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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  Stop Bashing the MPG Numbers! - 2013 Kia Sorento
  By kenjill - January 16 - 7:15 am

  People, please stop bashing the MPG numbers with this vehicle. Our Sorento vehicle gets the MPG figures, as advertised. I bet there is a direct corrolation between those who get "poor" MPG and bad driving habits ("jack-rabbit" acceleration, braking too hard, using AC or heat too much, and yes, texting while driving, etc). I also own a Kia Optima SX Turbo and I average 30-32 MPG per tank...let me repeat that - over 30 MPG with a Turbo! If you improve your driving habits, then your "real world" MPG numbers will go up considerably. Otherwise, the vehicle is fine so far...a great value for the money.

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  I have 2 Kias and LOVE them - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By mom_of_two - January 12 - 4:56 am

  We first purchased a 2006 Kia Optima LX (brand new and still own) when we had our first child. Then we purchased our 2006 Kia Sedona LX (used - 5yrs old) when we had our second child. I love both of my Kias. Sure I have had some issues, like the Air Bag light and Check Engine light - but no car is perfect. Even if you own a BMW or MB, there are still issues! I will forever drive a KIA : )

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  Great car - 2002 Kia Spectra
  By Ropoca - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Its a great car Ive havent had any problems I love the car.

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  HAPPY WITH SOUL - 2010 Kia Soul
  By doc - January 9 - 11:56 am

  Ive been driving cushy Volvos for the last 13 yrs. So this is different for me. Cushy its not. The seats are quite firm. Being a beefy guy, I find the seat bottom width a tad too narrow. Then again, Im used to very wide leather seats. Other than that, fit seems to be very good. Much peppier than I had thought. No problems getting up to speed or merging on highways. Controls are very good and easy to use "intuitive". Looked at the Scion XB. Way too much money. The cube is just wierd. My kids love this car. I think the lighted speaker is dumb. Am I supposed to dance to it? Maybe at 56 Im just too old to get it. So far very pleased with my decision.

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  Great minivan for the price! - 2011 Kia Sedona
  By scoop14 - January 7 - 4:09 am

  My 2011 Sedona was $6000 less out the door than Sienna and has a better warranty. Our local Kia dealership is also a well respected family business. Sienna drove slightly better but certainly not $6000 worth! Truth is with two kids & a dog to haul around it needs to be comfortable, solid & safe - it is. The Sedonas 3.5 V6 is powerful, willing, and sounds really good winding out. The auto shifts cleanly and manual mode works well in the hills. The 18/25 mileage figures are accurate. I meet or exceed these numbers when driven calmly. 5600 miles so far and one problem (sticky purge valve = rough idle) fixed without problem under warranty with loaner provided. Happy so far with my first Kia.

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  100,000 miles and still going - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By ffenwick - January 4 - 3:14 am

  Very dependable, no major repairs, barely follow the recommended maintenance. No major complaints as I crossed the 100,000 mile mark. This is my second Kia Sorento. My son totalled my first Sorento, walked away with a scratch on his knee. The safety factor convinced me to get my second Sorento. Bouncy truck like ride, I knew that from my first Sorento. Bought from a rental company with 12,000 on it. Interior carpet is flimsy as is the plastic arm rest, speaker covers and inside cover of rear hatch. Recent temperamental cabin fan switch problem which I understand may be a cheap repair. Cant seem to get anyone to remove the roof rack cross bars.

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  What A Great Little Car!!!!!!!!!! - 2008 Kia Optima
  By ExGreenBeret - January 4 - 2:53 am

  I bought my Optima last year when gas was nearing $4/gal. I drive a lot of miles so I sold my 475hp 12mpg Hemi Ram and bought the KIA. I had rented one in the past and was pleasantly surprised so I decided to give it a try. Ive had it a year now, and have put over 40,000 miles on it already. There have been NO major problems, in fact Ive not been back to the dealership for any reason. I change the oil and rotate the tires religiously but thats it. Would I recommend one to a friend? Hell, yes! Would I buy another one? Absolutely!

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  Impressed - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By owner - December 31 - 2:23 am

  Ive been impressed with this vehicle from the day we bought it. It handles well, is comfortable for short to mid sized trips. My wife (who we bought it for) loves it. It was not as quiet as I thought it should be however after replacing the original tires, it is much better and the ride is actually smoother than before.

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  Just needs a little work - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By OldPueblo - December 28 - 2:50 am

  Bought 3/15/2010 as my company vehicle. The drive by wire throttle system is sluggish to respond to changes. Probably not as noticeably in an automatic. The transmission (manual) is difficult to shift into 1st and 2nd when outside temp is cold (below 50). The fuel economy is not what I was hoping for either. Its getting better (started at about 19, but now averages 21-22 combined city/hwy). Quality of the audio system is not the greatest. It distorts badly when played loud. I wanted to get some miles on it before complaining about anything. It now has 6500 miles on it, so its time to go to the dealer. Love the vehicle, it just a has a few quirks to iron out. Hopefully they can.

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  Nice Front-Poor rear design - 2003 Kia Optima
  By Optimized - December 26 - 10:00 am

  The rear end has a lip that extends out from the trunk. While it looks ok, we only had 2500 miles on it before a hotel luggage handler used it to lay our luggage on it and then proceeded to push suitcase in the trunk. It resulted in a few scratches and a major chip of paint taken off. It should be redesigned to be more flush with the trunk . Load your own luggage, golf clubs to avoid damage.