Kia's Forte is bigger and better with distinctive styling
Many people should like the changes, for the most part
The Kia Forte was redesigned for the 2014 model year with a completely new look and larger dimensions. Kia is continuing its goal to truly separate itself from Hyundai by being considered the "sportier" of the two Korean brands. The Forte is Kia's compact car that now comes in more than just a sedan. One cannot simply ignore that even though Kia and Hyundai are separate brands, they still have basically all the same competing cars. So how does the new Forte stack up? I was not able to try the 2-door coup so I will just focus on the sedan and hatchbacks. I am also going to try to condense the review a bit as some of my more recent ones are getting too long to be considered "quick and to the point".
Let's take a look:
Different Styles:
The Kia Forte now comes in 3 different styles. A sedan, a 2-door coup, and a 5-door hatchback. I will mostly cover the sedan and hatchback in the actual review as I have not had a chance to drive the coup. There are 3 engine choices depending on which style and trim you choose. The sedan has either a 1.8L 4 cylinder or a 2.0L 4 cylinder with transmission choices of a 6 speed manual or 6 speed auto. The coup (called the "Koup") has either the 2.0L or a 1.6L 4 cylinder turbo and they have either a 6 speed manual or 6 speed auto. Finally, the hatchback has the same choices as the Koup.
Styling and Comfort Impressions:
The styling is a great improvement over the previous generation's -with larger wheel options and very aggressive angles and lights- giving the car a much sportier look. The hatchback looks surprisingly larger than the sedan even though it is technically shorter but all styles look sporty and good from all angles.
Going inside is a bit of a mixed bag. In some senses it looks cool and sporty as well, but in other aspects it feels a bit cheap. The seats look and feel great with good support, but lack a good amount of colour choices. The sides and front look good with nice sculpted parts but the front dash its self looks cheap. There is no flare or cool shape and design. Its almost like the radio and climate controls were an afterthought. They try to spice it up with some fake carbon fiber trim, but it doesn't do much. It doesn't look bad, but its a bit of a let down from the rest of the car. A nice touch,though, is the sliding center armrest. Another cool feature is that on the upper trims you can get the drivers seat heated AND cooled (a must have for black leather in the summer) andyou can also get the back seats heated.
Take a look:
One thing that I really like about the new Forte are the rear seat vents, something that is almost unheard of in this class segment. Since the car is in the compact class, it isn't uncommon for there to at least be 4 people in the car. During the middle of summer or winter these people clearly are forgotten about by most auto manufacturers and are left to sweat or freeze while the front passengers are comfortable. So good job Kia for thinking of the back seat! It also seems like it would be wide enough for 3 small adults to sit in relative comfort.
Finally we get to the overall comfort of the car and the other important bits. The seats are comfortable front and back and you have plenty of head and legroom front and back, this is a decently large car on the inside. The sound systems in them are very good with loud and deep speakers. The only downsides of the inside (besides the radio styling) is the visibility. Due to its sporty stance and angle the back is much higher than the front and all the windows are much higher. While the hatchback is a bit better than the sedan, they all could be better. The trunk space is good in both the sedan and hatchback and the seats fold mostly flat. However, the pass through for the sedan is somewhat short and both trunks have a shape in the floor that make it seem like there is a spare tire, but don't be fooled, there isn't. A huge blunder on Kia's part as they believe that their roadside assistance program and tire repair kit are an adequate replacement for a proper spare, all in the name of weight savings...
One thing that should be pointed out right away is that there is almost no reason to get the Forte with the 1.8L engine as the 2.0L is more powerful and just as fuel efficient. I have not had a chance to drive the 1.6L turbo models but as they start in the mid - $20's they aren't really a budget car, and they aren't as fuel efficient. I have tried the 1.8L and trust me, you might as well get the 2.0L. With the 2.0L the Forte is a powerful, smooth, and quiet car. The engine is quiet during idle and cruising. Only during hard acceleration does it make a noticeable amount of noise, but even then, it sounds good, somewhat sporty even. The engine has plenty of power and you are able to pull away from stop lights and pass easily on the highway. There isn't much wind or road noise but I would advise to stay away from the larger 17 inch and 18 inch wheels as the ride does get rough. The steering has 3 modes that change the feeling from comfortable (sorta squishy) normal, and sporty (more effort to turn but better response). As it is a larger compact the turning radius could be better but 3-point turns are no problem and parking isn't too bad, especially with the rear view camera.
