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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  great minivan - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By j.k. - January 29 - 11:40 am

  very comfortable, less cash, same features as other minivans, reliable, great service at kia, kids enjoy the ride

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  10 yrs and still looks/drives well - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By tomerikac - January 29 - 3:48 am

  Update: Took the Sedona in at 99.5k miles because trans was slipping into 5th gear. After submitting much paperwork showing detailed maintenance, KIA replaced trans free, along with motor mounts and exhaust which had cracked. Wow! So now at 107k miles, the thing is clean and runds well. I had to replace the door handle that just came off in my hand. $30 and 2 hrs work. Im thinking of trading it in on a Rondo. Id prefer the better gas mileage and no one seems to know just how nice those Rondos were, so they are priced low. Go KIA!!!

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  Under $20,000 - 2008 Kia Amanti
  By Ron Ator - January 29 - 2:46 am

  I cant believe I got this car for under 20k. Yes I understand the 2009 models are on the way but I paid less than 65% of sticker price on this car. More power than Ill ever need but it is nice to know its there. I drive 45 miles round trip to work in a fuel conservation mode and consistently get better fuel mileage than I did in my Kia Spectra 5. The car is so comfortable that I find myself never being in a hurry to get where Im going. You should understand Im 62" and 240lbs so finding a comfortable car is not an easy task. Granted I have only had the car for 6 weeks but I could not be happier. People are always checking it out and commenting on it. I love my car!

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  2004 sorento ex - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By jfiore - January 29 - 2:00 am

  We are very happy with our sorento. It is way comfortable and sporty. We researched most suvs in the class and the sorento kicks all other manufacturers butt. The warranty is awesome.

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  A true bargain - 2006 Kia Amanti
  By Chris - January 28 - 6:56 pm

  I love my Amanti. It is the first new car I ever purchased and have had it three years now. I wish the gas mileage was a little better and the rear view mirror is almost too large and gets in the way of drivers view but all in all I have been quite happy with all the features. For the quality and looks of this car, it could easily cost much more.

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  Ok, but not completely satisfied. - 2016 Kia Sportage
  By Dawn Smothers - January 27 - 3:52 pm

  not as good as has mileage. Dangerous blind spots. I love on a hill, and can barely see over the top until I almost get to the top. Have to easeout very slow. Very very dissatisfied with the remote start. It wont lock after it starts. Real big big deal. Very, very, disappointed on this feature.

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  WATCH OUT TOYOTA! - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By FASV - January 27 - 3:40 pm

  I got mine in 2004. So far I have convinced a neighbor and a friend to buy this car after they drove mine in a test drive. Minor problems with closing the trunk (it had to be slammed really hard). Gas door got stuck and front wheels were misaligned; all fixed by dealer under the 12000 miles adjustment period. So far all O.K. after a year of use.The ride is very quiet at freeway speeds but the engine is noisy under hard acceleration. A/C OK but should be more powerful for sunny Florida blazing and suffocating summers. If this car lasts me at least 5 years without major problems I think I will become a Kia loyal!

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  Our 1st Minivan - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By KIKO - January 27 - 10:00 am

  After extensive research the Kia Sedona was the obviuos choice for my family. The look and ride are excellent. We got a fully loaded van for $23,600. The dealer, at no charge, also threw in the cargo net, sunroof deflector and pin striped the van to match the two tone. Only have 600 miles on it but we love it anyways. Time will tell if its reliable. But the 60,000 bumper to bumper and the 100,000 mile powertrain warranties will help.

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  Got a Sedona 1 - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By SDutton - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I just picked up our new blue/beige Sedona EX today with 24 mile on the ticker. I was worried about getting a Kia because of their past history of building unremarkable cars. I bought the Sedona because I was impressed by the content per dollar vs the other vans we were considering and my positive first impression. We looked at vans from Honda, Mazda, Chrysler, Toyota. Everybody wanted too much money for a van with any kind of options. Even with some rebates on the others the Kia still won out. Now the big question is, will we have to USE that fantastic warranty Kia has or will the van be reasonably trouble free. I will keep you posted.

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  KIA AMANTI - 2006 Kia Amanti
  By JO ANN - January 27 - 9:30 am

  I absolutely LOVE my Amanti. It preforms excellent, looks smashing, and comfort is outstanding. The only thing I would like to see is a little better gas mileage...but overall I would not trade my car in for anything else.