First impressions last. Except when they don’t. A few years back, I didn’t think the new-generation Accord was all that special. The enlarged Honda mid-sizer did the monkey-making thing; ascending the sales charts to become America’s top-selling mid-size family sedan. My first impression of Kia’s all-new Forte: it’s a hit. The Kia Forte’s a cheap (as in inexpensive), safe, somewhat stylish, fuel-efficient sedan that transports up to four adults in perfect comfort, without driving like a penalty box. In fact, this car is good enough that it could be a turnaround product for Kia, which has struggled to establish its place on the American automotive scene. But will it? What am I, psychic?
Design may not be the Forte’s forte, but it’s got the whole non-objectionability thing nailed nailed. Kia’s California design studio crafted a car where cleanliness cozies-up to divinity. The Forte’s tall greenhouse provides plenty of glass; a welcome change from the current trend for rising beltlines (and plunging sight lines). The Forte’s front fenders have flair, albeit with a clear Mazda influence. But the Kia’s overall shape could have been penned by a European Ford stylist; it reminds me strongly of the Ford Mondeo and VW Jetta.
The Forte’s cabin is as simple and inviting as the Fairmont hotel’s restrooms. My tester came in a mix of grey hues. As is the way of such things, none of the materials or shapes looked cheap or flimsy, although the price point demands the former and time will tell on the latter. Still, someone’s sweated the details. The Forte’s steering wheel offers an attractive symmetry, the right grippable thickness, and a soft, leather-like polymer covering that’s easy on the palms. There’s ample leg room for all four passengers, and a large trunk.
The Forte tries to be the Hannah Montana of ergonomics; combining knobs and buttons to get the best of both worlds. In this it succeeds, in both the good (popular) and bad (as satisfying as bubble gum) sense. The learning curve is as steep as a bunny slope; major gauges are large and easy to read at both day and night. Taste-wise, well, an airplane model plastic silver bezel surrounds the center stack of the instrument panel. Make of that what you will.
On the road, the Kia Forte moves with more enthusiasm than you’d expect from a 156-horse, 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine. While the Forte’s target market probably doesn’t even own a stopwatch, I estimate the quad cog autobox-equipped sedan’s zero to sixty mph times live somewhere in the mid-eight second range. (A five-speed manual is available. The SX has an optional five-speed automatic). Bottom line: the Forte EX’s powertrain is more than sufficiently spirited for suburban driving and quite capable of drama-free passing maneuvers on two-lane highways.
Thanks to a well-sorted suspension and modestly aggressive 16-inch rubber, the Kia’s handling is poised and . . . poised. More importantly, the four-wheel disc brakes come complete with electronic brake-force distribution. Nanny rides shotgun. Alas, you can’t switch of the electronic stability control system in the Forte EX. Did I say alas? [A lass joke deleted.] Yes, I did. When flung through a series of very tight esses (flung I tell you!), my test Forte remained flat and composed. That said, even before turning a wheel, Jack Baruth would tell you that front-wheel-drive understeer is the name of this game.
Unfortunately, the Forte EX’s engine goes all Suicidal Tendency (i.e., thrashy) at anything above 4000 rpm. It’s not enough to be irritating, unless you’re irritated by such things. As Kia Forte buyers are more likely to dine on budae jjigae as push the four banger to its upper reaches of its rev range, it’s no biggie. Still, it’s too bad that Kia doesn’t fit the five-speed automatic on the EX; it would make a huge difference in the NVH department.
The Forte’s suspension tuning needs some, perhaps any, refinement. On frost heaves and worn concrete pavement joints, the Forte feels loose, hard riding and crashy, even at moderate speeds. Again, it’s not quite enough to enervate budget shoppers, but urban drivers might be happier in something, anything, a little more plush riding.
Value, though. Value. The Forte features a lengthy list of standard equipment, including Bluetooth, the aforementioned electronic stability and brake-force distribution, anti-lock brakes and a tire monitoring system. With a $19,000-and-change bottom line on my Forte EX, the Monroney could be the best looking thing about the whole car.
