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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  Sweet Pea - 2010 Kia Soul
  By SolRol - August 19 - 7:56 am

  Ive had my Alien Green car whom Ive named Sweet P now since March and cannot stop appreciating all that it has to offer in terms of coolness factor. And apparently those around cant either. It sounds cliche, but with its unique design it seems to turn car experts and novices into believers that you can have everything you want in a vehicle and still make a statement! Ive noticed people who drive expensive vehicles, both foreign and domestic really checking out my recent purchase. Something I wasnt expecting when I bought this attention grabber. Its a fun car to own; it handles well in tight spots, bluetooth is great, the sound system is awesome and its just right for me. Thx Kia!

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  Kia Sedona - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By cbaldwin - August 15 - 10:00 am

  Excellent minivan for the money. Drives great and has adequate room for our family of 4.

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  fun van - 2003 Kia Sedona
  By mr d - August 15 - 10:00 am

  I have owned the sedona for over a year. My wife and I love everything about the van. Kia did a great job with the sedona.

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  My Blue Kia Spectra 5 - 2006 Kia Spectra
  By Peter Glenn White - August 13 - 10:53 pm

  I bought my Kia Spectra 5 from the dealer used with 4000 miles on it. The color is a very beautiful blue; people have asked me about it, very impressive. It is very roomy, I take my two dogs with me to a lot of different places, and they love it.

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  "ITS A SLEEPER" - 2016 Kia Soul
  By Johnny - August 13 - 10:22 pm

  I looked and test drove tons of vehicles and the fact that I finally settled on my 2016 Kia Soul Exclaim w/ premium package amazes me. I wouldnt think originally that it would be the one. First the fact their isnt many on the road enabled me to get a good price unlike a Honda. Secondly it has a classic 6 speed automatic and NO CVT, I have the upgraded 2.0 which in this class is hard to get something thats not underpowered like the Subaru cross trek. The 2.0 has more then adequate power, my first drive on the highway I was sandwiched between a semi and a lane that was merging so I punched it and was very satisfied with the passing power. The vehicle is very easy to maneuver and drive, the back up camera is very helpful. I have the 8" touchscreen infotainment and its very responsive the navigation is on a SD card but is excellent with lane guidance. The leather seats are nice and comfortable I will say the passenger seat sits kinda low but I dont care Im not the passenger. I also have the upgraded infinity stereo and it sounds good but could be better maybe I need to play around with settings. One of my favorite features is the panoramic sunroof with power sunshade it really brightens up the inside of vehicle. In closing Im very happy with my Kia Soul and really believe for the money its a sleeper vehicle.

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  Worth every Penny - 2005 Kia Sorento
  By Emi. P. - August 13 - 1:33 am

  I purchased a Kia Sorento EX 2005 and after comparing with other SUVs, this Sorento has got to be the most fun and durable to drive..ive hauled many things and every time it was done with ease.. not to mention the 4WD what a blast.. ive had people that have other SUVs tell me that this model is made so solid you hear nothing.. and i would go back to buying another KIA.. for the money this is quality, strong built SUV with a powerful engine under the hood..

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  Death Trap - 2005 Kia Sedona
  By Bill - August 12 - 1:33 pm

  This car has been a death trap since we bought it. Frozen throttle cable almost killed my family, and we only got attitude from Kia, until they finally did a mass recall because of our problem they claimed did not exist. 6 sets of brakes, windshield wipers went out on expressway during a rainstorm. It lost a bolt off the wiper motor. Also metal pulley fell out of van in Walmart parking lot, hitting a man in the leg. The pulley was from the air conditioning unit. Also had a leak of fuel vapors, and bad seals in the car that allowed the elements to fog up Windows badly. This car is a lemon and a death trap, I do not feel safe in this car, and dont want my family riding in it.

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  Very happy owner! - 2008 Kia Rio
  By BVF925 - August 11 - 5:20 pm

  We bought our 5-speed Rio brand-new in August 2008 to replace a gas hog of a truck for commuting over 50 miles a day. The average mpg is 38!Who needs a hybrid? The Rio is surprisingly roomy, comfy, fun to drive, smooth ride, good looking, and the best warranty around. This may seem trivial, but the cup holders with the rubbery grips are the best! Other than a small squeak near the sun visor that has since disappeared, it is flawless. Its a little noisy at highway speeds though. I would totally buy another one in a minute.

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  What an upgrade - 2007 Kia Sorento
  By Mike G - August 11 - 10:23 am

  I traded my Jeep Sport in on this and I dont see myself looking back anytime soon. I love the power and the way it rides. This is my first KIA and It wont be the last.

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  Fun & Satisfied - 2007 Kia Rondo
  By Dennis - August 10 - 11:06 pm

  With 2 small kids, our Quest minivan was more than we needed. The 7 passenger Rondo fit our needs perfectly. Normally configured with just 2 rows of seats for the 4 of us but with an optional 3rd row for family or visitors to prevent having to take 2 cars places. It test drove very nice w/great handling & enough "get up & go" in the 6-cyl to get out into traffic in a pinch. We were able to load it up w/ALL of the bells & whistles. Yes, the rear seat is tight, but Im 62" and can get back there w/about 2" to spare between my knees the middle row. Great warranty & crash tests too! Very happy!!