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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  loving my sorento - 2004 Kia Sorento
  By norma - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I did several months of researching SUVs before my purchase and found the Sorento to be the best SUV for my money. It has features that even my Chrysler luxury car didnt have! Its fun to drive and very comfortable. With the warranty Kia offers Im hoping that Ill drive it untils its paid for which would certainly be a change for me!

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  Rides like a sedan - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By Marion - September 8 - 11:00 pm

  I bought this car used and have been happy with it. It has the smoothest ride of a SUV I have ever experienced. The backseat is very roomy for a smaller SUV. The main annoyance I have with it is that it burns through lights like crazy. I am replacing bulbs about every 2 months. I have been pulled over for it also. It is hard to keep up with replacing the bulbs. Check your lights for proper working order on a daily basis.

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  Its just a matter of time. - 2003 Kia Rio
  By wilolaboy - September 7 - 2:00 am

  Kia has been doing some homework with the Rio and its entire lineup. The 2003 Rio Wagon is a lot better than a Echo or the Accent. Why? , because of the interior, cargo, desing, and warranty. If you put them together, no other small, reliable and economic new automobile can match. Not even Hyundai or the overpriced Toyota Echo.

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  Sorento EX ,great suv for your money - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By trawets20 - September 7 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I bought our Sorento in January, and it only has 1,300 miles on it,but so far its been great.We test drove many other small and midsize suvs,before we finally settled on the Sorento.It is very roomy, and the interior is very well constructed,compared to others we test drove.People often give compliments on the sharp styling and 16"alloy wheels.For the price of the ex sorento ,we got alot more suv,and features than any of the other makes we looked at, like (SaturnVue,Mitsubishi outlander,Ford escape,Honda crv,Hyundai sant fe).We are very satisfied with our Sorento>

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  Love my 2016 Kia Sorento! - 2016 Kia Sorento
  By Kristen Glidewell - September 4 - 5:43 pm

  After a lot of shopping for SUVs with a 3rd row, I made the decision to purchase the Kia Sorento. The car looks and rides like a $50,000 SUV, but at a fraction of the price. I am typically drawn to European cars, but feel this car offers all the luxuries I am accustomed to with the backing of a 100,000 mile warranty. One additional selling point for me was the large amount of usable cargo space. Many of the newer SUVs have a significant sloping to the back window, which is not practical for 3rd row occupants or dogs. The Kia Sorento gives my 3 furry friends significant head room in the back. There is also an air conditioning vent in the 3rd row so my pups can stay cool. My kids love the car too. They have always been spoiled with their rides and this car is no different. We are very happy with the fit and finish of the car.

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  Best SUV for the money. - 2017 Kia Sorento
  By Frank - September 4 - 12:48 pm

  Nothing negative from my vehicle so far.The most impressive is the engine.Almost 300 hp propels this SUV down the road quickly and effortlessly.At 80 mph it is barley working.Ride and quiet much improved.I owned a 2012 and a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe and the improvements in the 2017 Sonota are very apparent.Gas milage at 75 mph is about 25.5. I would expect thirty at speed limits.Regular gas no problem.We love it and cant wait for our first road trip.

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  12 SX Turbo - 2012 Kia Optima
  By sxturbo12 - September 3 - 9:24 pm

  I have owned the 12 SX Turbo for about a week now. I just traded in a 10 Dodge Charger SXT 3.5 due to early trans failure :(. it killed me. However, i am LOVING the Optima SX TURBO.. very good MPGs for a turbo engine. I do about 90% city driving and I average about 25.5 MPGs. Going from a charger to an optima is quite a large jump but I couldnt be happier. I am still on my first tank of cause. With the calculations, I should end up with about 415-420 on this tank. I do not drive like a grandma either .. lol.

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  meets expectations - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By usaved1 - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Overall we have been pleased with our Sedona EX. We have had one failure in our first year. A sensor for the spark contol. We have driven it from Virginia to Toronto and Montreal Canada with only good things on the trip. However two pet peeves are the loud noise from the colling fan and the knocking from the front right whell linkage. Waiting for factory fixes.

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  nicks view - 2002 Kia Optima
  By nick - September 2 - 4:43 am

  My wife has me drive everywhere we go. Even though it is her car! I am not able to take out on my own. We like to take drives around the area we live in, Northern California. With the v6, it gives me the power I need to pass all the vehicles going up hill with no problem. With the safety features, the way it handles --. it is what sold me on it. I have a son who is 10, and I want him safe.

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  Greatest Bang for the Buck - 2010 Kia Soul
  By JavaSoulOwner - September 2 - 2:43 am

  Its been 7 days and 500 miles since I bought my Soul and it has been a blast to drive. It is roomy on the inside yet maintains a very tidy size on the outside. It has an outstanding turning circle, is very easy to maneuver on city streets, and parks in any tight compact space. Everywhere I go I get a million questions and looks (yes, even the Honda Fit & Scion drivers are staring). The bluetooth interface is better than the one in my other car, an Acura TSX. The sightlines from the drivers seat is outstanding and I love how it happily zips around town. I just recently took my Soul on a 300-mile road trip with various hill climbs and it averaged 28.8 mpg.