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:

• 

  Engine trouble - 2013 Kia Optima
  By sjh12 - May 31 - 8:35 am

  Bought this car as college graduation gift for my son. Drove it from Midwest to west coast to begin a job in a new city. Across country, engine light comes on and now needs to be in for service 3 days. This should NOT happen with a brand new car. Starting a new job and needing to get car in for service in a new city is a HUGE hassle. Wish we had bought something else.

• 

  Love, love, love the PARDY VAN!!!!! - 2016 Kia Sedona
  By Daezjones11814 - May 31 - 8:33 am

  We have the BEST minivan on the market! We have the Sedona SX Limited with the technology package, dual sunroofs, and all the bells and whistles. Instead of going for the eighth seat we went with the second row with foot rests. Weve been on a few road trips already and the foot rests were of great value. The heated and cool seats are amazing! The driver seat contours to my body which makes driving very comfy. Ive only been in the passenger seat twice but when I was in it it felt just as good as the drivers seat. The power sliding doors are heaven sent. Also the power life gate is a must if you have children. The leather is very easy to clean spills off of, bonus!! The gas mileage is good compared to other vehicles, city about 19 and straight highway 25-28. Overall this vehicle is a must if you have a family or are starting one. You wont be disappointed with this minivan.

• 

  Bad Customer Service and Bad Manual Transmission - 2013 Kia Rio
  By willhix - May 31 - 3:30 am

  BUYER BEWARE !!! The six speed has transmission issues. Vibration at highway speeds in sixth gear. I bought one. And Im not only disapointed....Im mad!!! Customer service is horrendous. Car still isnt fixed. Would never buy another KIA based on how Ive been treated. NEVER !!!!

• 

  Nice vehicle, but! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Windjam - May 30 - 9:43 am

  Excellent purchase price, as well as cooperative dealership. This vehicle is a real head turner. Purchased on 2/22/10 and have had many positive comments. Lives up to its hype re: high seating w/good view of road etc. and fuel mileage is OK, not great, but ok. Ride is a bit hard as are the seats. I went w/heated leather. Not real quiet on road and mine sounds like I may have a loose shock up front. (Will be checked by dealer) Front doors need to be a bit larger, for access. Im 6 and must be careful not to bump my head when getting in. Have all the options, Nav, Satellite Infinity radio, bluetooth, homelink, 18" chrome wheels. So far, am happy w/the vehicle.

• 

  WOW!! It is a KIA!!!! - 2012 Kia Optima
  By mrvega - May 30 - 1:27 am

  Purchased my 2012 SX 3 weeks ago and I am truly amazed. It doesnt feel or look like a KIA. The ride is very smooth yet sporty. Quieter and more stable at speed than my mothers 2009 Camry SE V6 even though the SE V6 feels like it accelerates quicker yet handles and feels better than the Camry. The style is elegant yet sporty (Many people compliment the exterior and interior). Even though it is a 4 cylinder, because of the turbo, it doesnt feel sluggish especially at slower speeds. Gas mileage could be better. It is returning 18-19 City hwy around 28 The style in my opinion looks much better than the Mazda 6, New Camry, Sonata, Accord, Malibu, and more expensive cars.

• 

  Love my kia - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By John Murdock - May 29 - 10:00 am

  This car saved my life when i was flipped 3 times. Thank you kia.

• 

  My Kia experiance - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By hciaffa - May 29 - 10:00 am

  Looking for a replacement for my wifes Subaru Forester which turned out to be a disappointment for us, it never dawned on us to seek out a Korean brand automobile. I had started to notice some write ups on the Sorento and I thought this looks interesting. The experiance with this car has been great to wonderfull. It is pleasent to drive, the response is very good and it runs like a bear in the snow that we had this past winter in New England. Our model is the EX with the luxury package having the AWD with 4 wd low.

• 

  Love My ronda - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By missvicki1 - May 28 - 9:59 am

  I bought my Ronda in October of 2010. Didnt like it at first, but then fell "in love with this car". Every day that I drive this car I love it more. Very good gas mikeage in the city or on the highway. Would recommend this car to anyone. Very good for the money value. I definitely would buy another Kia Rondo.

• 

  Great car for the money - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By from david - May 27 - 4:30 pm

  Plain and simple I love this little car. First time buyer of Korean car. Rides nice, love the mileage, no problems so far in the 6 months Ive had it. The sunroof package is great. I noticed some small amount of road wander though, but its still worth the money. I bought some Kia accessories to really make the car look sharp. I get lots second looks on the highway. I got the car in red, love it, plus it passes a lot of gas stations. I am averaging about 34 mpg. So far, so good, no real complaints. Its a quality built car that I think you should test drive. I got the 5 spd. I think Kia is on track to surpass Japanese quality or at least equal it for far less money. I would buy this car again in a heart beat.

• 

  great value for your money and needs - 2013 Kia Rio
  By Raj - May 27 - 6:45 am

  great car for regular commuters (work, school, etc). We needed a car for daily job commute. Hence fuel economy, safety, warranty, powerful engine and few tech features were on our list. My car is mostly on highways; even in downtown Chicago this is fun to ride. We didnt emphasize on interiors that much bcoz this is a commuting car! Our car is almost 100k miles now, and we are glad for the decision we made. We had compared to Elantra, Civic, Camry, Corolla, Sonic, Cruize and Focus; but selected this for its price, safety ratings, fuel and warranty.