The Forte is a three-base hit for Kia. With more powertrain and suspension tuning refinement, the Forte could go yard against some of the toughest rivals in the automotive league. Provided my imprimatur is not the kiss of death, the Forte will go a long way to bolstering the budge brand.
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I’m waiting for the SX with the six speed review.
Kia Designer #1: “We need to make this eye-catching..”
Kia Designer #2: “Meh. I’m tired. By the way, an old college buddy of mine just bought a new civic. Pretty nice looking car. Nicer looking than anything we make anyway..”
Kia Designer #1: “Thats it! We’ll buy civics and put our Kia badges on ‘em! BRILLIANT!”
That’s not a bad looking interior. If this thing holds up as reliable, what differentiates the Corolla from this?
It’s actually supposed to look like the Optima/Magentis, in which it succeeds. Both are pretty good-looking cars, in a previous-gen Acura TL kind of way. Kia’s two models away (Rio, Amanti) from a wholly competitive lineup.
I haven’t driven the Forte, but it looks like a nice enough car. Actually, what it sounds like a new Mazda Protege: good ergonomics, comfortable seating, reasonably fun to drive even in base trim, crunchy suspension versus the Civic and Corolla. Considering that the Spectra even looked like the old Mazda, it’s not entirely surprising.
Kia has a real chance, provided Hyundai can figure out how who it wants itself and Kia to be. Right now, they can’t seem to figure out who is going to be the budget, Europretender, sporty or pseudolux marque. They need to sort this out soon because Hyundai and Kia are fast becoming their own best competitors.
“…what differentiates the Corolla from this?”
A Civic is infinitely more attractive than a Corolla, and this looks like a civic (at least from the front-ish). That’s what differentiates this from a Corolla.
The badge, it’ll take a bit for people to get over the whole Kia thing.
If this thing holds up as reliable, what differentiates the Corolla from this?
Price, fuel economy and suspension tuning.
The Corolla isn’t really a bad car, just not a great one. The automotive equivalent of bran flakes, as it were. With the 1.8L it’s cheap to run and fast enough for normal duty. I know two midwives who own them, and if I were in that job, I’d own one, too.
The problem is that, despite the groupthink about Toyota’s supposed endemic quality problems, most reasonable objective measures still rate their product far above average, and the Corolla as nigh-on impeccable. Kia and Hyundai will need to wait and work and sweat the details to reach that level of trust. To their credit, they’re most of the way there.
$19,000 for this POS? I’ll take a used BMW 3-series over a new Kia any day. Considering depreciation, insurance and registration the total per-mile cost of driving a used BMW vs. a new Kia over 3 – 5 years would be about the same. The driving experience, however, would not.
Twotone
Truth be known, I am a mazda guy.
So, if the Forte is around 14,500.
The mazda3 at 15,700 and with a free loving /reving 2.0 and much more standard and top rated.
Why buy this?
twotone and paulie have good points. $19,000 for this Kia is outrageous.
People in these comments love to blast Ford for apparently over pricing the Taurus but somehow Hyundai/Kia gets away with the exact same thing.
That interior looks very very very grey.
19000 msrp?
really?
so, how does this compare to:
base jetta,
civic ex,
mazda 3, etc…
if these are leaving the dealers lots for 19k, there’s something wrong…
This is the kind of car that should make Detroit and Japan worry. As I have often said, TTACers live in a bubble so to speak. For the vast majority of people out there, this combination of okay looking and performing, decent features, low price KILLS. As the author states, most of it’s faults would go unnoticed by almost anyone but ‘us’.
twotone and paulie have good points. $19,000 for this Kia is outrageous.
You get a lot of car for the money. Have a look at the options list of the EX trim, then compare a similarly-optioned Corolla, Civic or 3. It’s actually competitive, for the class.
Any loaded compact is a dubious value, but that doesn’t stop ethusiasts from supposedly wanting a nicely-trimmed compact car (eg, “Why can’t we get the Euro Focus/Civic/Polo/etc with it’s nicer interior!”. Except that when they’re actually offered, suddenly the refrain is “Why should I buy this when I can get a Camry/Fusion/Impala/Ten-year old 5-Series for just a little more”.
