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:

• 

  Kia Sportages are TERRIBLE!! - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By DAYTON - November 14 - 2:00 am

  Check engine light on over and over... dealer can not tell us why. Vibrations at upon decleration at 40mph and acceleration at 60 mph. Trying to get a Kia rep to look at car for 6 months. Dealer NOT helpful!

• 

  Hot off the show room floor - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By BAGGER90 - November 14 - 2:00 am

  I just bought it last night and drove it to work this morning. Great vehicle for the price. I have been looking for a 4X4 for over a year now, and could not find one that would fit my 6 2" frame for the money we could spend. Well this it!!!! Go test drive one, and if you are not serious about getting a vehicle this will make you think twice.

• 

  not bad so far - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By kidnoel - November 14 - 1:36 am

  Bought the car used about 8 months ago. Had about 40K miles on it. Was concerned it would give me problems right away. Has proved reliable so far. I have been on many road trips. Have only needed regular maintenance. Original brakes havent needed replacing yet. Love that it hardly looks like a hatchback and people cant even tell what it is. GREAT fuel economy: 28-34. Got 400 miles on a tank last week-all highway.

• 

  Review for LE forte - 2010 Kia Forte
  By kd - November 14 - 12:30 am

  I like the exterior design but the interior is a little cheap. The check engine light has been on two times. Unexplained noises coming from the front and back. The front struts were replaced and the noises continue.

• 

  Wow - 2006 Kia Rio
  By Matt - November 13 - 4:20 am

  Kia has really outdone themselves. As a first time buyer of a Kia I was pretty impressed at how much bang you get for your buck. My insurance only went up 40 dollars with it being fully covered, which is great. From past models I was skeptical, now I am a proud owner of one of these fine machines.

• 

  Great Buy - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By sedonafan - November 9 - 10:00 am

  We have loved every minute driving this vehicle. Smooth ride with sufficient power to climb the many hills were we live. The seats are very comfortable and their is sufficient head and leg room.

• 

  Amazing value for money - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Gilmour - November 9 - 10:00 am

  I bought my sorento 2 weeks ago..I cannot believe how good this vehicle feels,looks and rides for the money..I owned a Suzuki Grand Vitara but the KIA is better by far..I was a bit skeptical before buying it because of the KIA brand but the warranty is amazing and the vehicle feels extremely good in terms of quality..I would definitely recommend it for anybody looking a luxurious and capable off-roader and is not just a brand-seeker.

• 

  The All New Soul Is Perhaps the Best Deal out there - 2014 Kia Soul
  By callgeo - November 8 - 2:44 pm

  Purchased in March, and now, with 7,000 current miles, checked MPG and it is over 31 with Mostly Safe Highway Mile Speeds around 60 MPH. The base with automatic price of 16,350 was low and this car has exceeded all expectations. Very quiet. Quiet engine. 3/4 the pricr of my 2014 Jeep Cherokee which is also nice but not as good a price. I am large and 6 feet tall. This car is roomy.

• 

  Great Value - 2008 Kia Sportage
  By Joe in Chicago - November 7 - 10:00 pm

  Weve had a 2005 Hyundai Elantra that gave us no issues at all, so we looked at the Tucson, but liked the more modern look and feel of the Kia Sportage. Surprised at the tight fit and finish, and the nice interior does not really feel or look cheap. Quiet cabin, great ride and beautiful paint and quality. Lots of room and a very well put together vehicle. Performance is actually OK in the 4-Cyl...I mean this isnt a racer but not what you buy these for anyway. Its more than adequate for ramps and merging and drives great on the highway.

• 

  500 miles and DEAD NEW CAR - 2010 Kia Soul
  By Duke - November 7 - 6:26 pm

  I bought a KIA Soul on 7/27/09. I had it about a week. At 11:00pm on 8/02/09 with less than 500 miles on it it had to be towed to the dealership with an engine light and oil warning light. The motor knocked and it was apparent it was holding low oil pressure. A total internal failure and yes - the dipstick said it was full of oil. Ive asked for a new vehicle and not a repair. Im getting grief and expect this thing to be a series of problems now the vehicle engine is screwed as no dealership Ive seen has the ability to put a motor back in and get it to factory specifications. Its junk that does not live up to the mileage claims as well. Look for something else.