Kia is a brand that’s not only known for reliability, but also for producing a wide range of cars at an affordable price. While $40,000 isn’t exactly pocket change, it’s also not the type of price-tag you’d expect from higher-end premium brands. But in the Kia stable, there’s a lot on offer – from crossovers to sedans, and SUVs to the Carnival minivan. The best Kia cars have an affordable price tah and will even leave you room to add a few options before coming close to $40k.
If you’re wanting the best from Kia for the money, here’s a breakdown of the brand’s ten best models according to our BuzzScore ratings.
All information has been sourced from the manufacturer; quoted pricing is MSRP and excludes options and destination fees. We rank these cars according to our
BuzzScore rating
for 2024, from lowest rated to highest.
10 2025 Kia K4
BuzzScore Unrated | Base Price: $21,990
This list kicks off with one of the newest products from the brand, and one we foresee will quickly become one of the best Kia models on offer. The Kia K4 sedan was revealed at the beginning of 2024, and although it arrives to replace the Forte, both are on sale concurrently at the moment. The new sedan comes with much sportier styling and the option for two engines: a 147-horsepower four-cylinder or a 190-hp turbocharged four-pot. The latter does duty in the Turbo models, and paired with expressive new styling, really moves the game forward for inexpensive sedans. Because its still so new, however, we haven’t had a chance to drive the car yet, so it remains unrated on our BuzzScore ranking system.
9 2024 Kia Sorento
BuzzScore 8 | Base Price: $31,990
The Kia Sorento lineup received an update for 2024 which gave it a fresh new look along with a restyled dashboard and some new tech. This puts the Sorento on stronger footing against rivals like the Honda Pilot, which outsold the Sorento by nearly 22 000 units in 2023. The latest Sorento has a cheaper base price than the Pilot, however, and it comes with either a 191-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder in the entry-level models, or a more potent 281-hp turbocharged engine. There are also hybrid options, which we discuss below, but across the range, the Sorento rates highly for its reliability and safety systems. Standard safety assists include:
Blind-spot collision warning parallel exit and safe exit assist Forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning detection Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance Lane departure warning Lane keeping and lane following assist Smart cruise control with intelligent speed limit assist Driver attention warning
2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid – BuzzScore 8.2
Although there are two Sorento hybrid options – a regular HEV and a plug-in hybrid – only the former is included here because it has a starting price of $38,690. The PHEV costs substantially more at $47,990. The hybrid Sorento only received the facelift for the 2025 model year, which is why we include it here. The hybrid powertrain – a 1.6-liter turbo-four supplemented by a 59-hp electric motor – returns great fuel economy figures of 36/36/36 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles with FWD, or 34/34/34 mpg with AWD. It’s these great efficiency figures and a more potent engine with a total of 277 hp that results in the higher BuzzScore rating for the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid.
8 2025 Kia Soul
BuzzScore 8 | Base Price: $20,290
Although it scores the same 8 out of 10 BuzzScore as the car above it, the Kia Soul is a little cheaper, which adds to its appeal. We’ve always loved the Soul for its quirky look, and it remains a high-value proposition in the compact crossover segment. No changes are made to the Soul for 2025, but it is the first year the base model Soul costs more than $20k, and even the top trim in the range doesn’t break the $24,590 mark. The slight-sized crossover pack a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under thehood that makes 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque; it’s not built for performance, but it gets satisfactory gas mileage figures of 27/33/30 mpg. It’s the ideal economical urban runabout.
7 2024 Kia Forte
BuzzScore 8 | Base Price: $19,990
Kia’s budget sedan ranks highest of the 8-out-of-10 group since it’s sub-$20,000 starting price is so appealing. The Kia Forte is on its way out, however, and 2024 is the last year you can still get your hands on one before the K4 takes its place. Where the Forte earns its high rankings is in a balanced approach to performance, frugality, and convenience, with five models in the lineup that cater to either affordability, riving fun, or more premium touches. Base models have the same 147-hp engine the Soul uses, but the GT model comes with the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 201 hp. Kia is also one of the few automakers left that offer a manual transmission – the Forte GT Manual allows you to row your own gears, although that drops gas mileage figures from 27/35/30 mpg with the standard seven-speed auto to 22/31/26 mpg with the six-speed self-shifter.
6 2025 Kia Niro
BuzzScore 8.0 | Base Price: $26,990
The Niro is the all-rounder in the Kia stable; there are no gas-only Niros, but you can have it as a regular hybrid, a plug-in, or an EV – and all three options score highly. The regular hybrid is the baseline, so we start off with that here. The only changes that took place from 2024 into 2025 was the quirky blacked-out C-pillar that used to distinguish the little car has been done away with. The 1.6-liter hybrid powertrain is good for 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque and returns excellent fuel economy, which – on the entry-level model is as impressive as 53 mpg combined.
