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2010 Kia Forte Quality Review

August 20, 2009

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Rear legroom is…a little tight for those with longer legs
Edmunds

Leads its class in several categories, most notably its 14.7 cu-ft of cargo volume
Motor Trend

Interior quality rivals the better examples in this segment
Cars.com

The five-passenger Kia Forte is roomy for this class, with an exceptionally large trunk that will swallow just about anything you can think to throw in it.

Inside the passenger compartment, Kia’s 2010 Forte offers spacious accommodations for the two front passengers, although the rear seats are somewhat less comfortable. TheCarConnection.com’s editors find a generous amount of both headroom and legroom for those riding in the twin buckets up front, and Cars.com states that the “seat comfort is decent.” Unfortunately, Edmunds warns that “the telescoping steering column is only available on the SX, meaning taller drivers might have a hard time getting comfortable in the LX and EX.” TheCarConnection.com's editors observe it would more likely be the opposite, with the steering wheel too close for shorter drivers. Also, despite the abundance of headroom up front, Motor Trend cautions that “headroom can be an issue in the back seats for taller passengers.” Although the rear bench makes good use of the Kia Forte’s available interior volume, Edmunds still reports “rear legroom is nonetheless a little tight for those with longer legs.”

Not all reviews read by TheCarConnection.com skew toward the negative, however, as Cars.com recognizes the virtues of a backseat that is “accommodating for adult passengers,” with “enough space to carry your friends or go on a double date without making those riding in back ornery.”

While the overall passenger space could be termed good, the Kia 2010 Forte’s available cargo room is unequivocally great. Motor Trend reports that the Kia Forte “leads its class in several categories, most notably its 14.7 cu-ft of cargo volume, which can be expanded greatly if you fold down the 60/40 split rear seats.” Edmunds offers similar praise for the Kia Forte’s utility, declaring “trunk space…is plentiful, measuring an impressive 14.7 cubic feet.”

It’s much more common with this class to read complaints about interior quality, but once again the 2010 Kia Forte rises above the pack and earns praise from reviewers for its top-notch assembly. Motor Trend is pleasantly surprised to find that the “build quality on the pre-production examples we sampled was first rate, and the materials are on par with other offerings in the segment.” Edmunds seconds their opinion regarding the materials, claiming “materials quality is good enough to satisfy expectations in this segment.” Cars.com is slightly more optimistic, noting that the 2010 Kia Forte’s “interior quality rivals the better examples in this segment,” thanks largely to a “dashboard [that] makes use of mostly hard rather than soft-touch surfaces,” but with a “plastic [that] has nice graining and isn’t excessively shiny.” Perhaps the greatest compliment also comes from Cars.com, where reviewers proclaim “there’s really nothing to remind you that the Forte is a value choice in its class.”

One of the benefits of the 2010 Kia Forte’s solid build quality is that the vehicle is rather quiet inside, especially for an entry-level sedan. Motor Trend reports “the cabin was relatively quiet at freeway speeds, with little wind noise exhibited,” and other reviews read by TheCarConnection.com agree.

