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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  alot of suv - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By perkys tires - July 24 - 2:00 am

  great suv for the price . i question the review on the power i myself think its very good . have you ever drove a montaro what a dog . the kia is fast and responds to wheel inputs.

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  I Love My Sorento - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Eagle - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Im a middle-aged woman who found a comfortable and maneuverable 4WD that rides smoothly over the road but handles my excursions off-road quite well. It took a few days to get used to the height and slower speed necessary when using highway off-ramps without the sensation of tipping or rolling over, but that same height allows for great off-road clearance. It holds my horse saddle and tack as easily as the groceries, and looks great for a dressed-up night on the town. Gas mileage is about 17 around town, 21 over-the-road. A truly versitile vehicle that converts easily from a passenger to utility vehicle in minutes.

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  Commuter - 2007 Kia Rio
  By Aaron - July 24 - 1:10 am

  I have a 140 mile round trip commute and needed a good mpg car. I knew the Kia would get good mileage and the long warranty was important, but I did not expect it would be so fun to drive. I have actually had it up to 100 mph and seemed like it had a little more to give, I didnt want to push my luck though.

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  Fun and Sporty little car! - 2010 Kia Rio
  By mikeyt - July 23 - 3:36 pm

  I love this car. It is so sporty with all the cool features (see below). It is not as commonly seen as its rivals (Corolla, Civic, Fit, and Yaris) so it stands out a lot more!

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  Exceeded Expectations - 2016 Kia Sedona
  By Dave W - July 22 - 8:28 pm

  At 26K now and continue to be very pleased. Very good performance for a mini van. Enjoy the comfort, room, and features. One warranty repair to the brakes at 11K, otherwise just routine maintenance.

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  Ki-eh! - 2002 Kia Optima
  By drdavid - July 22 - 2:00 am

  On first blush, the Optima is a nice car. But after driving it for almost a year, the honeymoon is over. Window problems, cold starting hesitation, rough idling, only fair milage (even with the 5 speed), gives me pause to purchase another Kia. Reponse by the dealer (after 2 visits)about the rough idling, cold hesitation and fair milage was, "thats what the factory said it should be set at." I will say that the car is reliable and can pack in the people (2 adults/2 kids) and luggage. They say you get what you pay for. I was hoping for more.

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  Great Car - 2002 Kia Optima
  By Buckeyes1990 - July 22 - 2:00 am

  Before buying the Kia we looked at numerous vehicles including the Honda Accord. After test driving the Kia, we were sold! It drives great and the standard features are excellent! Did I mention the 100,000 mile warranty!? We are very pleased with the whole package that Kia offered.

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  Love it! - 2010 Kia Optima
  By AB - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased it and although Ive only had it a few days I love it so far and I really like the warranty they offer with KIA. Would buy another I really like it and the price was great! Rides good too!

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  Happy Buyer - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By TAC - July 20 - 5:46 am

  We researched many vehicles before deciding on the Sorento. We debated between the 4 and 6 cylinder and decided on the 4 since we did not want 3rd row seats. We took it on a trip through the PA mountains and had no problems with power. Good at acceleration and hill climbing. We averaged 27 mpg on highway and 22 mpg city. I was a little concerned about ride comfort, but after this trip found it to be more comfortable than the Grand Caravan we traded. Leather seats with lumbar support helped. The biggest drawback is the cost to replace 18 in tires when the time comes. Overall a very pleasant ride and so far we are pleased with the purchase.

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  $700 Miles so far and........................ - 2014 Kia Cadenza
  By stevev3 - July 20 - 4:23 am

  Cannot find one issue and Im a German car fanatic. This vehicle is perfect in every way from brakes, power, quietness, to build quality. Even KIA corporate has contacted me for my opinion. This is a whole new game. Its a no brainier and one of the few buying decisions Ive made that I can say I made a great decision. I own the car and Im very direct in my thoughts.