The Car Book gives the Best Bet award every year. Selections are based on objective information in seven categories -- safety features, fuel economy, rollover, overall maintenance and repair costs, warranties, insurance costs, and complaints -- are considered for the award. The information is provided by the government and other sources.
Kia's winning vehicles include the Kia Sedona minivan; Rio/Rio5 compact; Kia Spectra/Spectra5 sedan; Kia Optima sedan; Kia Sportage SUV; and the Kia Sorento SUV. Note that MotorWeek recently awarded the Kia Sedona with the Best Minivan Award.
Our take? We in the auto industry have been aware of both Kia and its parent company Hyundai's near-meteorodic rise for some time and we're glad to see the public media is catching on as well.