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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  Excellent car for the money - 2007 Kia Rio
  By rctpeel - February 12 - 11:06 pm

  I bought my Rio5 new with 9km on it. I drove many comperable models from different mfg including Chev Aveo, Toyota, Dodge Caliber etc. I was impressed with the handling and jump for such a small car. Ive had no issues with summer or winter driving. Ive been religious with oil changes but havent had to do anything major. Just recently at 70K did I have to replace the set of belts before a long trip. If I had to pick at something, it would be the OEM Kuho tires. My front set only lasted about 40K. Warranty is great (8 yrs, 160K km) although nothing has gone wrong. Orig brakes still have 40-50% left on them and still getting close to 450km on 40L of gas. An excellent car for the money!

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  could be a cool car - 2005 Kia Rio
  By Robert - February 12 - 12:06 am

  Since purchasing my Kia Rio Cinco in 2003, I havent had any major problems with the vehicle. I have had to take it back to have about seven items repaired or replaced. My biggest complaint is the lack of horsepower and poor gas mileage.

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  Bang for the Buck - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Edgar Viera - February 11 - 3:40 pm

  Very comfortable ride, good leg room, logical positioning of instruments, excellent a/c. Killer warranty (10 yrs/ 100,000 miles) Overall, a lot of car for little money.

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  IT IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY - 2002 Kia Optima
  By tina burke - February 10 - 12:20 pm

  this car is has been a major problem and a hassle with repairs. first the timing belt then the sensors within the car. when a car is mostly a computer and the sensors arent working and most repair shops know nothing about kias ...you are out of luck and money. better to pay a little more for a more dependable car

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  One year and still love it... - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By plefevre - February 10 - 10:00 am

  Heres an update from something other than a new owner. Initial quality was excellent, we had no issues on delivery. After just over 12,000 miles, we have also had no problems of any kind, are very happy with the van Three oil changes are the extent of the maintenance -- its held alignment, belts are in great shape, paint and finish still excellent. Multiple 4-6 hour road trips with the whole family, with the A/C going most of the way in 100+ F heat, and remains one of the most comfortable travel cars Ive owned. I just got 23 MPG averaging 76MPH with the A/C on the whole way on a trip to Vegas -- what am I doing different than the EPA?

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  I like it! - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By tigger32 - February 10 - 10:00 am

  Great car! It fits me better than any other vehicle Ive sat in for at least 5 years. I only have 300 miles on it so the performance is still unknown; Im still taking it easy on the engine. The ride quality is not as good as it could be because the shocks are wimpy. They are easy to change though. I like the cars looks but wish it had more cargo room.

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  Please dont buy a KIA - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Rhonda - February 10 - 8:00 am

  Bought a Kia Sedona new 3 years ago, have taken it in for repairs 15 times, dealer and Kia dont listen to their customers and the minute you hit 60,000 miles you pay for repairs and most parts can only be found at dealer! I want others to beware of the continuous problems they face when buying a KIA. They sell for a low cost, but you need to be prepared to have your vehicle out of commission several times per year without warning.

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  Sock Monkey! Sorento rules! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By luv2nou2 - February 9 - 11:56 am

  Had a very difficult time finding an EX AWD with V6 and Luxury package (navigation) with Premium pack 2 (Sunroof). But finally after 3 weeks dealer located and got us our beautiful Black Cherry Sorento. Trading from a 2007 Mazda CX-9 with all the trimmings. Find the Kia a better value than all other SUVs in this class. Heated leather, Voice/touch screen navigation, Bluetooth, Ipod, 11 speaker 550w Infinity sound system, rear seat sunroof, Sirius/xm radio, rear camera with backup sensors, interior mood lighting, dual climate control. All in a fun, fresh new style. Drove 600 miles through VT mountains and averaged 22.3 mpg.

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  I really enjoy this car! - 2010 Kia Forte
  By emtownsend - February 9 - 3:50 am

  I now have about 300 miles on my dark cherry metallic EX. I went with the standard EX package with auto plus the wheels and sunroof. I am very pleased with this purchase. I have done a mix of highway and city driving that netted about 30.1 MPG on the first tank. Not bad! This car is essentially fully loaded and drives like a much more expensive car. I would highly recommend this car to anyone. From interior noise (great), to ride (smooth), to exterior looks (great and gets compliments), this car is a gem. I hate to use qualifiers, but at this price, it is REALLY a gem.

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  Silver Bullet - 2005 Kia Optima
  By Big "D" - February 9 - 12:10 am

  Great car. Just got back from a trip to the coast; handled the road and curves great and averaged 29 miles per gallon. Not bad with all the hills and such. Really enjoy the ride and how quiet it is. Kia is going to give Honda & Toyota a run for their money. Keep it up.