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:

• 

  this car awful - 2000 Kia Sephia
  By katie - July 28 - 10:00 am

  This car is horrible. My dad drives an SUV and get more gas mileage than mine does. I have had to replace everything on this car. I would not recommend it to anyone. The cup holders only hold cans and half the time they end up spilling.

• 

  Unbelievable - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By Ms. Johns - July 28 - 10:00 am

  This car was all good until I reached 62,000 miles. The fuel pump has gone out and the manufacturer wont admit that it is a defect. The fuel pump has been recalled in the 08 and 09 models. I had a couple in the 3rd row and thy complained about the comfort. They could feel every bump in the road. I would not recommend Kia to anyone!

• 

  Seats are horrible & not comfortable - 2015 Kia Optima Hybrid
  By Luz Mendoza - July 27 - 4:40 pm

  The back seats are so laid back you cannot straighten yourself up. The passenger front seat is so low that you feel like you are sitting in a pod. If someone is seated behind this seat you cannot move it back either. So most time your knees are touching the glove compartment. It is exceptionally good with gas. All other things are ok in this car.

• 

  2013 Kia Sorento 4cyl LX w/GDI - 2013 Kia Sorento
  By jemini48 - July 27 - 2:04 am

  Bought this about 4 days ago after researching most all SUVs. I went with the Sorento for style, price, and the cargo area. So far im pleased with the handling, GDI engine is peppy enough off the line and gets up to freeway speeds quick enough. Wish i had a power seat and outside temp indicator. Gas mileage so far is exactly as advertised, 22-23 city, Highway 31-32, and mixed about 25-26.

• 

  So far, so good - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Press - July 25 - 4:56 pm

  Solid drive; much more comfortable and responsive than I expected. Comfortable seats. Accessories easy to reach for the most part. Put a 6-foot kid in the backseat and his knees didnt even touch the front seat. Much roomier than it looks. Cargo area not real big, but with seats folded down, more than adequate. Fun to drive. Turns on a dime. A bit sluggish on acceleration, I thought -- exceeded 5,000 rpms on a quick acceleration, which is too close to redlining for my comfort. Doors sound solid when closing them; not tinny like a cheap car. Loaded with nice, consumer-friendly features. A really good value, I think.

• 

  KIA - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By LANCEYOUNG - July 24 - 2:00 am

  WE WERE DRAWN IN TO THE DEALER BY THE LOW PRICED RIO, AND AFTER HEM AND HAWING AROUND WE TEST DROVE THE SPECTRA, AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION. THE VALUE WAS THERE

• 

  I LOVE MY Kia Spectra GSX - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By Donna Gorham - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Since Ive had this wonderful gift from my hubby to drive, Ive had *freedom* again. I can get out to do my shopping, errands, and other necessary tasks which involved driving around the city. I do not have to worry about it breaking down 2-3 times a week. The fuel use is so negligible, Im using less than 1 full tank per month. And the back seats let down so I can haul as much as I need to. It my little beauty and I am quite please with her.

• 

  I would buy it again - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By JKT - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this SUV in September and wanted to put at least 2000 miles on it before I followed up with a review. Like a lot of other people I had very little knowledge of the KIA product line, but found Edmunds and other websites invaluable when researching this car. So far mechanically this car has had only one problem, and that is the thermometer in the overhead console reads about five degrees away from a true temperature. This car has a quality that rivals any of the several Hondas that I have purchased in the past. I especially liked two other things about this vehicle and that is, it is built on a true truck frame and it has strikingly good looks.

• 

  Too early to tell - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By WRT - July 24 - 2:00 am

  This truck is an unlikey member of the KIA family. Reminds me much more of a Mitsibishi or Nissan product. Dont let the name KIA turn you off. Its a good truck. Still too expensive though compared to what else you can get from other companies. Especially considering the rebates being offered now from GM and Nissan. When we bought this Sorrento, I had no idea that the other companies were discounting so much. Before buying a Sorrento, check with the other dealers to see what you can get for the same price. Again, good truck,will do everything it is designed for well, not great, but well.

• 

  Sorento - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Gitch - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this SUV after having my child and realizing the sports car had to go. I would not even consider a 4 door sedan. This is the best alternative although the tank is a guzzler. I love the car but dont buy one at Kia Norwood they are a nightmare in Warwick, RI