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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  2002 Kia Rio - My Goldmine - 2002 Kia Rio
  By TRzDaddy - August 2 - 2:00 am

  The car runs perfectly. It has plenty of power, unless there is someone in the backseat over 45 pounds. Everything works well. The dealer service has been excellent. They seem so earnest in pleasing their customers. What a good idea! My only complaints are that the sun visor doesnt fold flat against the windshield and that the clock on the radio doesnt stay on - it has to be reminded to go back to clock everytime you change the station. The only thing that has gone wrong is a window crank with stripped gears. The dealer fixed it during an oil change, under warranty.

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  Kia Sorento - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By Sorento Owner - August 2 - 2:00 am

  I was in the market for an SUV. After looking for a while at the more expensive brands with what I thought was a better name at the time I kept finding myself drawn back to the Kia Sorento and the Hundai Santa Fe. You can not beat the prices and the warranties that come with the vehicles. The finance manager at Atlantic Auto Mall almost cost himself a sale because he was completely nasty and arrogant when we said no to the extended waranty. Edmunds.com was a huge help in our purchase. I made four thousand more on my trade in after researching with edmunds after my first shopping trip for this vehicle at the same dealer.

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  Recently Purchased - 2000 Kia Spectra
  By Zebulund - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased a Kia Spectra 2000 yr. model, and so far Im impressed with the car for the price. Not too many people could tell me about them, but so far everything Ive found on the Internet is far from negative. I think that Kia will continue to catch on in the States. Its affordable and a basic little car, but its been great for the gas mileage. Im going to college, and I drive back and forth. Its perfect for what I needed.

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  Great Buy! - 2000 Kia Spectra
  By kerri12377 - July 28 - 10:00 am

  After 4 years of owning my purple Kia, I still love it! The warranty cant be beat! Its cheap to maintain. Being a hatchback makes it roommy inside. Oh, and the trunk release works since theyve gotten a fix for it! Its reliable, convenient, and safe. Even nice for a Mommy with 2 small boys!

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  Uses a lot of gas - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By stephen - July 27 - 11:53 am

  Uses a lot of gas Says its supposed to get 14 miles local and 22 highway on ticket, however that is not true; its a lot LOWER.

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  Great car for the price !!!! - 2008 Kia Optima
  By Don - July 26 - 10:30 am

  Plenty of interior space. Dashboard is well laid out and controls within easy reach. I have only owned my Kia for one month but am averaging 30 mpg back and fourth to work. Ride is good but drivers seat needs more lumbar support. On long drives, back gets a little tired. One thing I did have troubles with were the headlights. They left a dark shadow on the drivers side. Had dealer replace headlight and problem was fixed.

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  Great little ride - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By 2006 kia great car - July 23 - 12:46 pm

  Drove from NY to AZ in 2 days average speed of 80. took it up to 105 a few times with confidence. Great car for the money. Good gas mileage. $20 bucks get u at least a half tank! 400 miles to a tank.

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  Kia vs Honda - 2004 Kia Spectra
  By DCH60 - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Many more features vs the Honda Civic. Im a Honda owner (2003 V6 Accord), but the civics features vs the Spectra came up way short. And the warranty doesnt come close.

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  Bang for your buck - 2002 Kia Sedona
  By skeptiq - July 21 - 3:00 pm

  I have owned this for over a year and I can honestly say I have really enjoyed it from the first day. Main purchase reason was more space for trips with the family. The ride is great, the seats are comfortable, and I have only had minor issues (one front wheel bearing and the dealership replaced both under warranty with NO hassles). Great vehicle for the money, but plan on keeping it as the resale value is awful!

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  After 1st Three tanks full... - 2003 Kia Optima
  By Willa Jabir - July 19 - 2:00 am

  There is no "Get up and go" here, but for what you pay it is worth it. Ive gotten 26-29 mpg. I normally get more than the ratings, but not here. Handling is good. The engine is a bit noisy, but not that bad. The sportmatic transmission is nice for control. A family car for easy driving. All controls are in good locations except the cruise control on/off switch. It is located by the left knee...go figure. The cruise has to be turned on each time the vechile is used again. Each time you turn it on, it is a one time deal. All other controls are in good layout.