So what is it? Do we want nice compact cars or don’t we? I know I do: I bought a Fit Sport and loaded it (couldn’t get leather because of the seat gymnastics) despite the fact that I could have afforded an Accord or TSX. I would have bought a Mini Clubman, were it available, or a Mercedes B200 were the dealers not such pricks.
psarhjinian:
“You get a lot of car for the money. Have a look at the options list of the EX trim, then compare a similarly-optioned Corolla, Civic or 3. It’s actually competitive, for the class.”
Competitive, yes, but worth the ‘risk’?
I for one would test out the forte (if I were in the market), but I would have a very hard time spending 19k on one over a 19k civic or a 19k jetta, or a 19k mazda 3.
(not to mention a 19k sonota)…
Also, 19k is actually still a lot of money.
The EX gets the 5 speed auto if you get the fuel economy package. Also, went on a test drive of the 6-speed manual SX and it was great. Nice car. Then again, I have the Soul and I really like that car over the Subarus and Hondas I’ve owned, so no anti-Kia bias here.
The Soul will be the car to establish Kia’s place. But the Forte won’t hurt. I especially like the styling, which looks like a Mazdafied Civic to my eyes.
Too bad the suspension tuning isn’t quite there–a common issue with Korean cars. Ditto the manual shift feel, if other reviews are accurate.
TrueDelta will have an initial reliability stat for the Soul this month. We’d like to have one as quickly for the Forte–all depends on how soon enough owners sign up.
Owners of any car can sign up here:
http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php
Competitive, yes, but worth the ‘risk’?
I for one would test out the forte (if I were in the market), but I would have a very hard time spending 19k on one over a 19k civic or a 19k jetta, or a 19k mazda 3.
Why? Hyundai/Kia offers good warranty performance and reasonable reliability, all from a company that seems on decent financial footing.
Other than the Civic, there’s nothing on that list that’s especially reliable next to the Spectra/Elantra/Forte, and you’d be taking far more of a risk on the Jetta.
(not to mention a 19k sonota)…
Yes, but that’s a stripped Sonata. The Forte actually comes with much more stuff. I don’t see the point of buying a bigger car on principle** when I can get a smaller one that’s ostensibly nicer.
** I can see buying a bigger car if you need it, but there’s not much gain in useful space between a Forte and an Optima or Sonata. You want more space? Buy a Rondo.
I’ve driven one Kia in my life, a Sportage. It was one of the worst driving vehicles I’ve ever experienced. The first thing I ask when I hear about a Kia is, how was the smell? In the Sportage I had to leave the window wide open in a snowstorm due to the headache inducing fumes coming off the plastics.
Is $19k US, Canadian, Aussie, or Liberian?
I’m not dissing the car, it sounds pretty decent, just that the pricing is in very competitive territory.
psarhjinian, the warranty is not that much better (in Canada) than Ford, GM, or Toyota.
Here in the Canadian mid-west 2002+ Hyundai models have still shown problems that more established players simply don’t have at 100K and less.
If you are planning to keep a car for longer than 5 years and plan on doing work on it yourself I see Hyundai/Kia as a risk.
The name of the band is “Suicidal Tendencies” – plural.
Nice review!
psarhjinian:
the 19k sonata (including rebates) is actually equipped fairly nice (for a regular, run of the mill car). no, it won’t have a sun roof, 17 inch alloys or bluetooth, but it has all the safety equipment the forte has and arguably a stronger chassis…
As for the Kia forte vs. others of the same size and price:
it all comes down to perception, which may or may not be rooted in reality.
For example:
The Kia has ABS and stability control. Do you have any reason to believe that they’d work better or worse than those in the 3 or the jetta/rabbit?
I don’t know. But my perception tells me that I’ll trust the systems from the [more] established companies to perform when I need them to. (please keep the electrical jokes for VW aside)…
Thus – as a consumer, the kia forte needs a bigger carrot (ie – smaller price) to lure the consumer away from the established companies.
