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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  Words cant even describe the rage... - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By freqsounds - October 14 - 7:58 am

  You couldnt pay me to drive another one of these. My wife and I both purchased our own Sorentos. Each Sorento shares the same problems. These problems include transmission, engine, interior trim, electrical, body, and brake problems. The transmission slips, jolts, and resists the movement of the car. The engine sometimes misfires and makes a loud ticking noise. The interior trim doesnt line up and easily pops off. The headlights cut out and the backup cam doesnt always work. The body panels dont line up the way they should. The brakes are spongy and caused my wife to get in an accident, rear ending a Focus at 10mph, costing $4000 of damage.

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  my alien soul - 2016 Kia Soul
  By briley003@cfl.rr.com - September 7 - 8:53 am

  I really like my Kia Soul its small but that is what we were looking for we already have a full size truck it get really good gas mileage more then what they said we would get has a lot of storage room and good leg room in the back seats

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  Kia Crappia - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By Jay Walker - May 30 - 2:00 am

  This is the worst car in the world, even worse than Jeeps. It gives the driver a poor feeling, and makes him wonder when itll break down again. All the features are the bare minimum in quality and it is the ugliest car in the world. Please, KIA, get rid of this car...it is terrible.

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  Uncomfortable Seats, Horrible Gas mileage, - 2014 Kia Sportage
  By t.turman@gmail.com - May 29 - 8:34 pm

  So paid cash for a Mustang GT that I bought from a friend, well spouse drove the thing one time and said it pulled to the left so took it to Ford and found out it had been totaled out by insurance company and it was on the Carfax, so spouse threw a fit and made me trade it in, had a choice between a 2010 Chevy Malibu which was a hell no and a 2014 Sportage, so took it I absolutely hate it. Seats are uncomfortable, they have no way to adjust lumbar support in lower back, the steering wheel doesnt come down enough so if you want to put your arms on the armrest you have to rotate which arm is driving. I got the same gas mileage in the Mustang that I get in this POS, It has no power to go, even turning the damn ECO off its like waiting for the hamster in the wheel to catch up...... I fill up at least twice a week, even if I take it easy and drive like a grandpa it just sucks. Unfortunately I am stuck in this damn thing for at least two years or unless someone runs a stoplight or stop sign and takes the whole front end off, which I hope for every time I get behind the wheel, I would get out and hug them afterwards and thank them. I think the only thing I like about it is the color and the height. Thats about it....

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  awful - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By fict - May 13 - 11:20 pm

  we bought this car with 28k miles in the hopes of a low mileage car which would provide a solid, low maintenance vehicle for a number of years. mea culpa - you get what you pay for. from the brakes (calipers, rotors, pads) to the wiring system (complete shorts in the auto locks and windows) to the suspension, i believe its mostly assembled out of hobby wire and aluminum foil.

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  CRAP - 2002 Kia Sportage
  By Ben Renzella - November 17 - 2:00 am

  Do NOT buy a sportage, or ANY kia, for that matter - a new car with as many problems as this (all, of COURSE, fixed under warranty....sometimes) - Stay Away!

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  garbage car of the year - 2001 Kia Rio
  By jtm - October 16 - 3:10 am

  i have a 2001 kia rio sedan and it is more time parked than running.Im not satisfied with its performance economy and service is so expensive.To find part is too difficult

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  Worst vehicle have ever owned! - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By Ryan - August 5 - 10:00 am

  Have owned the vehicle for 5 years and have had nothing but problems for 4. Back up sensors constantly malfunctioning, tires shot after hardly any miles, doors freeze shut all winter, AC has gone out twice, bushings replaced twice, ignition issues, too many problems to list. Is in the shop at least every two months. Shop plugs it into the computer, doesnt show code and they cant replicate the problem.

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  WISH I COULD RETURN IT!!! - 2002 Kia Rio
  By mitchttj - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Less than 700 miles into my "coerced" ownership of this vehicle I was feeling like a major fool!! 523 miles-car dies in a parking lot. They towed to dealership and changed battery-NOT THE PROBLEM! More quitting on the road(with a baby in the back!)and then they change the alternator(somewhere around 700 miles)-guess that was the problem. The car whistles when the wind hits from certain directions, the back windows roll THEMSELVES DOWN and we dont get anywhere near the mileage they said! (supposed to get approx 35-40, we are lucky if we get 25-30!) If you have kids, the car seats dont fit very well! One more complaint, you cant shift the car without spilling your drink!

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  Defective part that can cause catastrophic failure - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By Kathy - May 24 - 4:43 am

  Model years 2002-09 contain a defective engine crank sprocket that when the bolt breaks, causes you to loss your power steering and the engine is JUNK. The bolt broke while I was on the highway doing 65 MPH. When I went to steer on to the on ramp, I had NO power steering and almost went off the road. I had the car towed to the dealer and they told me the crank shaft bolt broke and I needed a new engine to the tune of $5000.00 I purchased the car used 6 months before for $8900.00 and there was less than 91,000 miles on it. I ended up losing my shirt on this piece of junk that Kia KNEW was defective. They dont seem to care that someone can get killed when this happens.