2010 Kia Forte EX

When I heard that I was getting a Kia Forte to review my first thought once again turned to how manufacturers come up with names for cars. But that aside I was anxious to check out the new sedan because Kia has been making some pretty nice cost, effective vehicles lately so my curiosity was piqued to get behind the wheel of this all-new model.

Calling the Forte sporty is a bit of a stretch as this is pure an simple an economy sedan, albeit with some new design cues like a trapezoidal mesh grille, new swept-back headlights and a higher beltline, all of which are in vogue today. The Forte is a bit bigger than the Spectra it’s replacing, with a greater emphasis on styling and there’s no doubt that it’s a much better looking car than the Spectra.

One of Kia’s strengths in the market is the warranty offered. The base warranty is 5 years and 60,000 miles which is nearly double most manufacturers’ time table and the powertrain warranty is 10 years and 100,000 miles. Warranties are a very strong selling point especially in this market where people most likely keep their cars over 3 years.

The Forte also comes with some pretty nice safety features including include dual-stage front airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, ABS, four-wheel disc brakes, traction control, electronic stability control and tire-pressure monitoring system along with the LATCH tethering system for the kiddos. Also included is 3 months of SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Bluetooth Hand-free connectivity and USB + Aux inputs and six-way power driver’s seat. Extras in the $1800.00 EX package that my tester came with included leather seat trim, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated front seats, a power sun-roof and 16-inch wheels. Not bad for a total price of $19,290 including $695 in destination charges.

Inside the Forte there is plenty of room and its relatively nice with large easy to read gauges and ergonomics that are well laid out and easy to understand and use. The seats are comfortable enough for running around town but I’m not sure I’d like to spend 5 or 6 hours at a stretch behind the wheel, they’re not quite that comfy.

The week I spent with the Kia Forte, while not scintillating it was pleasant enough and certainly easy on the wallet. It came very close to matching its EPA rating of 25/34 and as I’m always quick to point out, my driving style doesn’t exactly squeeze the most mileage from a vehicle but I did average over 25mpg during the week, with most of my driving in town. Handling is solid and I certainly wouldn’t expect anything more then solid from this segment of the market which is pretty competitive with some relatively strong newcomers to the genre.

The usual suspects include the Civic, Nissan’s Sentra, and Mazda’s 3 series which are all good cars, but now you have to add the Chevy Cobalt, and the Ford Focus as strong contenders so we’ll have to wait and see if Kia is able to make a dent in the segment. That said, if you’re looking for a great, inexpensive little grocery getter for under $20,000, you should take a Kia Forte out for a spin. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

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