Although Kia is a Korean automaker, the company's name is said to derive from the Chinese language. Roughly translated, it means, "to arise from Asia."

And what a meteoric rise it's been. It has taken only 10 years for Kia to sell one million vehicles in the U.S. That's faster than Toyota, Mazda, BMW or Mercedes. The secret to their success lies in offering inexpensive competitors for better known - and some would say better-built - Japanese vehicles.

In fact, up until the mid-'90s, South Korean vehicles like Kia and Hyundai were basically cheap knock-offs of Japanese models. These disposable cars would more or less self-destruct after their first few years. Anyone who ever owned a Pony or Stellar can attest to that.

However, Hyundai has improved considerably and reliability concerns are largely a thing of the past. And now that Kia has been pulled back from the brink of bankruptcy by a Hyundai takeover, similar improvements can be expected throughout its product line as well. And with an industry leading 10-year / 100,000 mile warranty, many people are finding these low-cost imports irresistible.