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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  2005 Kia Sportage LX 2.7L V6 Automatic - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By pjwildes - December 25 - 11:58 pm

  Bought used 3 yrs ago with 48000 on it. Just turned 100,000. I have only needed to replace tires, brakes, & timing belt assembly recommended at 100,000, & rear wheel bearing. I love this little Sportage! Gets 18 to 24 mpg depending on winter or summer. I put tow package on it for my pop up camper, pulls easily. Issues I have is the parking lights burn out constantly, and the hatch door latches are somewhat stuck, odd. Runs great, its peppy! Regular oil changes & tire rotations are the only "maintenance" Ive had to perform. Wish it had a higher towing capacity for the V-6 but learned its because it has a light-duty rear axle. Cant speak for the newer Sportages, but this one is awesome!

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  Great Minivan! - 2008 Kia Sedona
  By twinsmom9895 - December 24 - 9:26 pm

  I had a 2002 Sedona with 175,000 miles on it, that I just traded in to purchase my 2008 Sedona. I loved my 2002, and find that my 2008 is as good if not better!! Its very versatile, comfortable and a great deal for the money.

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  Fun and Economical Hatchback - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Cheongyei - December 24 - 6:40 pm

  I had looked at the new Dodge Caliber and the PT Cruiser, but found the Spectra5 to be superior in every category: fit, finish, fun, fuel economy, warranty, handling, standard features. The 5 has a sporty suspension with extra low-profile tires, alloy wheels, front and rear sway bars. Tight turning radius, no problem taking tight corners. Point it where you want it, and it goes. The nicest handling small car Ive owned, and I have had Toyotas, Hondas, Audis, Capris, Neons. Kia has improved the appearance of the interior for 2007, and fixed the too-low front air dam as well, so the two biggest problems of 2006 are now history. If you are looking for the right 2007 hatch, try the Spectra5.

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  Electrical System is Bad - 2006 Kia Sorento
  By marilynh - December 23 - 7:50 am

  I researched my Kia and made my decision to buy. My Kia runs well but have had many other problems, the wheels lost their paint, Kia replaced them, the new set is losing their paint. The gas cap door latch broke, the gas pedal stuck, I had to pay. Ive replaced 4 headlights 1 turn signal and 1 break light within 6 months at my expense. Did I make the right choice? No. Also on my second set of tires.

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  Save the manuals! 2012 fwd manual - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By tnmtnsmike - December 23 - 4:54 am

  I recently bought a 2012 base FWD manual and could not be happier. I wanted the function of a suv with the driving dynamics of a car and didnt want/need to spend a fortune. I also wanted to row the gears myself. After comparisons of all vehicles that met my criteria, I decided on the sportage because of value, comfort, room, and the fun to drive factor. Plenty of storage, plenty of power - great standard features. I have 3000 miles and am very happy with comfort (im 63), mileage (avg 27 mixed driving) and the fact that im always asked about it when im out and about. So far, I have no complaints.

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  New Spectra = Great purchase! - 2005 Kia Spectra
  By SpectraMan - December 22 - 2:10 am

  This is my first foreign car, and so far the experience has been very positive. My car has performed flawlessly during the first 6 months / 7k miles, and I have had only one minor repair made to the LED 3rd brake light. So far I am very pleased with my Spectra, and have made that known on the Edmunds forums.

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  Great value for the money! - 2014 Kia Soul
  By RAS - December 21 - 2:51 pm

  I purchase a used 2014 Exclaim model; with all the extras. Test drove VW and a few others. Its a great value for the money! loaded with nice tech etc. Buy one at least a year old; its worth it... RAS

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  Cant complain - 2001 Kia Optima
  By Erika S. - December 21 - 1:46 pm

  I have owned my Optima for a little over 10 months. There have been a few more little problems than expected, but I just cant part with it! I ran a risk buying it used and paid for it. Maintenance things such as brakes, tune-up, belts, filters, electrical etc. were never replaced. I am currently experiencing a problem with the passenger side-curtain airbag. $1400 replacement probably due to the car possibly having been in an accident at one point. I love this car to death, though. Looks and drives like a true luxury vehicle. I am a college student and it was an amazingly affordable vehicle that attracts a lot of attention at school. 102,700 miles and still running like new!

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  Great car, great value- worth a look - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Kim - December 20 - 9:00 am

  My wife and I were looking for a practical road car for our extended weekend getaways, with lots of room and creature comforts. This car definitely meets all of our expectations, but also works well on my daily commutes to the office. The quality and workmanship are outstanding, and the ride is solid and capable. Great car.

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  Love it! - 2010 Kia Forte
  By Tara - December 20 - 2:33 am

  We purchased the Forte EX in Titanium after an exhausting search. We initially had settled on a Nissan Sentra then saw this and decided to drive it and we were sold. Most of the complaints that the editors at Edmunds had about the automatic transmissions shifting is easily resolved by using the auto-manual feature. Comfort is fantastic, handling is great for a car of this class.