Kia, Test Drives

Test Drive: 2010 Kia Forte EX sedan

January 11, 2010

2010 Kia Forte EX. Click image to enlarge

Inside, the Forte is well put-together, but there is an almost complete lack of soft-touch materials, which makes the interior feel cheap. The only surface that gets any padding at all is the centre console armrest, and even it could barely be considered soft. That said, there are other cars in this class, some more expensive, that can be accused of the same thing.

The front seats are comfortable, save for the weird way the upper part of the seatback hits your shoulder blades and tends to force you to lean forward further than you might like. Noticeable as it is, it didn’t bother me much, but it annoyed my wife and caused CarTalkCanada Editor James Bergeron’s back to actively hurt.

The front seats are positioned quite high in the car, which is great for visibility, but taller drivers will wish for more downward adjustment. At the least, the EX can be had without the sunroof that was in my tester, which eats up an inch or two of precious headroom. Typical of compacts, the rear seat is roomy for two, but tight for three.

The EX model (as well as the top-end SX) gets single-setting front-seat heaters as standard. Another welcome touch is the windshield wiper de-icer, an electronic defroster at the base of the glass that keeps snow and ice from building up where the wipers park. This is a great idea that more automakers should make available in Canada.

The 415-litre trunk is generous for the compact class (its volume is the same as the trunk in the much-larger 2010 Subaru Legacy sedan), and the rear seat folds almost flat to reveal a decent-sized opening to the passenger compartment.

The climate controls are big and chunky, and the radio’s only knock are the too-small volume and tuning knobs, though this is offset by the redundant steering wheel-mounted stereo controls. The Forte’s gauges are among my favourites in the class: they’re big and simple, easily legible and use nice, bright backlighting.

2010 Kia Forte EX. Click image to enlarge

The mid-level EX model (which will most likely be the most popular Forte trim) is very well-equipped, with the aforementioned heated seats and wiper de-icer, plus air conditioning, exterior mirrors with integrated turn signal repeaters, keyless entry, six-speaker stereo with auxiliary input, cruise control, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, 16-inch alloy wheels and stability/traction control, for $17,995. The four-speed automatic transmission adds $1,200, the sunroof $800, and my tester’s Electric Blue paint added $150 (any colour other than black or white incurs this “colour” charge). Including freight and A/C tax, my tester priced out at $21,850.

The base Forte LX, at $15,695, gets 15-inch steel wheels and wheel covers, heated exterior mirrors, body-colour door handles, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, USB and auxiliary inputs for the stereo, Bluetooth connectivity, power windows and locks, tilt (but not telescoping) steering wheel and active front head restraints.

At the other end of the spectrum, the $20,995 SX sedan gets 17-inch wheels, automatic climate control, sport-tuned suspension, fog lamps, power sunroof, “Supervision” instruments, satellite radio, trip computer, leather seats and steering wheel, metal-look dash inserts and alloy sport pedals.

For all that’s good about the Forte and its generally solid feel, it isn’t quite as sophisticated as class benchmarks like the Mazda3 and Corolla. In the past, if you bought a Kia, you’d probably get what you paid for; some of the Forte’s competitors are still better cars overall, but now you have to look a lot harder to find this Kia’s flaws.

Pricing: 2010 Kia Forte EX sedan

Base price: $17,995

Options: $2,150 (Power sunroof, $800; automatic transmission, $1,200; Electric Blue paint, $150)

A/C tax: $100

Freight: $1,455

Price as tested: $21,850
Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives

Specifications

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Kia Forte

Competitors

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Ford Focus

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Honda Civic