What is the current perception of Kia in the USA?

So I remember when Kia first came to the US around '99 or 2000. My dad thought they weren’t good quality and looked cheap. I always thought they were not so great and not very reliable.

I was talking to my friend about choosing between a Mazda 3 and a Forte. He said, “Get the Mazda, Kia’s not good.” (By the way, I chose the Kia!)

But do only car experts like Kias? It seems like most regular people don’t like them as much.

What do you think most average Americans think about Kia? Do you notice that many people don’t think highly of Kia, unlike how they talk about Toyota being reliable?

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I think it’s a good model. Obviously, they have invested in a lot of marketing from the likes of sportspeople like Draymond Green, I don’t think they would agree to market a bad motor vehicle. Also, I heard that Kia’s made in South Korea are much better than those made in America

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As an owner of a K5 that I bought in the year 2023, I feel that while people are starting to warm up to Kia in general(especially the styling), bad dealer experiences will likely prevent them from being fully accepted.

To meet the quality of their cars, Kia might want to work on making the dealership experience better. Good word of mouth goes a long way, and Kia’s best sellers are its happy customers.