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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  GOOD DEAL - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By gary strong - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE 700 MILES ON IT AND THE MILAGE IS ABOUT 18.5. BETTER THAN THE 2001 FORD ESCAPE I HAD.BUT THE ESCAPE WAS A FINE CAR ALSO THE 17000 MI. I DROVE IT. BUT I HAD TO TRADE EVERY 3 YEARS TO HAVE A WARRANTY. NOW I HAVE 1000.OOO OR 10 YRS.THATS WHAT SOLD ME.

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  I love my KIA - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Crystal Love - July 31 - 10:00 am

  Had my KIA about a year and love it. Gives a smooth ride and gas milage isnt that bad. Looks great and I get a lot of compliments. Lots of room.

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  Kia Sorento - Great Value For The Price - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By kiaboy - July 31 - 10:00 am

  A little heavy on the MPG -- about 20 on the highway and 18 in town. Overall its a 10 compared to other SUVs Ive owned.

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  A car that gives you peace of mind! - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Rachel - July 31 - 5:23 am

  If I told you about the past three cars I had before my Sorento, you wouldnt believe my bad luck. I still walk out of the store and thank god "Black Betty" is there to greet me. We bought this car less than two weeks before moving across country. We went with two rows. Just my husband and myself, and a bunch of fur babies. We looked at every car out there. New/used. We stayed away from anything 45k and above. We had about 10k-12k to put down. Our options were open. Initially my husband test drove the Sorento. While I was impressed/size with the appearance I was favoring the sleek and sexy body/look of the Nissan Altima. Obviously the two cars arent a like at all. We did need space. I went over the Pros and cons. Ill share them with you now. Pro: Space, the large trunk offers much more space than most SUVs without removing seats. The body is sexy, it looks nice. People are always caught off guard by the brand. The interior is really detailed. I love the two tone. Black and tan with tan seats and black carpets. Even the 4cl has some kick when you want it to move. It rides so smooth. Not as great as my Lincoln, but come on it was a Lincoln! Interface has many options to choose from Mode for gas: eco, sport, regular Ease of getting in and out. My grandmother loved how you could just slip in and out. Many options for power, you can all have your devices plugged in at once. The seats are comfortable, you dont feel stiff and unable to move freely. The backup camera, something I never thought I would use, is very useful. Leg room for passengers is always a pro. The movement of the second row allows people in the backseat to relax and not feel stuck. Gas is pretty good. We drove over 4000 miles from South Carolina to Washington State, making stops in both Arkansas, and Illinois. Thats not an easy drive in any car. With 6 animals. I wouldnt have chosen any other vehicle to have done it in. we got 27.8 miles per gallon. Ill take it. --- Cons The wind with knock you over, no really if its windy let off the gas. I feel like for a brand new car the headlights lack in visualizations. The speed on the windshield wipers is not up to par, in fact I consider them almost dangerously slow. The sound system could be better. I will have to have it replaced with a better system at some point. Its lacking in every way. (The Sounds system for years it seems on Kia models has come with issues, you have to reset it with a pin (pointed object, being inserted into a tiny hole) Or there will be no sound, from ipods cds ect.. Front grill isnt east to clean. Took many car washes to get the bugs off of the grill. I spent almost $30.00 just trying to removed them. There is still residue. If you have pets HUGE annoyance "You cant leave your keys in the car and lock the door, thus leaving the air on." If your keys are in the car your doors will not lock. Auto lock doors. Great for when you run in a store and forgot to lock your doors, not great for when you run back into the house to grab your purse. Mostly the cons are dumb things that are more annoyances that come with learning more about your car. The first three are my only real gripes. Over all. I think we went with the best choice. The price was worth it. Not over priced, not over sized. I like the kia community. We have had a really great experience with out service provider. Our car is nice enough to feel luxurious, but not well known enough to be targeted. As silly as that sounds. When youre from Chicago you learn the little things are important. Its great that it can fit into small spaces, tow a camper, lug 25 2x4s. Or just move a family across the continental United States. It handles nicely, it rides better and smoother than most SUVs Ive ever been in. Mostly I feel safe when I take her out everyday. Nothing feels better then knowing not only am I in a car with great crash test ratings, but if she breaks down Kia has my back. Take a chance, invest in a Kia.