The 19k Forte doesn’t do it for me (even with all the fancy extras…)
Nice car, koreans are in the right path, but a Corolla is a Corolla, and has a much better resale value, granted with quality and reliability.
if you were looking at a loaded Mazda3 with all the options would be priced near enough to 24k – for my money and I’m sorry to repeat myself is the 2.4 SX with the stick judging from Kia’s website.
A Civic/Corolla clone at a what will be a lower price after the crazy incentives Hyundai runs. Kia really knows what they’re doing. You gotta hand it to them, they’ve done what GM was trying to do for years and couldn’t–build a car pretty much as good as the Japanese but beat them on price and value.
Hmmm
1. This STINKS of CIVIC. Only this.. MIGHT actually have a better interior. Doesnt have the hatch to compete against VW and Mazda 3 hatch.
2. Jehovah Johnson, I dont think Accord has been the sales leader for the midsized class.. in AT LEAST a dozen years and the 7th gen Accord is the last good looking sedan theyve built with the Accord badge. Too bad, the current one is such a fat ass.
3. Jehovah Johnson, I’m just poed that ya had to pick up a primer coat / silver Forte. Me.. I think the interior has a lot of possibilities. Then again, I think most of the interior was picked up from the Grand Am (God-Am)
4. Civic loses in the fact that they blew their collective load on the info in front of the driver’s eyes. The rest of the interior.. is just a loss, that and they dont have a hatch.
5. elloh7: You pegged it solid. Civic in every way.. but the rear.
6. psarhjinian: I completely understand how to compare european designed cars and them coming into the U.S. I also wouldnt look at the next step up as the price difference in size. But how you go from, “Camry/Fusion/Impala/Ten-year old 5-Series for just a little more” is beyond me. Camry and Accord are large cars now, staring at 300 / 500 / Taurus, not Fusion. Impala is a direct competitor to its stable mate the Malibu.. and yet you think a 10yr old 5 series from is competitive!?!
How do ya go from 22g for a loaded Jetta and comparable euroFocus.. to “that same money” into a Camry / Fusion… and into a 5 series. The two are two totally different lineages.
How do ya go from 22g for a loaded Jetta and comparable euroFocus.. to “that same money” into a Camry / Fusion… and into a 5 series. The two are two totally different lineages.
That was my point. Whenever we review a small car, the complaints go one of two ways:
1. People lament the lack of niceties in basic North American small cars, pining for higher-trim models.
2. If we do review a high-trim small car, people complain about how it’s not worth the money next to a larger car of the same MSRP.
That’s what I have trouble with: it’s a hypocritical statement. Supposedly we want small car with lots of amenities, but when we actually get such a car, we whine incessantly about how it’s more expensive than either the next car larger, or a used luxury car. Read a review of the Honda Fit Sport and listen to the people whinging about how it costs more than a base Civic.
It’s like people who say they want small, light cars like we used to get. When we review small, light cars that we can buy today, they’re panned as being cheap, cramped, tinny and feature-sparse. Again, what we say we want and what we actually buy are two different things.
So which is it? Do we want nice small cars or not? Because it sounds like we’re a culture of “Buy by the Pound”, I’m thinking that we truly don’t.
if you were looking at a loaded Mazda3 with all the options would be priced near enough to 24k – for my money and I’m sorry to repeat myself is the 2.4 SX with the stick judging from Kia’s website.
You are pricing a grand touring model 5 door which has the bigger motor.. They didn’t price the top of the line Kia at $18,000. My sister just bought two mazda 3s They both were the touring model with the smaller (but still peppy) 2.0. The last one didn’t have the moon roof but had everything else pretty much and stickered at 19,200. 200 was for the special white paint so any other color it would have been just 19,000 She paid 17,200 for it or 17,000 could have bought it without the white paint. No way i could buy a Kia when i can get a mazda 3 at that price.
Hmmmm,
17,200 for “special” white paint… on a 4dr Mazda 3, and you’d rather put THAT money into a cheaper Forte?! I guess its all what you want and how you drive. The regular sedans look boring and cheap.
Me..