Kia is once again stepping up to compete with their major competitor and it once again is producing a great car. Depending on your need you should find a Forte that fits your lifestyle. the 1.8L engine is a bit under-powered so you should look for the 2.0L. It looks good inside and out, it is comfortable and it offers optional features that are a nice surprise. Comparing it to its major competitors like the Ford Focus, the Hyundai Elantra, and even its younger brother, the Rio, it has its pros and cons. If I was to choose I would definitely take the Forte over the Rio and the Focus, but I personally like the look of the Elantra and the Elantra GT over the Forte, so they would get my vote, but its all about personal tastes once you get down to the top picks.
These reviews are meant to just give you ideas of which cars you can easily narrow down your top picks to. But I would say that for anyone looking to buy a new car, you absolutely need to test drive at least 5 different top picks before making your decision, as this isn't a cheap purchase.
Links:
Kia Canada
Finally we get to the overall comfort of the car and the other important bits. The seats are comfortable front and back and you have plenty of head and legroom front and back, this is a decently large car on the inside. The sound systems in them are very good with loud and deep speakers. The only downsides of the inside (besides the radio styling) is the visibility. Due to its sporty stance and angle the back is much higher than the front and all the windows are much higher. While the hatchback is a bit better than the sedan, they all could be better. The trunk space is good in both the sedan and hatchback and the seats fold mostly flat. However, the pass through for the sedan is somewhat short and both trunks have a shape in the floor that make it seem like there is a spare tire, but don't be fooled, there isn't. A huge blunder on Kia's part as they believe that their roadside assistance program and tire repair kit are an adequate replacement for a proper spare, all in the name of weight savings...
Driving Impressions:
One thing that should be pointed out right away is that there is almost no reason to get the Forte with the 1.8L engine as the 2.0L is more powerful and just as fuel efficient. I have not had a chance to drive the 1.6L turbo models but as they start in the mid - $20's they aren't really a budget car, and they aren't as fuel efficient. I have tried the 1.8L and trust me, you might as well get the 2.0L. With the 2.0L the Forte is a powerful, smooth, and quiet car. The engine is quiet during idle and cruising. Only during hard acceleration does it make a noticeable amount of noise, but even then, it sounds good, somewhat sporty even. The engine has plenty of power and you are able to pull away from stop lights and pass easily on the highway. There isn't much wind or road noise but I would advise to stay away from the larger 17 inch and 18 inch wheels as the ride does get rough. The steering has 3 modes that change the feeling from comfortable (sorta squishy) normal, and sporty (more effort to turn but better response). As it is a larger compact the turning radius could be better but 3-point turns are no problem and parking isn't too bad, especially with the rear view camera.
Overall:
Kia is once again stepping up to compete with their major competitor and it once again is producing a great car. Depending on your need you should find a Forte that fits your lifestyle. the 1.8L engine is a bit under-powered so you should look for the 2.0L. It looks good inside and out, it is comfortable and it offers optional features that are a nice surprise. Comparing it to its major competitors like the Ford Focus, the Hyundai Elantra, and even its younger brother, the Rio, it has its pros and cons. If I was to choose I would definitely take the Forte over the Rio and the Focus, but I personally like the look of the Elantra and the Elantra GT over the Forte, so they would get my vote, but its all about personal tastes once you get down to the top picks.
These reviews are meant to just give you ideas of which cars you can easily narrow down your top picks to. But I would say that for anyone looking to buy a new car, you absolutely need to test drive at least 5 different top picks before making your decision, as this isn't a cheap purchase.
Facts/ Figures:
Price ( for mid trim level): $22,000+
FWD
Max HP: 1.8L 148. (2.0L 173) 1.6L turbo 201
Max Torque lb/ft: 131, 154, 195
MPG (approx*): 24, (24), 20 city. 36, (34), 29 highway
Cargo room (approx*): 14.9 (23/( Kia wont say...) CuFt
Length: 179'' (171")
Width: 70'' (70")
Tank Size (gal): 13.2
Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 382, 316
Average used price with 60,000KM or less: $21,000+
* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic.
**No pictures featured are my own, they have been taken from Google images and their rightful owners should get any credit for them. This review featured all pictures from the manufacturer's website.Links:
Kia Canada
Enjoy!
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J.K.
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