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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  Ideal for a tight budget - 2013 Kia Soul
  By MW - July 5 - 3:52 am

  Last winter I had to part ways with my beautiful 2004 orange Pontiac GTP. I loved that car ~ but I could not keep up with repairs after the electrical started to fail (bought used, had more problems than I was aware of at the time). So after car shopping for months (because I was reluctant to let go of a beautiful car) I settled upon a Kia Soul+. I knew a couple of people that had one and never complained about it. So let me tell you the perks of owning one. Seating is comfortable, for both drivers and passengers. Visibility is great - unlike my Pontiac Ive yet to encounter a blind spot while driving. Steering is sensitive, acceleration is nice - though Im not impressed with the noise (sounds like a fart car compared to my Pontiac). Out of all the vehicles I test drove, I felt comfortable behind the wheel and actually felt the car was from this galaxy when I checked out the entertainment bit. You have a usb port, a jack, two lighter sockets, and the controls on the steering (volume, blue tooth call, etc) are easy to learn. Millage is good - if you have proper tires, and filled properly, and use your cruise control and dont drive like youre in the Daytona 500 you may get more millage than you expect. Im getting about 30 in the city, and 32 on the highway. Now for the cons... Its not a fan of bumps. Youll feel them unfortunately. I once went over a bump so hard I nearly popped out of my seat! If youre in the US, youre missing out on the rear parcel shelf - its a hard top that doubles as a privacy shield to hide your things in your trunk. Google it and buy one - dont waste your time with the flimsy canvas stores and dealerships try to sell you. The wheel; its nice, but if youre used to a larger wheel size it can take some getting use to. I once hit what I thought was my horn in the parking lot to alert a distracted driver and instead hit my blue tooth call button. Speaking of blue tooth, it syncs better with an iPhone. I have an android and even though Im able to sync for calling, it doesnt sync/provide volume for when I try using my phone for maps or music. Lastly.... THE TIRES! THE TIRES ARE TERRIBLE. Theyre fine at a 16" for snowy weather, but the brand they have on their is TERRIBLE. If it comes with Nexen - ditch the wheels straight away. I tried driving on them in my Pontiac and they were not suited for winter, despite saying all season tires. Hankooks are a little better but I still wouldnt recommend it - buy yourself some proper tires. If your dealership tries to sell you something other wise, take it to a trusted mechanic for better tires or google what the best tires for a Kia Soul would be. Lastly.... if youre thinking about getting a Soul Base - dont do it, at least if you live in a snowy climate like I do. The wheel size is smaller as is the engine. Spend the extra cash and get yourself a Kia+!

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  Good Buy Overall - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By James - July 3 - 10:53 pm

  I bought this vehicle as a family vehicle for my daughter and I. It has met all of our needs. Interior is comfortable. Exterior is an attractive, sleek design. Turning radius is not the greatest. Factory headlights are not as bright as the headlights in my Ranger were. The back glass rattles. I agree with the post indicating that the water from teh wiper blades blows right inside when the window is down. Never had that happen before in any other vehicle. Lower gas mileage than I was told at teh dealership. But those are teh only negatives. Everything else about the vehicle is a positive. Most reliable vehicle I have ever had.

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  I Love my Car! - 2008 Kia Rio
  By Misty - July 3 - 11:03 am

  I got my Rio at the first of March. I love it while all my friends drive big SUVs and complain about the gas prices, my family of 5 fits in my car just fine and were able to take a vacation this summer while my friends stayed at home. I get 38 miles a gallon! Thank you KIA

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  Would buy it again - 2006 Kia Rio
  By Tom - July 2 - 3:46 am

  I really enjoy the cars spacious trunk and interior. It drives very well for a car of this class and feels safe. I trust my lead-footed teenager with it. My only regret is that after four years it gives me no reason to trade it on a new Forte or Soul. My wife drives an 06 Kia Sedona and these are both reliable, satisfying autos. I hate taking it in for the annual inspection and having to walk through the showroom past the new models.

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  Kia=Value - 2003 Kia Rio
  By Saab_and_Benz - July 2 - 2:00 am

  I recently bought this Kia to use strictly to drive to and from work. With an approximate distance of 140 miles a day roundtrip, the gas milage, warranty and features really caused the purchase. After owning, I love the smooth ride, and extraordinary build quality. This car also has half-decent leg room up front, a real advantage over the others. And so far, it seems that Kia has fixed all of their problems and quality issues!

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  transmission went kapoof at 25k miles - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By fishstick - June 29 - 2:15 pm

  Car: 2011 base model, 4cyl. Transmission went kapoof at 25k miles. I rolled it into a stop sign then suddenly, loud grinding sound and the car wont move anymore. The engine still runs but car wont move. Towed it to the dealer and they replaced the transmission (for free) under warranty. It took them 4 days to fix. No loaner/rental car was provided..."it is not in KIAs policy" The car was never driven hard. I hope a recall would be issued regarding the transmission problem that people are having. When that warranty runs out....watch out $$$ One of the tire pressure sensor keeps leaking air. The seal on the valve is crap. Fix: replaced it with a traditional non-tps valve.

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  Great Vehicle, Great Value - 2009 Kia Rondo
  By Dave - June 24 - 8:13 pm

  Purchased used with 12,400 miles. I was looking for a more comfortable vehicle for trips that could haul larger items when necessary - but it needed to also be economical. The Rondo delivers on all counts, and its even fun to drive! Comfortable, smooth ride, good brakes, interior looks good, lots of room and yet it is a fairly compact vehicle. 24-27 mpg on the first few tanks, nearly all highway miles (hoping for better than this.) Lots of storage cubbyholes. Im impressed with the features for the money (ABS, stability control, traction control, etc.) and surprised that more people havent discovered the Rondo. Its not a sports car but it does what it does very well.

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  More than youd think - 2003 Kia Spectra
  By mlerlie - June 21 - 5:33 pm

  This was my first Kia. Bought it solely because it was the newest car with the best warranty I could afford. I drive a lot so a new car with warranty was critical. In the past 3 years Ive put on over 75000 miles and have had to do very little maintenance. But I dont feel safe in it at all - the littlest gust of wind tosses it around - not fun on highways during blustery blizzards! I actually had a panic attack while driving it through the W.V. mountains (Talk about a very long trip!) I get about 31 mpg most of the time and with the miles I put on, thats a definite bonus.

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  A very good substitute - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By clgcindy - June 20 - 10:00 am

  Looks like a Lexus RX300...priced like a Hyundai. Great price, great looks, not great gas mileage. Back seat ride is bumpy. Storage space limited. Knowing all this, would probably buy it again because of the price.

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  My first Sorento. I love it!!! - 2014 Kia Sorento
  By billyboy10 - June 19 - 5:23 am

  This is my first ever SUV or CUV ( whatever you call it ). I have been a loyal Kia owner for the past 10 years but this is my first time not buying a compact car. I am very impressed with my 2014 Sorento. It has all the extras that you can get on the LX model. Myself and my kids love the heated front seats, especially with the cold winter we have had this year. The UVO is a big upgrade from what I had in my 2010 Forte and the rear camera is useful as well. With my kids getting older I just wanted to get something that was bigger with more room and safer on the road. This is it!