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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  Constantly Asked About My Sorento! - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By BWRYANAZ - November 10 - 10:00 am

  My mechanic husband had two requests when I purchased my new car - no V6s and no SUVs. Anything else was fine. Researched lots of cars on the web and found the KIA Optima, but at the dealership, fell in love with the Sorento. Once I drove it, I would have no other. The Sorentos power, performance, handling and features has won over the hubby. Weve taken it on two major trips this year where strangers constantly approached us asking about the Sorento. Ive recommended it to so many people, KIA should pay me!

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  Great commuter ride. - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Ms.Teacher - November 10 - 12:00 am

  Purchased Base Soul after much research. Perfect choice for me - 50 yr old driver with 120 mile roundtrip commute. Great view of road. Gas mileage is 31-33mpg consistently, Ive checked after every fill-up. Comfortable for tall family of 4.My son is 64" and rides in front or back.Comfortable seat design and leg room. Wide door access. Storage is slightly small for my needs,but gives extra space for passengers. Great AC for Southern humidity. Easy reach to all accessories. Safety, solidness & maneuverability feel great! Wide stance and extra front engine space make me feel safe in small auto on highway. 3,000+ fun miles in 5 weeks! Catches lots of attention!

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  good for the money - 2007 Kia Sedona
  By coffeequeen - November 9 - 10:46 pm

  I bought the vehicle new in 11/07, have 30,000 miles on it and for the most part has been a great vehicle. I do have a rattle that sounds like its coming from the back but no one can seem to find the source, the handles that help you in/out are very poorly built, 3 out of 4 of mine have already came out. the windshield motor is gone now and when i tried to go buy one they say its a dealer part. I regret not buying the extended van as the regular short base has no more room than my previous car. But those are all minor, the experience I have had with this van has been exceptional, no regrets. I have 3 other family members that have been kia owners and all were very happy with theirs.

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  Very Noisy Cabin - 2008 Kia Sedona
  By R.S. - November 9 - 10:00 am

  The ride is rigid and the cabin is extremely noisy (unlike other reviews seen here). Other than that it is a decent, practical vehicle but is is hard to get past the noise.

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  Would like to know - 2011 Kia Sportage
  By cookie - November 9 - 10:00 am

  great car. drives a little rougher than the chevy hhr that i traded on this car but overall nice. did dealer charge anyone else $1000.00 above sticker price? just noticed paperwork.

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  Had it for a week and LOVE it! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By VegasGirl - November 9 - 10:00 am

  I just picked up my SX last week at Findlay Kia in Las Vegas. The dealership experience was STELLAR! As for the Sorento, I am so glad I was delayed in my purchase, almost bought an EX limited V6 and am thrilled with the upgrades of the SX. So far, I love the mood lighting, the NAV system, and the smoother ride (compared to the EX). I also like that this trim level does NOT have the plastic bumpers like the EX and LX, its a little beefier in its appearance. I upsized from a RAV4 so the gas mileage isnt as good but its much bigger, more luxurious and has 276 HP which for me means going up hill without having to turn off the a/c! Get compliments every day! More to follow. Thanks Kia!

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  Great Car - 2012 Kia Soul
  By kipper1975 - November 7 - 6:33 pm

  I was looking at the base model, but ended up getting the +Auto. I got 66 miles on my Soul and already love it. I am 6 1", 215lbs, and I have good leg room, head room and the seats are comfortable. For a 2.0L engine, it has alot of pep, you cant race it but, I was doing 90MPH before I knew it. Side by side it is the size of my wifes Jeep. They have Infinty system that sounds really good, with lights around the front speakers. Very good little car, so far awsome gas milage, have tok a road trip yet, but in the city driving so far so good. Windows up radio on very little road noise....I wanted the ! at first but the only difference was GPS, I have a portable GPS so didnt need it.

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  Efficient, Zippy with a few Quirks - 2003 Kia Optima
  By Cathy - November 6 - 7:10 pm

  Overall a great car. Fuel efficient, outstanding pickup, comfortable, love the Speedtronic shift to manual on steep roads, nice sound system. Downside: paint around exterior mirrors vanished after 3 years, had to get them repainted. There are also a few electrical quirks. Radio sometimes goes on/off over bumps, The radio antenna wouldnt retract when shutting off car, instead it would go up/down in a confused fashion until I started the car and turned off radio first. Mysteriously resolved itself. Had problem with passenger interior door lock misaligning and trapping passenger inside-got it fixed 3 times, but was warranteed No mechanical problems in 4 yrs, just new battery & tires.

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  I love it but - 2010 Kia Soul
  By flutepilot - November 6 - 2:13 pm

  I have had my Soul for just over a month and agree with nearly everything written previously. It has more than adequate power, handles very well, but is a bit busy in the ride. It is extremely comfortable, especially for larger people. I had a 63", 300+ pounder in the car and the car basically said "So?". Gas mileage with air on nearly constantly has been about 27 overall. The Soul has the BEST steering wheel mounted cruise control controls anywhere. Same with the radio controls. This is my first experience with Bluetooth and I love it! The only real negative is the interior plastic which shows scratches if you look at it sideways. I would definitely buy it again.

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  Emergency Service - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By Emergency Mgmt - November 6 - 12:00 am

  Vehicle has been equipped with emergency strobe lighting and two way radio for Emergency Management purposes. Pulsating headlights or wig wags headlights cant be done due to sealed head lamp unit; settled for grill strobes.Two way VHF radio can be hidden from view with full display of center tray cup holders. Rear strobe lights installation OK for tail light assembly and clear backup assembly. Vehicle has easy access for front firewall wiring for radio installs etc, however caution is advised for running wiring up through posts to roof assembly due to airbag placement. When operating off-duty Sedona appears low profile like a standard undercover vehicle.