2024 Kia Niro EV and PHEV – BuzzScores 8.1 and 8.4
To offer buyers even more options, Kia also makes the Plug-In Niro and the EV version available. The all-electric Niro barely makes it in under the $40k price cap for 2024, with 2025 models still under wraps (you’ll see the blacked-out C-Pillar on these models, still). The EV scores a little higher due to its efficiency (8.1 out of 10) but it’s the plug-in that truly impresses. It starts at $34,490 for the base model, and the top-end trim just just breaches the $40k mark with an MSRP of $40,790. Both offer a 33-mile all-electric driving range with gas mileage equivalent figures of 126/101/113 MPGe from the EPA. On top of this, outputs creep up to 180 hp and 915 lb-ft with the PHEV powertrain.
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5 2025 Kia Sportage
BuzzScore 8.4 | Base Price: $27,190
The Kia Sportage was the best-selling Kia car for 2023, and part of its allure is the fact that it’s available with a variety of powertrains. The base model is gas only, and that scores a high 8.4 out of 10 on our ranking scale. Not only is the Sportage a great-looking car, but it comes with 187 hp and 178 lb-ft from a 2.5-liter engine that’s enough to hustle the small crossover along in traffic. The Sportage has tough competition from the perennial Toyota RAV4, but it comes well-equipped, especially in the upper trims, with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3 inch digital display, heated front seats, and a host of safety features that earn it top marks.
2025 Sportage Hybrids – BuzzScore 8.5
There are two Sportage hybrid options, one as a regular hybrid and the other with a plug-in hybrid setup. These both score an 8.5 BuzzScore rating, but it’s worthnoting that the PHEV version verges on $40k in the base trim. Both use a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid system, but the HEVs make 227 hp and 258 lb-ft, while the PHEVs put out 261 hp and 258 lb-ft. The hybrids are the most efficient when comparing gas/electric motors combined, with the EPA estimating 42/44/43 mpg at best for the Sportage Hybrid FWD. Plug-In models using gas and electric power average 84 MPGe, but can travel for 34 miles on electricity alone.
4 2024 Kia K5
BuzzScore 8.5 | Base Price: $25,390
Kia has already revealed the facelifted K5 sedan for 2025, but since that includes a whole new powertrain which we haven’t driven, there’s no BuzzScore for the 2025 model year yet. So, the 2024 model is still on sale and scores a high 8.5 out of 10, ranking it ones of the best Kia cars on this list. The brand’s midsize sedan follows a simple recipe with attractive styling, a near-premium cabin in the upper tris, a host of standard features, and an attainable $25,390 starting price for 2024. The K5 beats out the 2024 Toyota Camry for cargo space and offers oodles more front-row legroom – even surpassing what the Honda Accord offers. The outgoing powertrain is a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder making 180 hp and 195 lb-ft.
3 2025 Kia Seltos
BuzzScore 8.5 | Base Price: $24,590
The Kia Seltos received a bit of a makeover in 2024, so it comes into 2025 with no overt changes, although some of the features have been shuffled around a little. It ranks highly on the BuzzScore scorecard, with a top-notch interior, much more cargo space than rivals offer, and a generous standard features list. Because of how roomy it is, the Seltos makes for an excellent family car – and a sub-$25k starting price only feeds into that.
Kia Seltos
Chevrolet Trax
Mazda CX-30
Cargo Space Behind Second Row
26.6 ft³
25.6 ft³
20.2 ft³
Cargo Space With All Seats Folded
62.8 ft³
54.1 ft³
45.2 ft³
Powering the Seltos at the base level is a 2.0-liter inline-four with 146 hp and 132 lb-ft, but if you want something punchier, the top trims come with a 1.6-liter turbo engine that’s good for 195 hp and 195 lb-ft.
2 2024 Kia Telluride
BuzzScore 8.6 | Base Price: $36,190
Kia
With an 8.6 out of 10 score – and sales data of over 110 000 models sold in 2023 – the Kia Telluride’s popularity has only increased in the last few years. Kia’s sales data suggests that halfway through 2024, the previous year’s sales figures were soundly beat, too. What makes the big SUV so popular? The three-row mid-size SUV has seating for up to eight occupants and ten trim options for buyers to peruse. Only the first two trims come in under $40k, though, so you can expect the upper models to be suitably plush. At the entry-point to the range, you get a 3.8-liter V6 engine with 291 hp that allows for a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs. Kia’s score highly for reliability, thanks to an industry-leading warranty, and the Telluride is one of the models in the stable that adds to the already high rankings with top scores for interior spaciousness, loads of tech and features, high-end driver safety assists, and a high-value price tag.
1 2025 Kia Carnival
BuzzScore 9 | Base Price: $36,500
An anomaly in the lineup – and, to an extent, on showroom floors in the USA – the Kia Carnival is the brand’s take on the humble minivan (although Kia markets it as an MPV). There’s a reason this big people-mover scores so highly; it’s surprisingly well-priced for a spacious, large, and near-premium vehicle. Admittedly, the upper trims cost well over $45,000 – and there’s a hybrid, too, but we’ve excluded it here as it’s already over the price cap. For 2025, Kia made the Carnival even better than it was last year, updating its styling to be more in line with its electric EV9. It also comes with new safety features, all of which push the Carniva’s BuzzScore to a solid 9 out of 10, makng this the best Kia you can buy in 2024.
Sources:
Kia,
FuelEconomy.gov