I believe the Forte goes against a Civic and Corolla as a standard 4dr economical car… with no real power. (Even Si lacks here (not sporty / powerful ENOUGH), and XRS is pointless and under/over-rated.)
The Mazda 3 can be had with a turbo and 5 doors (SPEED3) for a bit over 25g. It in fact goes against STI, GTI and EVO. So the bones are there as a sportier car with plenty of CHHHHutspa. It also has a 2.5 for the upper models… and a sportier design.
Personally,
I just cant see spendng ANY significant money at Kia / Hyun reguardless of how cheap or expensive / free gas or blanket warranty they give out..
The last one didn’t have the moon roof but had everything else pretty much and stickered at 19,200
To be fair about it, a Mazda 3 Touring that stickers at $19,200 is missing ~$2000 worth of options that come with a Forte EX at the same sticker price: leather (which isn’t available at all on the 3 Touring), moonroof, and Sirius radio.
Priced out on CarsDirect, a Kia Optima (with the currently attached rebate) is only $210 more than the Forte in exactly the same trim level with the same equipment. I didn’t even add the moonroof.
Hmm. Tough sell.
Forte will have a large rebate later in the year. It gets better mileage than the Kia Spectre it replaces. Forte is excellent value for the money. Kia will crank up the rebates until it sells. As low cost producer, they can do this. If it sells at a higher price, they will leave the price higher. They will lower the price as necessary to meet their production goals, and still make a profit.
Kia Soul is another winner. I would select the Soul with the smaller engine, base vehicle with stick, air and stability control is around 14K. Then they will add a few thousand in rebates later this year. No one else can match this deal. Korean cars are now world champs in value. Sorry Toyonda, your days in the sun are past.
Forte has a torsion beam rear suspension.
Civic has a multilink rear suspension.
Which is better?
Kia is supose to start building cars in North America next year. So when they do then Ill look at them but I will not send my hard earned money oversees. No wonder we are in a depression everyone buying offshore they sould be ashamed, One guy said one cay when ford or gm start selling for cheaper he will start buying well he is unemployed today cause the car plant that was just down the road from his store he served booze at closed down and with no GM guys coming in well you get the picture.
MATT
I hate to break it to ya..
But American cars are the cheapest POS on the road.
The Koreans only bait ya with a shitty warranty and copies of the Accord and Civic.
torsion beam usually gives you more trunk space
A manual transmission is available in all trim levels of the Forte
Accords- you missed something in Matt51s post, Kia is a low cost producer, meaning when they give you discounts and rebates, they still make money.
Since Canadians don’t get same ten year warranty as our neighbors to the South, I’ll say what the phone makers name says – NOKIA !
Just one question:
“Thanks to a well-sorted suspension …”
“The Forte’s suspension tuning needs some, perhaps any, refinement.
Which is it? Is the suspension well-sorted or in need of refinement?
@ pariah — What it sounds like is that the suspension’s relatively sporty handling has come at the expense of the ability to deal adroitly with bumps in the road. Which has been a frequent problem with both Korean and American cars, especially small ones…you get either cloud-mobile or constant jitters and jiggles.
In absolute terms, that tends to be the problem with MacPherson strut/torsion beam layouts. You can make them handle well, but at the expense of making them awfully stiff. Realistically, it comes down to how well the springs and particularly the damping are tuned, and how well matched they are each other and to the tires. For example, adding stiffer, stickier tires or stiffer springs to a car with relatively soft suspension will often lead to irritatingly jiggly ride quality — you get shorter, higher-frequency wheel movements, which the soggy shocks are ill-equipped to damp effectively.
Kia has never been particularly good at suspension tuning; the last Spectra was an abomination, and the ’sport suspension’ made it worse. They need to hire Lotus to re-tune the suspension. Proton and Isuzu both found that Lotus could do wonders with unpromising components through proper selection of shocks, springs, and bushing stiffness.
Oh come on Matt all cars on the road today are poo. It really goes by what colour and smell you prefer. I just like to open my front door take a big wiff and smell North American crap. From what I see on the side of the 401 (Highway of Heros)here in Ontario they all break down. And you must admit the offshore cars cost a bit more to repair or if they get into a small crash they are writeoffs.
