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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  A good deal! - 2001 Kia Sephia
  By Sebastien - April 1 - 2:00 am

  I bought a new 01 Sephia. An LS 5 speed version. White in color. I have no problems except the leatherette covering the shifter stick brokes by it self. The ride is good. Its a fair transportation vehicule. Mine is dealer maintened and yearly rustproof.

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  Recent Kia purchase - 2009 Kia Sportage
  By WSB - March 31 - 2:43 pm

  after inflated ford escape and toyota dealer sticker prices I purchased my first Kia , This SUV seems well constructed and tight, It handles well and is fund to drive and even with all the added options its cost is almost half that of the others. After 30 years of American car dealer deception the purchase was a nice change.

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  Not bad - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Piper Cub Pilot - March 22 - 7:30 am

  My first imported car. Very well thought out packaging and overall design. Efficient with great safety features. At 27,000 miles the car feels and looks the same as it did when new. Reliability has been excellent and performance is on par with competition. Cheap to maintain and insure. At a $14,500 out-the-door price in 2008, it is a bargain.

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  Not a bad choice - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By kialover15 - March 19 - 4:53 pm

  This is such a life saver, my grandmother is handicapped, and they had to get a vehicle that could have a wheelchair lift put in it. But most of the vans were to expensive, this one was only around $17,000. It is very comfortable, great ride, quiet, and just a nice minivan. The reason I gave the gas mileage such a low rating is because in ours, we have all the extra weight in the back from the wheelchair and the lift. It is extremely heavy.

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  Low Priced Car--Great Value, great MPG - 2011 Kia Forte
  By rogern1967 - March 17 - 8:45 am

  I have logged 34k miles with no reliability issues whatsoever. I am nearly 6ft tall, 220lbs, and feel very comfortable in this smallish car. I find it notably more spacious in the footwell than both the Focus and Mazda3 I recently rented on biz trips. I am very partial to manual transmissions, and chose this car for that reason. Clutch action is very predictable, and gear changes are positive. Though this car is not exactly fast, the transmission adds great fun to driving, and I recommend a manual for all people who enjoy driving as I do. I average about 33mpg in mixed driving, 37+ on sustained freeway trips.

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  What were you expecting? - 2002 Kia Sportage
  By pah-leez - March 14 - 2:13 pm

  I recently purchased a 2002 Kia Sportage 4x4 2DR convertible with 70,000 miles on it, as a winter car. (I drive a BMW M Roadster convertible in the summer.) The only thing Ive had to do so far is replace the tires. It rides a little rough, but its a truck! Trucks are not going to ride as smooth as a car. So far I am happy with my purchase. I think it has a lot of pep for a 4 cyl (and remember Im used to an "M" engine!)... and face it, its adorable!

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  Great car - no resale value! - 2001 Kia Optima
  By admasters - March 13 - 10:00 am

  We have had our Optima for nearly a year now and still really like this car.A couple of minor things have been corrected - front headlight bulb, fuel gauge, and fuel door opening mechanism. My wife really likes driving this car and I also like the sportmatic transmission. The car is roomy and gets decent gas mileage. However, the re-sale value sucks!! That is probably why I will not by another Kia.

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  Happy with the van but... - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By candy_thedog - March 13 - 10:00 am

  Has anyone had a stress crack on the windshield? We are testing this warranty, and so far, the dealer says its a rock, which didnt leave a mark, and hit in just the right spot. We will see if the dealer replaces the windshield. Thus far, the van has been great. The after market DVD has worked well, but has some noise.

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  Great Mini-van - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By Socal Driver - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Have had our Sedona EX for 2 weeks and my wife loves it. Compared every mini- van on the market, and except for the bad gas mileage, this was a clear winner for us. Got every option and am impressed with the overall quality of the finish, quality of the leather, smooth power, etc. 10 year warranty was a big selling point as we plan to keep the van for at least six years and the peace of mind of the long warranty is a big factor. Also felt the KIA was a little sportier than other vans, especially with the rear spoiler and sunroof. Find myself wanting to drive it a lot, and I never wanted a mini-van to start with.

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  Quite Satisfied - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Robert - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I have to say, I really like this vehicle so far. Driving is enjoyable. The steering wheel is a bit heavy, but is not a distraction. The V6 engine has plenty of power. My gas mileage keeps going up the more I get used to it. Currently about 20 MPG in mixed driving. I am coming out of an Infiniti M35 and have not missed it. Comparatively, the backup camera is not quite as clear. The Bluetooth Phone connectivity was a bit challenging with two phones connected. Voice recognition is average. I found the transmission gearing a bit close and noticed some RPM pull in some downshifts. Overall I am very happy with the quality and driving impression of this car. Go drive one!