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 cheap car that runs and drives - 2010 Kia Forte
  By manycarowner - December 3 - 3:28 am

  My car has 50,000 miles, 2.0L 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual transmission. I bought it used. This car has been great. It has been my daily driver for 2 years. I needed cheap, reliable transportation and it fit the bill. Comes with great features and a great warranty. That being said, beware of this cars resale value. I have put about 10,000 miles on it in the 2 years i have owned it and it went from being worth almost $13,000 retail/$10,000 trade to about $7500 retail and $5000 trade. For those who want to buy this car to keep and drive till it dies, it is well worth it. However if you plan on trading it in after a year or two, look away. I wish i hadnt bought it just for that reason alone.

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  great car - 2004 Kia Amanti
  By sweetbaby7 - December 3 - 2:00 am

  great value, traded a 1997 lexus 400.

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  best mini van on market - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By ronniedee - December 3 - 2:00 am

  The overall design of this mini van was well thought out. There are so many little "cubbie" spots to put stuff. This must have been designed by a mom. Everything is so conveneient

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  The big three better watch their back! - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Quality guy - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I have always owned GM vehicles and have been disappointed with reliability especially in the pedal bounce that I get after only 15K miles. Of course I would rather have a two seat roadster in the garage but that is not going to haul the things important to me. This vehicle is a great value and a great ride. I am a quality engineer by trade and I looked closely into this vehicle before buying and when you compare the quality (equal or better on Kia) and price, it is hands down the best choice.

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  Its a great Minivan - 2004 Kia Sedona
  By Roy Simmons - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Kia Sedona for about 9 months now and am delighted with it. Had a "buick century" before but a minivan is much more fun to drive. You sit up so much "higher" and can see the road. Fit and amenities are excellant. Best buy for the money.

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  Solid SUV - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By RavenMan - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Except for the poor gas mileage this is a great SUV. Quality throughout. Ride is a little rough over bumps, but still a fine ride. Best deal in the market for the bucks.

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  AWSOME RIDE ! - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By meprec - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Quietest ride Ive ever had No rattles and handles bumps nicely Short turn radius

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  Love My Kia Sorento - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Jen Hammer - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I was very reluctant to purchase a Kia Vehicle because I have always had Hondas--but after having purchased the 2004 Kia Sorento LX Model I am so pleased I did. It is so fun to drive but at the same time powerful, and handles beautiful. And I get so many comments about the cars roomy interior and exterior appearance-its beautiful! Now I have no regrets and would recommend to anyone thinking about buying an SUV to look at this first! You really get alot for your money-- it was fully loaded for about $10,000 less than the competitors wanted for a comperably equipped vehicle...and mine looks better!!!!

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  twitchey & in the dark - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By david nixon - December 2 - 10:36 pm

  The steering on the Sorento is just plain bad! This vehicle has electronic assist steering and has zero play in the steering wheel. A vehicle with has no play in the steering wheel is difficult to drive as very little movement in the steering wheel will cause the vehicle to move in that direction. I do remember when I took driver Ed. the teacher spent a session explaining why the steering wheel needs some play in it. As we drive we move the steering wheel a bit at a time to keep the vehicle on the path we want it to go. If there is no play just the smallest movement will cause the vehicle to move back and forth and make it very uncomfortable to drive. I would think on an icy road this would be very dangerous. Also the back up camera is so dark it is all but useless. In the daytime the reflection on the screen makes it very difficult to see and at night it does not show up well. I think the back up camera is more dangerous than not having one as the driver has to lean over towards it to try and see it better to no avail. I went to a Kia dealership and they looked at both problems and they explained to me that is the way they are built and there was no fix for the problem. The service manager agreed that these were problems but he apologized as there is no fix! I called Kia and the rep at Kia consumer contact said I test drive the vehicle and signed the contract so I would just have to put up with it!

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  Not Worth it - 2005 Kia Optima
  By john miller - December 2 - 7:06 pm

  Told it was bought brand new 07, one previous owner for 1-2 yrs. & sat at Used dealership since. My mother bought 13 immediately w/o test driving for $1400; Fuses & electrical problems! RPMs didnt work, many lvls not shown (i.e. battery). lights point to ground, adjs dont help. not even 1-2 days, cuts out w/ oil leaks. had to change freeze plugs. 1-2 month later, overheats; payed $1500 to change thermostat, hoses, sensors, there was actually cracks in radiator & exploded coolant everywhere, cost another $1500. everything requires proprietary tools; cant take off door panel to put windows back on track. spark plugs only thing easy to change! Pass. door doesnt lock/unlock and open.