The first time the Kia vehicles were released to the market, it became obvious that these vehicles were immediately going to be one of the most ideal contenders in the widely contested class of medium-sized, three-row SUV vehicles. Just taking a glance at this vehicle from an auto-show stand, you will notice that these Kia vehicles have a very commanding presence. Kia’s are designed with even and leveled lines and the detailing of this vehicle is quite advanced.
The Kia vehicle has really risen in the market becoming one of the most popular vehicles on British and American roads. One of the factors that have made Kia be one of the most impressive vehicles in the market is the fact that Kia gives its clients a seven-year warranty, while many other car manufacturers only provide their clients with a three-year warranty.
However, are Kia vehicles really as reliable as the manufacturer wants us to think they are?
Honestly, the right answer is, yes. Kia vehicles are sophisticated and very reliable. For a large number of years now, Kia has continued to be listed as one of the most reliable motor vehicles by a number of different sources.
One of the most trustworthy magazines in the world is The Telegraph magazine. In 2017, the outlet released a list of the most reliable cars in the market and the Kia vehicle was placed at number 3 out of 20. CNN, one of America’s leading news base placed the Kia vehicle at number 6 out of 10. As you can tell this particular ranking is not the most ideal, however, it is still quite high as compared to other vehicles in the market. The J.D Power market report listed Kia as the number 1 vehicle brand when it comes to reliability. This was the first time a non-luxury car brand made it to the highest list since the year 1989.
Over the years Kia has managed to remain consistent, and as years go by this vehicle will only continue to rise up in the ranks proving to be a vehicle that you can depend on.
In this review, we take some time to figure out if Kia vehicles are as reliable as they claim to be. We also take some time to differentiate the vehicle’s reliability to some of its rivals.
The Kia Sportage and its Reliability
One of Kia’s famous and most reliable vehicle model is the Kia Sportage model. The truth is this car is actually not as reliable as you would expect, which is quite bizarre because the Kia manufacturer is known to release very dependable car models. On the reliability index, this vehicle has scored a 99, which is not so bad as it has surpassed the average point in the industry. The J.D Power market report gave the vehicle three and a half stars out of five, for predicted reliability. As you can tell, even though the Kia Sportage is not the most dependable car in the market, it is still more reliable than other vehicles.
Admittedly, this car has not always maintained a high position on the table. There was a period when the Kia was positioned at the bottom of the table and it was listed as one of the least reliable vehicle brands in the market. However, over the years, the reliability of this vehicle seems to have really changed and the car is considered one of the most dependable vehicle models in the market today.
| Power | 114 – 181 bhp |
| 0-60 mph | 9.5 – 11.9 secs |
| Fuel Economy | 34 -55 mpg |
| Insurance Group | 12 – 18 |
| Road Tax | $160 – $332 |
What Makes Kia Vehicles Reliable?
When the Kia models were first released into the market these cars were not considered as reliable. However, in recent years it has become clear that the reliability of the Kia has greatly increased.
After achieving the top position on the J.D Power market survey, a number of professionals stated that the Kia vehicle’s success is attributed to their distinct attention to cleaner launches of brand-new models. Renee Stephens from J.D power mentioned that dealers and plants, especially in America, have been improving their skills when it comes to manufacturing the Kia brand’s cars.
The chief operating officer at Kia Motors America, Michael Sprague, stated that the favorable outcome of Kia came down to the vehicle’s attention to constant improvement and craftsmanship for over a decade. Kia gives a lot of consideration to customers, which is the most ideal affirmation.
Kia has continued to refine different areas of their vehicles especially the infotainment system. In recent years, a ton of vehicle brands has been disappointed by present-day technology. While devices such as infotainment systems come in handy and many buyers are interested in purchasing it, the system can come with a ton of issues. Unfortunately, these issues can manipulate the reliability of the vehicle, bringing it down. The Kia manufacturer, however, has worked hard to improve that specific area. There are hardly any complaints or negative reports about the Kia infotainment system.
Kia also provides users with a seven-year warranty. This just goes to show how much the manufacturer trusts the vehicle that they produce. There are hardly any car brands that would provide users with such a long warranty. The fact that Kia introduced such a long warranty basically proves how committed the company is to manufacturing such reliable cars.
Kia vehicles have really maintained their reliability by concentrating on cleaner launches of their vehicles, improving their craftsmanship as well as enhancing their infotainment systems. If you look at the Kia vehicle’s position on the reports, you will realize that all these factors have pushed the Kia vehicle to maintain the top position when it comes to reliability.
The Necessity of Reports when determining what KIA model you should purchase
In this section, we are going to expound on some of the reasons why extensive research and reports play a major role in determining how dependable a vehicle is. This is especially important because Kia there was a time when Kia vehicles were very unreliable and their steady rise to the top position could actually make a few drivers cautious.
