is short, about 10" shorter than my Honda Civic, but it is really tall.