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  Sedona SXL is more than a minivan - 2015 Kia Sedona
  By New Kia Driver - July 30 - 5:37 pm

  We purchased a Sedona SXL 7 months ago and have put 12000 miles on it since then. Coming from a 2008 Honda Odyssey there are some distinct differences. Most noticeable is how much quieter the interior is in the Sedona. You can have conversation with people in the back seats at highway speeds in the Sedona without shouting, unlike the Odyssey. The body structure of the Sedona feels very solid -- no rattles, or flex over bumps, like we would notice in the Odyssey. The layout of the instruments and controls in the Sedona are very user friendly and intuitive, more so than the Odyssey. With the console mounted shifter the driving position in the Sedona is less "minivany" than Odyssey. Both vehicles have a comfortable ride, with the Sedona having firmer seats and slightly firmer suspension, which gives it a more stable ride, with less wallow than the Honda. Both are great road trip cars, but the Sedona definitely feels like a more of a luxury car than the Odyssey. Tracks better on the highway too. Real world MPG is about the same, around 24 highway and 18 around town. In terms of driving, the Sedona is more satisfying on the road. We were first considering a Sedona SX model, but after looking at the SXL my wife really liked the extra features -- lounge seats, nappa leather, flashy chrome wheels, and especially the technology package with surround camera. The camera is an amazingly amazingly practical feature. Weve owned Mercedes, BMW and Infiniti, Honda, Land Rover, Ford, Lincoln and Chevy vehicles over the years. This is our first time buying a Kia and we are still surprised how much we like it. While it likely wont hold its value like the Honda, for us it was a better overall value than the other vans. Odyssey advantages: The engine and transmission in the Odyssey felt slightly smoother and more refined under quick acceleration, and the Odyssey has more third row room (since we only use the third row occasionally this was not a big deal). We looked at the new Odyssey and Toyota Sienna as well before we purchased. We also had a Town and Country rental for a week and were surprised that we actually liked it. Side by side its not quite as good as the Asian minivans but considering that you can buy one for $9K less than the other vans I understand why so many people buy them. All these minivans are great family vehicles but the combination of unmatched features, styling, drive quality and price swayed our decision to buy the Sedona. Of the four we ranked them Sedona, Odyssey, Sienna and Town and Country.

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  wish I would have checked prices first - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By jesse spurlock - July 29 - 5:43 pm

  Just purchased vehicle hard to judge quality and reliability at this time. Bought mostly for warranty.

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  Great value at a very good price! - 2012 Kia Forte
  By bd21 - July 29 - 5:46 am

  The Kia Forte is a well engineered vehicle that I believe is best in class for the price. I paid $17,713.00 out the door for a EX 5-door in Titanium with stone interior. My car was equipped with auto-dimming mirror w/compass, wheel locks, rear bumper applique, cargo net, cargo tray, spashguards and an i-pod cable. I had no trade-in and the price included 6% sales tax and all dealer fees. I did get $2,000.00 in rebates. This car is fun to drive around town and on the interstate. Im very impressed with the design, quality and functionality of this car. I dont think you will find a better car under $21K.

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  Best Value - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By ssaied - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Good Van, great price. Lots of power.

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  Warranty useless - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By captaink - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Purchased top-of-the-line Sedona EX with leather, sunroof, etc. After delivery, we found a cracked interior trim piece (pillar), a ripped interior trim piece (on passenger side sliding door), a scratch on the radio, a place on a leather seat that had been rubbed with sand paper to remove a stain/mark, and an incessantly rattling rear seat. The dealership cant or wont fix problems. Cant get parts, etc. Van was in shop for 21 days of the first 40 days after delivery. Think twice before you purchase one of these. "You get what you pay for." Look at Honda and Toyota.

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  For this $, U cant beat this car - 2010 Kia Forte
  By kdominy - July 28 - 4:36 am

  Ok, I paid $16K, without the equity from my trade, it would have been $17.5K including all taxes and fees. Now tell me another car that gives you the following at that price. Full steering wheel controls, pwr windows/locks, keyless, cd/mpw, flash drive, ipod connectivity, sirius, 5 speed auto tranny, ac, cc, etc. Oh, 5 yr/60 month b2b, 10 yr/100K pwrtrain. I have more headroom than I did in my Tundra, 40 mpg on the hwy, and a very reliable and well handling suspension. Nice pep on that engine also!