Kia Car Reviews: Sorento, Optima, Rondo, Sedona, Spectra & Sportage

Review: 2010 Kia Soul Sport, Take Two

By Frank Williams
April 14, 2009

Marketing to a particular demographic is a tricky business--just ask Honda or Toyota. Honda introduced the Element in 2003. Toyota brought us the Scion xB in 2004. Both machines were designed as funky vehicles to fit the twenty-something lifestyle. Needless to say, their room and versatility immediately found favor with the quintagenarian crowd. Now Kia's taking a shot with the Soul. Our own Eddie Niedermeyer, squarely in the demographic Kia's aiming for, liked it. But then there are us pesky demographic-bustin' Boomers. Will we see more Souls parked at the old farts' home than on college campuses?

Review: 2010 Kia Soul Sport, Take Two continued »

rating summary and performance review: 2010 Kia Soul Sport, Take Two

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | Marketing | 38 comments

Review: 2010 Kia Soul Sport

By Edward Niedermeyer
March 5, 2009

Sitting between two highly conventional Rios on the Kia lot, the Soul Sport looks like a visitor from another planet. The Kia's European styling not only refutes the bland mediocrity of its fellow Kias, but also challenges the toaster-oven aesthetics of its boxy competitors. At the same time, it offers a more unique approach than Honda's low-slung Fit hatchback. That said, the Soul is more the product of a careful compromise between its competitors rather than a genuine automotive oddity. So what happens when you pick the least-compromising trim level, the Soul Sport with manual transmission? You develop a new level of appreciation for the art of compromise.

Review: 2010 Kia Soul Sport continued »

rating summary and performance review: 2010 Kia Soul Sport

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | 57 comments

Comparo: 2009 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2009 Kia Spectra

By Anthony Erickson
November 19, 2008

In the last ten years or so, Hyundai decided it’d be fun to build things that resemble cars that people want to buy. In the process, the Korean automaker acquired struggling brother Kia. As you'd expect, the company offers the now-essential model in any current car range: the budget-priced, fuel-efficient compact car. In fact, American buyers hunting in that market segment can choose between Hyundai's Hyundai Elantra and the Kia Spectra. Is it a distinction without a difference, in the not-so-grand tradition of General Motors? Let's have a look to each model’s respective brochures...

Comparo: 2009 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2009 Kia Spectra continued »

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | Kia | 30 comments

2009 Kia Borrego Review

By Michael Karesh
September 24, 2008

Let's get one thing out of the way right from the start: the Kia Borrego might list for a couple grand less than a 2008 Explorer, but the larger rebate on the Ford eliminates this advantage. The story is similar with other established SUVs. Since the Kia won't cost significantly less than its highly evolved competitors— at least until Kia tosses some similarly serious cash on the hood—the late-to-the-party truck better have another major selling point. So…

2009 Kia Borrego Review continued »

2009 Kia Borrego rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | 32 comments

2008 Kia Rondo EX vs. 2009 Mazda Mazda5 Grand Touring

By Frank Williams
September 17, 2008

Puppy-dog cute or space shuttle zoomy - your choice.

Almost a quarter-century ago, Chrysler rocked the automotive scene by putting a two-box body on the K-car platform, calling it a minivan and inventing the soccer mom. Unfortunately, the intervening years haven’t been kind to the concept; the mini minivan is no more. In fact, the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan is almost two feet longer than the full-sized 1984 Dodge Ram van. If you’re looking for a three-row people mover that won’t max out your garage, you can always go the CUV route-- if you’re into poseurmobiles. Or you can consider the Mazda5 or Kia Rondo. But do these reborn minivans carry the torch, or has the genre's flame fizzled-out?

: Plenty of room

: Not a bad place to be.

: More different than they seem

: Puppy-dog cute or space shuttle zoomy - your choice.

: The revival of the minivan?

2008 Kia Rondo EX vs. 2009 Mazda Mazda5 Grand Touring continued »

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | Mazda | 108 comments

2008 Kia Amanti Review

By Frank Williams
August 1, 2008

Gourmet restaurants and McDonalds both serve salads. Both establishments offer greens, vegetables and some kind of dressing. Setting aside Mickey D's portion-controlled, polymer-intensive presentation, I doubt anyone would confuse the two salads based on appearance or taste. But what of a "proper" premium sedan and the Kia Amanti? It's an intriguing idea: an upmarket midsize sedan at a family sedan price. Cutting out a badge-related price premium is always tempting... but seldom worth it.

: A decent engine in search of a decent transmission

: If you want to hide, just drive one of these into a crowded parking lot and stay in it. No one will ever notice you.

: At least the bustle butt covers a huge trunk

: Mercedes called. They said something about copyright infrigement.

: Nope, that's not a nav system. It's just a really tacky digital readout.

2008 Kia Amanti Review continued »

2008 Kia Amanti rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | 46 comments

2008 Kia Rio Review

By Steven Lang
June 11, 2008

Kia is one of the only car brands sold in America that's never built an enthusiast's car. Sensible Swedish Saab offered the 900. Before their core clientele started losing their pulse, Buick ran the Grand National. Saturn looked to the Sky for salvation. GMC got caught up in a Typhoon. Even Hyundai has the Tiburon circling its enthusiast oriented customers. Kia? Nothing but cheap. Or... maybe not. "Being practical doesn't mean you have to take the joy out of life," their web copy proclaims. "That's the thinking behind the Rio. It's affordable and likes a good time as much as you do." What exactly does THAT mean?

2008 Kia Rio Review continued »

2008 Kia Rio rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | 53 comments

2008 Kia Sorento EX Review

By William C Montgomery
January 4, 2008

Heavy frost blanketed Broken Bow Lake, Oklahoma, where my sons and I bade farewell to 2007. Thirty hearty souls braved the sub-freezing night for a fly fishing adventure. Predawn light revealed our trucks standing sentinel over the smoldering remains of the previous night’s campfires. Through my billowing breath, I examined ice crystals forming a thousand little shrines on the SUVs’ sheet metal. A thought occurred to me: everyone that made the journey to our pine needle-carpeted glade did so in a heavy bodied American SUV or pickup. In that early morning chill I wondered, is the Kia Sorento ready to join the club?

2008 Kia Sorento EX Review continued »

2008 Kia Sorento EX rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | 25 comments

Kia Optima LX Review

By Tony Sterbenc
September 5, 2007

As I drove to my neighborhood Kia dealer, the window signage caught my eye. Actually, make that grabbed both eyeballs and ripped them out, Oedipus-style. DRIVE TODAY! NO CREDIT! BAD CREDIT! I wondered how long before the words “What price are you looking to pay?” would effect the same injury to my ears. While dealerships like this make Kia’s 100,000 mile warranty look like a mixed blessing, let’s face it: they know their market. As does the Kia Optima.

Kia Optima LX Review continued »

Kia Optima LX rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Kia | 44 comments

Kia Sedona Review

By Samir Syed
August 17, 2007

Chrysler has just unleashed its new minivan, hoping to jump-start sales in a sector that's been shrinking for a decade. During this slide, the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna have moved their people movers upmarket, banking healthy margins on the back of tremendous customer loyalty. Meanwhile, Kia entered the fray with a more budget-minded alternative, the Sedona. Although Kia missed the obvious marketing opportunity (My my my, Sedona), the not-so-fancy shmancy minivan has proven itself a sales winner. Why?