@psarhjinian:
Excellent response. The Forte base MSRP is $13695, so the value comparisons should start from there. $19k is pretty-well loaded up with bloat.
I’ve only sat in the Forte; I’d really like to drive one. At this point I’d strongly consider getting one someday.
So this car is almost as much as a new Optima, rides far worse, is smaller, has a less sophisticated interior, and is bland in about four languages?
I don’t get Kia’s strategy here. My intuition tells me this will be no killer app against the Civics, Mazda3s, VW Golfs/Jettas or even Corollas (or even Elantras/Spectras?) of this world.
Oh wait, the Forte has that cool commercial with the rock band playing and that talks about the music “technology” this car oozes.
Okay, okay. It should be a smashing success among the brainless 16 to 19 year old demographic.
Depreciation on this car is going to be a mofo.
An impressive review that gave me a good idea of how it feels to drive the car.
“But the Kia’s overall shape could have been penned by a European Ford stylist; it reminds me strongly of the Ford Mondeo and VW Jetta.”
You’re pretty close. Peter Schreyer, a German who designed various Audis, styled the Forte. Bauhaus is his shtick.
s.cummings -
I have no problem with people who want to buy North American. Just looks like the Koreans are going to being kicking some North American and Japanese ass.
@puppyknuckles :
The name of the band is “Suicidal Tendencies” – plural.
…and the name of their 1988 album pretty much sums up the condition of a large portion of the car industry.
Very good album, BTW.
Mondeo.. has those georgous swept back headlights, dual chrome grill and awesome maw. Its also a good size larger C/ D v B/C. The Mondeo is also available in (I believe) the sedan, a hatch and or a wagon. It also could be in competition against in-house competition Taurus / Fusion.
Jetta at least has some nicely styled lines… and a decent, more finished interior. Plus it comes in about 2 variations (sedan / wagon) with its frame being the whore that it is.. underpinning a huge variation of vehicles.
But this..
From the 3/4 view.. it screams G6. The front pass window as it dips into the side mirror.. is SCREAMING G6. Not to mention the cheap shit plastic caps on the tires, that matches the black frame and molding of the doors..
And the front.. is screaming CIVIC.
I’m sure Peter Schreyer had intentions of styling it fantastically.. but I dont see it.
Take the stylist who did the 500 from VW.. with the Passat, that I can see.
This..
Civic.
“Kia Soul is another winner. I would select the Soul with the smaller engine, base vehicle with stick, air and stability control is around 14K. Then they will add a few thousand in rebates later this year. No one else can match this deal. Korean cars are now world champs in value. Sorry Toyonda, your days in the sun are past.”
Yea, but what about the several hundred dollars it cost to replace the timing belt at 60,000 miles?
The Soul doesn’t have the world engine that has a timing chain, and Kia says the belt must be replaced at 60,000 and it isn’t covered under warranty. Gosh ,that kind of takes away some of the bargain it seems to me. I’m sure if Ford had that on their engine that wouldn’t have slipped by you Matt.
Durwood,
I change my own belts. Not only that, timing chains should be changed occasionally too. No, it did not slip by me. I would by a Soul or a Forte over any Honda or Toyota – better value for my money. I am not going to buy a Focus. I did buy a Mustang.
MATT51…
Your “best value for the money” is domestic. Ya CANT BUY a car cheaper than that..
And the H and T would have some residual value in 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs.. and some reputation after 15yrs.
And need I remind you..
That while every Accord Ive ever had has had to have a belt job at 100k… its always been about 4-500. But then again.. whats why people dump the cars.. cause “its not worth putting in 4-500 for a belt job” thats why some people buy the cars at that point.. that price shouldn’t be a obstacle for getting a solid car.
Also..
There is a huge difference (in my opinion) against the Mazda 3 and the Forte. Mazda is sportier.. and with a hatch. Forte.. is just a cheap 4dr.
P.S.
And just for kicks..
What grade pleather are ya getting in the Mazda v the Kia?