Among enthusiasts, there is an indescribable, almost universal appeal in owning a simple, basic daily driver. It’s the kind of car that can be your closest companion as you slog through traffic trying to get to work during all four seasons, yet you won’t feel bad when you grant it a single annual scrubbing at the $5 wash-o-matic.
You wouldn’t consider that kind of treatment for that Corvette, S2000 or Mustang GT theoretically tucked away in your second garage bay – but it’s exactly what the Kia Forte expects. With a rock bottom base price and a long warranty, it’s a daily driver built for the long haul.
But unlike the hardly memorable small Kia s before (try listing its predecessors in order – we bet you can’t do it), the Forte promises a sporty driving experience designed to make you seek out a twisty road detour home instead of the point A to point B you’re used to.
What is it?
The Forte replaces the second-generation Spectra, which itself took over for the Sephia that defined early Kia jokes. Forget about its lineage, though: The Forte boasts a clean and contemporary look penned by former Audi designer Peter Schreyer and it’s even available in a particularly stylish coupe (or Koup in Kia-speak) companion.
New for 2010, the Forte comes in three flavors boasting two engines and four transmissions. For value shoppers, the base LX starts at a bit over $14,000 but comes standard with Bluetooth and a CD player with auxiliary inputs, along with either four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmissions, even though air conditioning and power windows will cost you extra. Step up to an EX like our tester and you’ll get the same 2.0-liter four cylinder along with air conditioning, power windows and locks, extra speakers and a few additional options. For hedonists – at least as hedonistic as a Kia buyer can be – the range-topping SX adds a larger 2.4-liter four-banger, an extra cog to each transmission and a handful of appearance and comfort upgrades.
What’s it up against?
The Forte undercuts all of its competition on price, especially when you figure Kia’s frequent rebates into the deal. But if you’re willing to up your offer a bit, you’ll want to look at the Honda Civic, Mazda Mazda3, Subaru Impreza, Volkswagen Jetta and Hyundai Elantra.
Any breakthroughs?
Although our Forte wasn’t so equipped, Kia offers a Fuel Economy Package for the EX that boosts both city and highway fuel economy to 27 and 36 mpg, respectively (compared to 25/34 mpg in our four-speed automatic tester). That package includes a five-speed automatic, low rolling resistance tires electric power steering and a handful of aero-friendly touches for a reasonable $600.
How does it look?
Given lead designer Schreyer’s background, it’s no surprise that the Forte boasts much of the elegant simplicity we’ve seen from Audi. From head to toe, the Forte is crisply styled and, hopefully, ushers in a new era of design language for the Korean brand. Kia hasn’t exactly been known for its design symmetry across its lineup, but the winds of change are clearly in the air.
The front fascia has an almost anony-car look to it, but that’s about the biggest criticism we can level on the Forte’s appearance. Its tightly clipped tail, with expressive but conservative red lamps and a mock-spoiler trunklid, are particularly neat, and we were really digging the complex surface tension around the rearview mirrors. Those mirrors boast upscale turn signal repeaters, a nice touch in a cheap car.
Our tester rode on optional 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in low-buck Hancook tires; step up to the SX if 17-inch factory rubber is a priority.
And on the inside?
A large dashboard center stack wrapped in silver-painted plastic dominates dashboard and contains a bespoke audio system with a nice red-on-maroon color scheme for the large display. Sirius Satellite Radio and Bluetooth come standard and both work as advertised. The audio system itself pumps out nice, tight bass and, to our ears, sounded better than many extra-cost systems in cars costing double or triple what the Forte runs.
Clear gauges housed in Mazda -like hoods are front and center above a tilt-only steering wheel (step up to the SX for telescoping, you cheapskate!). That wheel is supposedly wrapped in leather, but the material felt more like rough vinyl to us. At least the four-spoke job houses convenient controls for the audio and cruise control systems.
We recently tested a Mazda CX-9 swathed in the finest leather trim we’ve seen this side of a Bentley ; the Forte sits on the opposite side of the spectrum by apparently using elusive vinyl-hide cows. But for just $1,000, the optional Leather Package at least makes the seats easy to keep clean and includes butt warmers – and since you can almost buy two Fortes for the price of a CX-9 (itself reasonably priced), we will quit complaining.
Like most modern economy cars, the Forte looks better than it feels inside – but it’s not a bad place to whittle away the miles. Kia has taken particular effort to select attractive-appearing plastics with upscale-appearing grains and finishes. A tap on the dashboard or door panels reveals hard plastics, but the overall look is sufficiently sporty and very well organized.
And it sure is comfortable. The seats lack adjustable lumbar, but we never struggled to get situated in the six-way driver’s seat. Climb in the back and you’ll find adjustable headrests, a drop-down armrest with cup holders and plenty of leg room in the mostly flat floor. For your least favorite passenger, or maybe your luggage, the nicely-finished trunk offers a large opening and good space.
But does it go?
Forte LX and EX models use a 2.0-liter version of Kia’s Theta II inline four-cylinder engine. Cranking out 156 horsepower (at 6,200 rpm) and 144 lb-ft. of torque (at 4,300) rpm, our automatic transmission Forte EX proved an adequate companion thanks to its low 2,740 lb. curb weight.
The 2.0 doesn’t pump out much power low in the rev range and things start to get a little boomy above 3,500 rpm, meaning the Forte doesn’t have a suitably refined sweet spot for regular use. We’ve driven 2.0 Fortes with the standard manual transmission, where it’s easier to keep the revs peaking around a comfortable 3,000 rpm for in town driving, so most of the fault lies with the automatic. That said, the four-speed might be down a cog compared to its latest rivals, but it does provide quick shifts and offers a manual-style gate for pretending you’re a race car driver in a Kia.
Our recommendation is to step up to the 2.4-liter, which is just as boomy up high but has more low-end torque, negating the need to access high rpms in normal use.
That growly powertrain doesn’t stop the Forte from being a blast to drive. While the ultra-fast steering takes a little getting used to, the Forte’s chassis exhibits the kind of balanced control not seen in many entry-level luxury cars, let alone in affordable sedans. Forte rides firmly but smothers small bumps and feels well controlled over larger swells. Unlike many economy cars, it is confidence-inspiring on both the highway and on a curvy back road.
A solid structure aids its handling prowess, although we noticed more squeaks and rattles in the trim than we should see – likely a byproduct of our car’s early build date and many miles with abusive auto writers behind the wheel.
We saw fuel economy that pretty much matched the EPA’s estimates of 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, figures that are par for the class. We have not sampled a Fuel Economy Package Forte for an extended drive, but we’ll do our best to get our hands on one soon.
Why you would buy it:
You’re looking for a basic point A to point B commuter car that has a lot more soul than the average appliance, but you don’t want to shell out a lot of cash.
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Why you wouldn’t:
You’re on Corolla number six and you can’t be bothered to find out that you can get a better car in every way for less money if you visit the Kia showroom.
Leftlane’s bottom line
The Forte is unquestionably the first Kia that we would consider adding to our permanent fleet here at Leftlane. A thrill-inducing machine it is not, but its painless competence combined with a surprisingly sporty nature and a rock bottom base price earned it a tremendous amount of respect during our evaluation.
Kia has made a well priced, fun-to-drive, high quality car worth coveting. That’s high praise for any car, let alone one costing less than $20,000.
2010 Kia Forte EX base price, $16,795. As tested, $19,290.
EX Leather Package, $1,000; EX Power Sunroof Package, $800; Destination, $695.
Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.
