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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  STILL GOING AND SURPRISING - 2008 Kia Rio
  By cf - September 8 - 12:23 pm

  An Update. My 08 Rio is coming up on 39k. I drive all highway and still am impressed on the way in which the car handles, except in snow well go figure. Nothing major, all regular maintence so far. The car is a little trooper. round trip I drive 140 miles, reason i bought the lil sipper. The car has all I need. I have noticed what others are saying about the slow shift with the automatic transmissions, especially when the car is cold, which in the northeast is common. I am not worried yet about it. I tell you the car takes a beating and is holding up, I am hoping for long too. I am rough on the cars I drive so I hope to have it a few more years in this one.

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  Our new Kia Amanti - 2005 Kia Amanti
  By Thomasine Carrington - September 6 - 3:50 pm

  We love the Amanti. We had a little trouble at first with all the electronic niceties, but we had driven the same car for 12 years and were not used to them. The accompanying manual is clear and understandable. Its true luxury.

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  Waiting for results - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By RF - September 6 - 12:06 am

  This is my first minivan purchase; everything else I have owned has been a car, but starting a new family persuaded me into the "Family" car. Overall, I love the van, the features, and space. Comparing it to other competitors, I found that it felt more solid and car-like than others. The price was also significantly lower for equivalent features. Theyve built a winner I think. A couple of problems that still need to be fixed though. At 1200 miles, the check engine light came on because of misfiring. Ever since then it has been back in the shop every 750 miles or so, and they still dont know what is wrong with it. Hopefully gas mileage will go up after this problem is fixed.

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  "Very Happy" - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Pleasantly Surprised - September 5 - 9:56 pm

  I wanted to buy a Sorento several years ago but was unsure because Kia wasnt established. I sure am glad I didnt wait any longer. My Sorento has been fantastic. I just went on vacation and we had plenty of room in storage and middle row. I drive almost all highway and the gas mileage has been wonderful.I have been getting around 27-28 mpg. I know that is still short of what they say it should get but Im not disappointed considering the size and weight of vehicle.My wife is due for a new car soon and we will be looking at the 2011 Optima. Good job Kia.

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  great car - 2010 Kia Soul
  By nacht4 - September 5 - 4:36 am

  I have to admit - Im very pleasantly surprised. Exterior is cute, inside is perfectly built for both a small person like me and my much taller husband. Seats are comfortable and roomy. The car handles very well, very responsive to stops and turns. Lots of room in the back. Its a big hit with my teenagers - from the cute design to the speakers that flash to the beat of the music. Its a lot of car for the price. Much more fun to drive than my old Honda Accord.

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  1st new car in 20 years - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By GSK - September 4 - 8:50 pm

  Make sure they are happy with a slightly smaller 3 row SUV. It is driving great. Only minor issue is that a side view mirror popped out when I was folding it in. I was able to easily replace it. It doesnt pop out if Im careful when I fold it in and make sure not to touch the mirror itself. Still driving great. No problems.

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  Great for the Price! - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Jeff Pottberg - September 4 - 11:25 am

  Started with a lease of the 2011 Sorento AWD. Was looking for a safe AWD for my daughter to use in college in New England. This model is great in snow and has a very tight turning radius. Didnt get many options as I was looking for a base model under $25K. I ended up buying out the lease and still like to drive it. Just came back from a 3,000 mile road trip with it and even though I have back problems. I found it comfortable to drive for long periods of time.

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  Cute as a Bug !! - 2001 Kia Rio
  By Velveeta - September 4 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car to save on gas, since I am a college student who lives outside of town. It has saved me hundreds in gas money and it holds myself and my three children quit comfortably. I will definatly be keeping it around a long while. My favorite question that I get from strangers all the time is..."What do they call that color?"

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  Good Choice - 2009 Kia Sportage
  By Chris - September 4 - 7:30 am

  Overall, we really like the Sportage. The ride is excellent and very smooth for a SUV. The acceleration is a little sluggish but isnt missed in normal driving. The headrest positioning is a little uncomfortable but can be adjusted with some work to a workable compromise.

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  This Car Is Horrible - 2008 Kia Sedona
  By Dave - September 3 - 4:16 am

  This car is not what I expected. It looks good in the pictures, but is totally different in person. Its very wide and fat. The blueish color is disgusting, if you get this vehicle dont get the blue color. The interior is also bad. The fabric used for the seats looks and feels horrible. There is also not a lot of leg room, or storage. The vehicle drives like it is very stiff, and jerks every few seconds. I recommend getting a different vehicle, anything but this.