Cars

Kia Forte
Tested version:
Kia Forte
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Base MSRP price range:
$15,400 - $19,800
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Car Type: Small cars (Automatic transmission)
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Kia Forte Overview

The Forte is a competitive small car but lacks refinement. Handling is responsive but the ride is stiff. The base engine is a 156-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that delivers just average acceleration and is quite loud when revved. Expect 28 mpg overall on the sedan and 26 mpg overall for the hatchback, both with the base engine and six-speed automatic. The cabin has a good view out, simple controls, and decent rear seat space. The coupe version, called Koup, handles well and with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder it is quicker than the sedan, but the manual transmission is imprecise. A redesign based on the Hyundai Elantra is imminent.

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Kia Blog Content
First drive video: 2014 Kia Forte brings much to the small-car competition
The Kia Forte was introduced in 2010 and gets a full redesign for 2014. That's one of the shortest product cycles we've seen, giving you an idea of how competitive the small car market is. We drove two early-build 2014...
CES 2013: Hyundai, Kia add Google search to their navigation
Hyundai and sister carmaker Kia both announced partnerships with Google at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week that will bring Internet search functions on the road. The new arrangement will bring the search engine's mighty voice-activated point-of-interest (POI) and...
New IIHS crash tests finds some family cars outperform luxury models
Proving paying more doesn't automatically equate to safer, some midsized cars do better than luxury models in the new frontal offset crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Of the 18 sedans tested in the latest...
EPA finds Hyundai exaggerated fuel economy claims, refunds coming to customers
Hyundai and Kia today announced that the companies are revising their fuel economy estimates downward after the EPA spot-checked several models and found that the results did not live up to Hyundai's and Kia's claims. The affected Hyundai models include...
Kia Sportage SX gains power, gives up ride comfort
Automakers are turning to smaller displacement, turbocharged engines to produce decent power without sacrificing fuel economy. Kia has followed suit with its Sportage SX, succeeding in delivering these goals. Compared to the naturally-aspirated, 176-hp, four-cylinder model, this force-fed turbo Sportage...