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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  Good transportation - 2002 Kia Rio
  By Good CAR - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I have a 01 Rio.It’s not a sports car. It gets you from Point A to B. Good all around town car. Car handles good on the highway. I have notice a wind noise. The car has a good ride. Radio plays good and sounds good. AC Works great! It has options that some Entry Level Toyotas or Hondas don’t have. Such as a trunk light! They are some minor things The airbag light was on, Had it fixed. Drivers side door handle broke, Dealer fix it. It now has almost 49k miles and still running good .I have notice that the transmission will Lag in first gear (Auto)if you don’t let it warm up in the winter time.The brakes are a little touchy at first.

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  The verdict is still out... - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By KIA4now - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Had the SUV for a week know. This is my second Sorento...when I bought a 4x2 version I was told that ALL Sorentos came with a limited slip rear. This is not the case! Only 4x4 versions come with the limited slip. Im pleased with the look, power, and standard features. Im a little cautious about the reliability of the vehicle...Ive had the drivers side window stop working...which was fixed by turning off the ignition and restarting. Also have squeaks where the back passenger seats connect to the release for folding down. The clock also runs slow....about 6 minutes over a weeks time. This was a big step for me...my first import. Im really relying on this warranty!

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  Great SUV for the money - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By williwasfirst - April 23 - 10:59 am

  I had a 2000 Kia Sportage base automatic 4x4 (there is no option for that exact car on Edmunds form here so I picked the closest. I drove this car from about 15,000 miles to 100,000, cross country and back. There are nicer SUVs out there obviously but this one was reliable and inexpensive. Its also kind of fun to drive. The 4x4 is great in snow. Also if you live in the city and park on the street you will love it. At 156 inches long, its very easy to parallel park. I was always amazed at the spots I could fit in. Easier than a Honda Civic.

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  Replaced trans at 18k - 2012 Kia Optima
  By sassy1866 - April 20 - 4:31 am

  I love this car but at 18k miles Ive had to have the transmission replaced already. As soon as I pay the car off Im getting rid of it. Its fun to drive and looks great inside and out. But to have a major part of the replaced so soon is unacceptable. I had high hopes for Kia but it seems they have a long way to go in reliability.

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  2006 Sedona Minivan - 2006 Kia Sedona
  By apostled612 - April 8 - 4:51 pm

  Well we bought the vehicle used and the the fist thing that happened when we took it to the Kia dealer for complete service, the vehicle was in great shape until they did a recall on the left rear passenger door, the dealer was replacing the rear door latch. Since then the door has not opened on its own. Sometimes we have to play with the controls to make the rear door close properly.

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  2014 Sorento - great value! - 2014 Kia Sorento
  By duanez - April 8 - 3:24 pm

  I just purchased a 2014 Sorento LX V6 AWD - What a great value! I purchased a new 2011 Sorento LX 4cyl my wife is the primary driver of. We both liked the vehicle; still have it. Had a transmission input shaft fail under warranty, but the service was top notch. The V6 is very strong, and the vehicle is very quite at all speeds. After doing a lot of research, this remains the best bet for my price point.

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  Good in some aspects, still lacking in a lot more - 2012 Kia Optima
  By orleans44 - April 7 - 7:31 pm

  Traded my 09 TSX for a 12 Optima SX. While there are tons of nice standard features, like the heated and cooled seats, the turbo, the push button start and the panoramic sunroof, its easy to tell the trade-offs Kia sacrificed to appease the value conscious consumer. If youre a true car person who pays attention to details and spends a decent amount of time in the car, spend a little more and get a car from a manufacturer who figures out the details. The car has great power. It will go when you want it to. The tires are the weak point and you find that out with wet pavement. The mileage is less than what mfr states on the sticker and on the "ave mpg" show in the dash.

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  Love My Sorento, But... - 2011 Kia Sorento
  By Love My Sorento - April 6 - 10:00 am

  Well, I LOVE my Sorento! Purchased it in March 2010. Have been all over and it has been a GREAT car. Only a few things that I dislike about it. 1). The fuel economy is HORRIBLE! I have a 4 cylinder, but I get 18 in city, and 24 on hwy UGH! Big let down for me. 2). The car ride is very bumpy. Sometimes I am wondering if I am riding on just bare rims. Definitely needs improvement on shock absorbency. 3). Lack of get up and go power. Have to wonder if I am in a power wheel at times haha! Definitely cant jump out in front of anyone. Those are the only things I dislike about my Sorento, other than that I love the car. Great car for great $!

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  Nice little car - 2008 Kia Spectra
  By Bob - April 6 - 8:53 am

  Have put about 1500 miles on in two weeks. Mixed driving (city and 75 mph interstate) with AC on about 25% of the time. Mileage 30-32 mpg. May get better as it breaks in. Reasonable power for an econo car. Engine noisey when pushing beyond 3500 rpm, but under normal driving a very quiet, pleasant ride. Good fit and finish. No wind noise in the interior unless wind is really blowing outside (30+ mph). Suspension a little soft. Sounds like it is bottoming out when I hit a pothole. I intend to keep this car a long time. If it is reliable, this car is an excellent buy.

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  Best Vehicle Ive ever owned - 2003 Kia Sorento
  By raymoto - April 2 - 11:53 am

  I bought my 2003 Kia Sorento 4x4 automatic brand new in 2003. Im the original owner and as of this posting has $120K miles. Ive taken great care of the car. The engine and transmission suspension, steering have been solid as a rock. Ive only had a few issues. It will no longer shift into 4x4, which I think a control module went bad, but it still operates in 4x2 mode. One engine sensor needed replacing the fuel temperature senors which I replaced myself. Other than that it has been the best vehicle Ive ever owned. Its considerably fast for 190 HP, roomy, and feels very safe and controlled in the rain! Get one if you can!