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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  nice car - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By joe from rio rancho - March 23 - 4:06 am

  nice car. I got the EX model. I think its fun to drive.Braking is really good,very peppy off the line.sound system is good 6 speakers.great for the money.

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  Great van with little problems - 2009 Kia Sedona
  By Landric - March 22 - 2:06 pm

  I bought this van in 4/10 as a new 09 and got a great deal. Ride quality is nice, the engine is smooth, quiet, and powerful, and the interior is well though out with the exception of the armrests, which are mounted too low on the seats. So far its only got 1600 miles on it, as we mainly use it for family outings and not day to day driving. In that time its been back to the dealer twice because the check engine light came two different times and the battery died once. Kia roadside assistance picked it up when the battery died, and both of the check engine lights turned out to be sensor problems. Hopefully all that is sorted out. I love the van, but not the hassle its been so far.

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  FIRST NEW CAR THAT I OWNED - 2008 Kia Sedona
  By susan - March 22 - 12:56 pm

  I have always love the KIA and that was the only car I wanted we went to the dealer and I love it. I have blue and would not trade it for anything.

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  New to KIA - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Patti - March 21 - 4:13 pm

  Ive had my Soul! for about a month now. First KIA I have ever owned. Seems to be built solid. Doesnt have the get up and go Im used too, but it will do. Seats are not as comfortable as my last SUV, but thats understandable given the cost of this vehicle. I think KIA has done a great job. The biggest drawback are the lack of accessories available. The dealership shows pictures of everything that is available for the Soul, but they are not available in the US right now!!! I called KIA motors and they didnt even know when and if they would be available. Seems like they got the cart before the horse this time! Still a great fun vehicle though. Would recommend it to anyone.

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  Best Value in the Minivan Market - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By Troy Pettibon - March 21 - 11:13 am

  After thinking that we wanted a Town&Country my wife and I went to look at the 06 Sedonas after seeing the commercial on TV. We sure are glad that we did. It beats the Town and Country hands down. It is also just as good, if not a little better than the Odyssey or the Sienna. We have 1 year old twins. The power sliding doors are a godsend. The interior is wonderfully crafted, and everything is well made. I love the exterior styling as well.

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  Looking for a good used car? - 2004 Kia Optima
  By jim - March 21 - 7:16 am

  I now have about 40K miles and over 2 years on this car (see my 7/02/05 review) and no major problems. I average about 23mpg in mixed hwy/city driving. I would definitely recommend this as a great used car buy (but only the V6). I have had a few minor things fixed at no cost under warranty: rattle in rear view mirror, license plate light cracked, and the keyless entry control unit stopped responding. The engine still purrs and It rides just as smooth and quiet as ever with no rattles. I am looking forward to the next 40K miles.

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  Worst car purchase ever! - 2009 Kia Rio
  By mehigan - March 19 - 6:59 am

  Purchased new. Non-stop quality issues. Windshield delaminated at 16 months and again at 48 months. Has anyone had a windshield fail with stress cracks (in exactly same spot) twice within 48 months? Radio stopped working at 30 months. Knock sensor failed 15 months. Electronic control module failed 18 months. Air bag sensor failed. Too many failures to list. I call car "Elvis" -- shake, rattle and roll! Getting in-warranty repairs done a huge hassle, tried three different dealers. Last dealers solution was "you should buy a new car". Kia factory rep never returns calls. Once car out of warranty Kias attitude is too bad, we are not responsible.

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  Paid for and loving it! - 2004 Kia Optima
  By angron - March 18 - 10:00 am

  We were going to buy a Kia Rio, but when we saw the Optima, my wife just had to have it. And we lucked out cause the 2004 Optima we bought arrived just the night before. What a bargain!!! For the price difference we definitely made a move up (in size, power and comfort) and we did it without having to fork out the extra 7,000 for a comparable Toyota or Nissan.

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  07 KIA Sedona-Great car-great value - 2007 Kia Sedona
  By andrew c - March 17 - 8:23 am

  Purchased a 07 Sedona left-over. The Kia is more than I expected. The overall quality is very good. Looked at JD Power - rates Sedona higher than Honda Odyssey. The ride is very quiet, handling is great for a large car. The Sedona weighs in at 4600 lbs. I was very impressed at the pick-up. The Sedona has a Punch when you step on the accelerator. Also the storage behind the 3rd row seats is very large. We used to need a car Carrier on our windstar to haul all of our luggage. Thats not going to be the case with the Sedona. The Sedona is all luxury, I cant get over how quiet and smooth the ride is. Plus your driving one of the safest vehicles on the road. Plenty of interior storage.

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  Oh Yea - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Mike Hinton - March 16 - 5:13 pm

  This vehicle was more then I expected for this price. The ride is great. The exterior is a eye catcher. When I step on the gas the car moves with ease without the neck jerking effect. The V- 6 has more then enough get up and go. It makes one think that there is a V-8 under the hood. I could not believe it was a KIA; great job. I would buy another.