Conclusion

This is as good as it gets in such a low-priced vehicle; the 2010 Kia Forte is quiet and refined inside, and there's plenty of passenger space, plus a huge trunk.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 9 out of 10Expert Quotes:Rear legroom is…a little tight for those with longer legsEdmundsLeads its class in several categories, most notably its 14.7 cu-ft of cargo volumeMotor TrendInterior quality rivals the better examples in this segmentCars.com The five-passenger Kia Forte is roomy for this class, with an exceptionally large trunk that will swallow just about anything you can think to throw in it. Inside the passenger compartment, Kia’s 2010 Forte offers spacious accommodations for the two front passengers, although the rear seats are somewhat less comfortable. TheCarConnection.com’s editors find a generous amount of both headroom and legroom for those riding in the twin buckets up front, and Cars.com states that the “seat comfort is decent.” Unfortunately, Edmunds warns that “the telescoping steering column is only available on the SX, meaning taller drivers might have a hard time getting comfortable in the LX and EX.” TheCarConnection.com's editors observe it would more likely be the opposite, with the steering wheel too close for shorter drivers. Also, despite the abundance of headroom up front, Motor Trend cautions that “headroom can be an issue in the back seats for taller passengers.” Although the rear bench makes good use of the Kia Forte’s available interior volume, Edmunds still reports “rear legroom is nonetheless a little tight for those with longer legs.” Not all reviews read by TheCarConnection.com skew toward the negative, however, as Cars.com recognizes the virtues of a backseat that is “accommodating for adult passengers,” with “enough space to carry your friends or go on a double date without making those riding in back ornery.” While the overall passenger space could be termed good, the Kia 2010 Forte’s available cargo room is unequivocally great. Motor Trend reports that the Kia Forte “leads its class in several categories, most notably its 14.7 cu-ft of cargo volume, which can be expanded greatly if you fold down the 60/40 split rear seats.” Edmunds offers similar praise for the Kia Forte’s utility, declaring “trunk space…is plentiful, measuring an impressive 14.7 cubic feet.” It’s much more common with this class to read complaints about interior quality, but once again the 2010 Kia Forte rises above the pack and earns praise from reviewers for its top-notch assembly. Motor Trend is pleasantly surprised to find that the “build quality on the pre-production examples we sampled was first rate, and the materials are on par with other offerings in the segment.” Edmunds seconds their opinion regarding the materials, claiming “materials quality is good enough to satisfy expectations in this segment.” Cars.com is slightly more optimistic, noting that the 2010 Kia Forte’s “interior quality rivals the better examples in this segment,” thanks largely to a “dashboard [that] makes use of mostly hard rather than soft-touch surfaces,” but with a “plastic [that] has nice graining and isn’t excessively shiny.” Perhaps the greatest compliment also comes from Cars.com, where reviewers proclaim “there’s really nothing to remind you that the Forte is a value choice in its class.” One of the benefits of the 2010 Kia Forte’s solid build quality is that the vehicle is rather quiet inside, especially for an entry-level sedan. Motor Trend reports “the cabin was relatively quiet at freeway speeds, with little wind noise exhibited,” and other reviews read by TheCarConnection.com agree. ConclusionThis is as good as it gets in such a low-priced vehicle; the 2010 Kia Forte is quiet and refined inside, and there's plenty of passenger space, plus a huge trunk. 2010 KIA FORTE STYLING | [8 out of 10] Motor Trend: “Bottom line, this is one slick-looking compact” Edmunds: “Undoubtedly one of the best-looking small sedans on the market” Automobile Magazine: “Cabin is nicely appointed” The all-new Kia 2010 Forte signals that Kia is ready to ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The 2010 Kia Forte lands in a crowded field of compact sedans, though it holds its own thanks to its ride and refinement, which are near the head of the pack, and its very generous list of standard technology and safety features. Bluetooth and steering-wheel controls with voice activation aren't standard on any of these other models, but they are on the Forte—even the base LX model. Within this group, the Corolla is the legendary leader for reliability, longevity, and all-around frugal driving, but the Corolla isn't quite as refined as the Forte. The Hyundai Elantra is another one of our top picks in this class, but the Forte strikes a simpler, more elegant, pose from the outside. The Chevy Cobalt is especially roomy and has a good ride but skimps on the features, while the styling on the Focus still isn't to everyone's liking. Among these, our favorite is the Mazda3, but admittedly it's not perfect, and in terms of features, the Forte has it beat.

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See the Kia Forte in Other Years:

2010

Comments (5 total)

  1. By Jim #1, Posted: 9/29/2009

    I've had the Forte for 3 months now and I'm very happy. I travel 54 miles per day, mostly highway and have been getting 38-40mpg consistently with the EX model. Comfortable ride with plenty of trunk space.

  2. By  KiaForteClub #2, Posted: 10/12/2009

    The car defiantly has providential. I'm on the look out of other owners. Please stop by the web page, and get a community growing for this cheap spectacular car.

  3. By  Auto chart #3, Posted: 10/21/2009

    looks more like a Honda Civic to me, with revised things here and there

  4. By  Mark Casazza #4, Posted: 11/21/2009

    After reading this and other reviews A was sceptically taking one out for a test drive. What is the real bottom line? For the money (or several thousands more) this car has the most room, most horse power, very respectable mileage, and the ride is just fine. I will agree that the throttle and clutch are different from most cars, but nothing you won't figure out in a few days. It took me 3 test drives to get there.
    I just picked up my Bright Silver SX 6-speed sedan last night and I was real impressed climbing the hills on the way home. I won't get the 38 MPG my 100HP Saturn got, but I expect to be getting 33 to 34 and having a lot more fun behind the wheel.

  5. By Vanessa #5, Posted: 11/22/2009

    I bought the forte last sunday 11/15 and i love it. I drove from from homestead to orlando on one tank of gas. GREAT gas mileage. Compared to my old izuzu amigo. I made it to orlando and still had gas to spare. Filled up my tank with 28 dollars and it was above the full line.. i absolutely love this car. Bluetooth feature is awesome, it has things to plug in ipod and the brakes are amazing. The satellite radio rocks and there is a setting that tells you when you are driving fuel efficiently. it says "ECO" of the dash board. in my opinion great car love the leg room and the back seat is comfy and the trunk space is huge!!
    only downer would be the color inside. it comes in a beige and light grey. :( not good for drivers or passengers that spill things... but there are always car seat covers that can be bought!! :)

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