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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  Perfect little car! - 2012 Kia Forte
  By mai_sai - February 28 - 7:09 pm

  Dont let the price tag fool you, this car is well built. It doesnt give that cheap feel youd expect from a lower budget vehicle. The interior is very comfortable for my petite frame, I dont have trouble seeing the road or maneuvering. My larger passengers seem quite comfortable as well. Has a peppy engine and tight suspension, shifts smoothly, very quiet, brakes effortlessly.. This car does well on winding roads. The feel of the car when driving it is very similar to the 11 Ford Focus. My Forte has high mileage (70,000 miles) & hasnt had a single problem, runs great, & is very dependable which is great since the Focus started having problems at 21,000 miles.

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  Will never buy another Kia - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Artouchette - February 28 - 1:16 pm

  Bought my 2004 Kia Sorento used in July 09. Had the bolt drop off three times, since. First two, it was under warranty. Shortly after the second fix by Sports Auto World in Bourne, it developed a new symptom, a burning smell. Took the car to the dealer, he was gone. (along with $1500 for an extended warranty that he never bought) Executive Kia, in New Bedford, MA took it in, and now, it was the Main Gasket?? I asked about the bolt issue, they assured me it was "fine." It died 3 days later. They claim they didnt touch it. Not under warranty. Too bad. I havent even had the car a full year! Replacing Bolt repeatedly is not reasonable expense.

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  My wife and I are in love... with our Kia Sorento SX! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By vara411 - February 28 - 3:29 am

  My wife and I are extremely happy with our white pearl 2011 Kia Sorento SX. The V6 engine is best in class and doesnt chug gas so long as you drive conservatively mixed city/hwy. We had looked at the Mazda CX-9 but it was too large, expensive, and thirsty on the gas. The Sorento on the other hand is the perfect size for many families and a great value, even in its top-of-the-line SX trim. The dual flow damper shocks on the SX give the car a sporty ride thats only occasionally jittery on rough roads. This car is seriously one of the best buys we have made in a long while. I would highly, highly recommend it.

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  Got what I paid for - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By meare1 - February 26 - 4:27 pm

  Used to have a Dodge Caravan, compared to that JUNK, this Kia is MUCH better. Yes, it has had the trips to the dealer, (2) for warranty related work, but compared to the NON-warranty trips I had with the Dodge, I would NEVER buy Mopar AGAIN!! Not a bad van for the money. I bought it used with 24k and have since gone past the warranty and just bought new tires for it.

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  Wait and see - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By F Smith - February 26 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2002 Sedona EX in May 2002. I love the way it drives. It handles well and is tight and solid. However in the last five months the dealer has had the car almost as much as I have. For several different evelectrical problems. So far they have replaced the alternater, radio, keyless entry receiver, and the power seat switch. It took three visits to the dealer and a total of 8 weeks. They provided a rental car so I didnt loose anything. But at this point its going to take a while to build any kind of confidence in the car. I hope I dont have anymore problems becuase I really like the car, and dont want to get rid of it.

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  Excellent good-looking car that is value for money - 2012 Kia Rio
  By sunbomb - February 24 - 8:42 pm

  For a customer profile like mine (already own a minivan, looking for commuter car) this is a great option to have. The car itself would probably satisfy a lot of other profiles, but it is smack in the middle of my demo. Cargo space is not that great, but that is not why I bought this car. I bought this with the convenience package which included UVO (a cool addition) and the rearview camera. No need for nav if you already have a smartphone. Car handles beautifully and very little of the harsh rides associated with sub-compacts. Really like the looks and the interior. A lot of reviews have commented on how the interior does not look as cheap as other cars in the class.

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  Great Car - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By Happy Kia Owner 2 - February 24 - 10:00 am

  So far this has been a great car! The redesigned Kia Spectra is built solid, and the new motor is much better then the old 1.8. Its quiet, and gets great gas mileage. The inside is quite roomy front and back. Adults actually can be comfortable in the back!

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  I love my Sedona! - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By TutiFlutey - February 24 - 10:00 am

  This is my first minivan. I researched every minivan on Edmunds and found the Sedona to be the least expensive van with the most options. Id never driven a minivan before and found it very easy to drive. It is extremely comfortable--I LOVE the lumbar support for my poor back! My husband is excited because now I will actually drive on trips. I wish it got better gas mileage, but am glad its so heavy.

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  Poor review on my 03 Spectra - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By Myers712924 - February 21 - 7:56 pm

  My Spectra is on the verge of being a lemon. I have had the transmission replaced twice. The rotors have been chewed up by the brake pads and they werent even 60% used up and the dealership didnt want to cover that one. They say more than 50% and its not covered. After haggling with them, they FINALLY agreed to replace the rotors, which Im not sure they did, because 10 months later, I am needing new ones again. They put that they wouldnt cover rotors any longer in the computer last time there was a problem, so now Im hung out to dry. The pads are AGAIN about 60% used. The driver seat replaced due to springs popping out of it, the seat belts replaced for not working properly, and much more.

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  Love it so far - 2012 Kia Soul
  By rltech07 - February 21 - 7:00 am

  Ive had my Soul+ for exactly 3 days, and Im officially in love. This little car is comfortable, surprisingly spritely to drive, and very economical. We traded a 2002 Jeep Liberty, which is probably the polar opposite of a Kia. We gave up a tiny bit of cargo room and some horsepower. We gained state-of-the-art safety and a vehicle that is a joy to drive - so far. I realize its early days. Something may go wrong, but right now I feel like this is not just a car, its a large, gas sipping pet.