Surveys are used as a way to determine a vehicle’s reliability. Through these different surveys and reports, one can easily find out how reliable a vehicle is. Surveys are conducted by asking people who own these cars how dependable the vehicle is. The J.D Power market survey, awarded Kia with the top position after representatives interviewed over 80,000 consumers about the issues that they could have experienced with their car during the first three months after purchasing the vehicle.
Needless to say, reports and other surveys also come with a series of issues. One of these issues is that these reports are not always correct when it comes to determining the dependability of the vehicle in the long run. That does not mean that the surveys are 100% incorrect, however, you cannot really determine the lifelong dependability of a vehicle that has only been in the market for less than one year. This is especially true for car models like Kia because we have seen the reliability of the vehicle change quite drastically.
Never the less, drivers and potential buyers are always advised to take a look at reports and different surveys to determine how reliable a car is before they make the decision of purchasing such a car.
Comparing the Kia to other top model brands in the industry
In this section of the review, we take some time to differentiate the dependability of some of the Kia brand’s top rivals. In this case, we are comparing the Kia to the Volkswagen and the Nissan. So exactly how does the Kia brand compare to these other brands?
Brand Comparison Table
| Comparison Factor | Kia | Nissan | Volkswagen |
| Reliability Index – Brand | 85 | 119 | 58 |
| Cost of Repairs per year | $474 | $500 | $676 |
| Brand Position- The Telegraph | 3 | 10 | 6 |
| Brand Position – J.D power market survey | 1 | 10 | 10 |
In the Telegraph magazine, Kia was listed as the third and the Volkswagen came in as the 6th. The Volkswagen landed this position with 92 issues per every 100 cars. Sadly, Nissan landed in the 10th position. This is quite bizarre as the year before, Nissan was in the 4th position. However, this is still a great effort as Nissan managed only 98 issues per every 100 vehicles. Still, that does not make it as reliable as the Kia vehicles or the Volkswagen.
As mentioned earlier, the J.D Power Market Survey placed the Kia vehicle in the top position as the most reliable car brand in the market today. That means that neither the Nissan nor the Volkswagen would be able to outdo the Kia. However, Nissan and Volkswagen did not perform too poorly. Both vehicles tied at the tenth position. They had only 93 problems per 100 vehicles. This is actually below the manufacturing average which is 97 problems per every 100 vehicles.
Since the release of Nissan vehicles into the market, Nissan’s have continued to prove that they are very dependable. That is why it is not surprising to see that these cars are still performing quite well, always above average or at average when it comes to determining their longevity. Over the years, we have seen the Volkswagen car model make a huge comeback in the market. There was a time when Volkswagen was considered undependable just like a variety of other German car manufacturers. So, the fact that Volkswagen has actually maintained one of the top positions on the list is actually quite surprising.
However, the Kia brand has continued to maintain its top position. So if you are out in the market and reliability is of prime concern, then you can rest assured that Kia is your best option when it comes to choosing between these three vehicle brands.
Which Kia models are the most ideal when it comes to reliability?
The cars that will be listed in this section are according to research that was conducted by J.D Power Market. The most reliable Kia models are the –
- The 2017 Kia Soul model
- The 2017 Kia Sportage model
- The 2017 Kia Sorento
Each of these cars is very dependable, each scoring a 4 out of 5 for predicted reliability.
Which Kia model is not as reliable?
Just like the category listed before, each of the vehicles that will be mentioned here is according to research that was conducted by J.D Power Market. The least reliable Kia models are-
- The 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid
- The 2016 Kia Optima
- The 2016 Kia Rio
Each of these cars scored a 3 out of 5 for predicted reliability. If you think about it, that score is not really low because 3 out of 5 is actually considered an average score. Never the less, these vehicles are considered the least reliable because they have the lowest scores.
If the lowest ranking cars are considered average then it only goes to prove that Kia vehicles are very reliable.
Conclusion
If you are in the market searching for the most reliable vehicle, then you can be assured that you can’t ever go wrong with the Kia vehicle. Over the years, each Kia model has been upgraded and all this has contributed to their improvement. These cars also perform marvelously when compared to some of their great rivals. Kia provides users with a seven-year warranty which is can actually be transferred from one owner to the next. That means that you can go ahead and purchase a three-year-old Kia and you will still have four good years left on your warranty. This factor actually makes Kia one of the best choices if you are looking to buy a brand-new car or a used Kia car. Kia is known to be one of the most reliable cars in the market, therefore, if great performance and reliability is a priority for you, then you should definitely take a look at the Kia.