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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  Excellent SUV for the money - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By mrob92 - October 24 - 4:16 pm

  I have been really happy with my Kia Sorento. It drives really well, and handles great in the snow. I am considering getting another once it is time for a new one. It has a lot of interior space compared to similar models.

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  Best car for the money!! - 2013 Kia Soul
  By jsnyd1972 - October 22 - 9:19 pm

  Ive owned my 2012 Soul+ for a little over a year and have 17K miles on it and cant say enough about it. I love the Infinity sound system upgrade I got and would highly recommend it. Its pretty peppy which I like so I guess I cant complain too much about the fuel economy. Im a large person at 62" and 350 pounds and this is the most comfortable vehicle to get in and out of Ive ever had. Im someone who loves to buy a new car every year (Sometimes even more frequently) but this car I will definitely be hanging on to for many years to come. I dont see how you can beat this vehicles options and warranty for how cheap they are. What a value!!

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  Good Job KIA! - 2011 Kia Optima
  By sabz - October 22 - 8:50 pm

  Wow! Cannot believe the new Optimas comfort level, performance, and reliability. We traded our 04 Sedona in for this new 11 optima and am REALLY impressed with what an overall good reliable family sedan this is! Have taken 2 pretty long road trips so far in this and have put on nearly 10,000miles since purchased in December of 10. Has plenty of room for the kids in the back. Has no problem acceleration to speed while merging on to the highway, while being packed with a whole trunk of suitcases and 2 teenage kids in the back!

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  Fits the Bill and Budget - 2007 Kia Spectra
  By Bryant - October 19 - 5:03 am

  Brand new sedan that looks beautiful in sand beige metallic, and light interior. Has all necessary amenities and many standard luxuries. Handles great with impressive speed on the open road, especially for a 4 cyl. Acceleration acceptable, but allow for somewhat sluggish start on freeway entry ramps, for example. Body is naturally low to ground, but very little road noise in a comfortable, easily controlled drive. For all-round usability, at a reasonable new car price, the Spectra sedan is a good buy with an outstanding warranty.

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  2013 Kia Sportage - 2013 Kia Sportage
  By darda71 - October 17 - 10:30 pm

  Great looking suv, great options standard..Remote start from factoring was a nice surprise, The UVO system is a nice feature, Ride is a little stiff but not horrible, but cornering is excellent.

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  No Regrets but some minor improvements - 2010 Kia Soul
  By AddyVet - October 17 - 5:13 am

  I got this car to upgrade from my ford focus. I remember seeing the soul in the commercial awhile back and kept saying i really like that car and the more i saw the commercial the more I wanted this car. Finally I saw the Soul at the dealer outside displayed wit all the doors open. I always said I would never get a car in red but the soul was awesome in red and plus it was the sport edition which was perfect. regrets in getting the soul, the car had a unique look a lot better then a cube and scion (those cars a horrible looking). Soul is just right with exterior design and also interior comfortable to drive in. Everyone keeps telling me the car is just right for me.

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  We absolutely love this car - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By James - October 16 - 6:21 pm

  My wife and I just got the 2017 Kia Sorento SX V6 loaded with options and we absolutely love this crossover. The refinement and driving feel is luxury car like and its so comfortable and quiet on the road. We have driven Lexus, BMW and Acura and this vehicle is just as good if not better in many ways, especially for the price. Time will tell with reliability but so far we are in love with this great car.

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  Tired of Trucks?More Bang For your Bucks - 2003 Kia Rio
  By wetwelder - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Are you tired of driving your big dumb truck? Honestly, how often do you actually haul? Anyways, I traded my truck in for this sweet Rio for a cool $2.61 straight across trade. I love this car,Im 62" and I have plenty of room. 35 MPG Highway, rack and pinion steering,4 cylinder engine is very peppy and can beat most cars off the line, an excellent commuter! I love my KIA!

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  My Kia - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By George A. Bartnik - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I shopped all the mini vans on the market and found the Kia to offer more for my dollar then any other.I am 80 and now can drive for hours in comfort thanks to the power drivers seat. The ABS brakes while being soft still do their work well however it is a learning experience at first, The controls are well placed, handy ,and easy to read. The ride is very comfortable however the wind noise on the exzpressway needs improvement. At slow speed the sound is no problem

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  Pilots Analogy - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By Katysaurus - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Good responce in handling. Solid, well built construction. Instrument panel attractive and arranged well for drivers visability. Am really pleased with my new Kia.