2010 Kia Forte Review

The 2010 Kia Forte is an extensive makeover. The vehicle is newly redesigned to better compete in the compact car class alongside some stellar offerings such as the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. Though the Kia Forte still doesn't quite match up with those vehicles, its lower price makes it a very competitive vehicle in its segment.

The all new Forte offers numerous improvements over previous versions of the car. The 2010 Kia Forte replaces the outgoing, outdated Kia Spectra and offers a lot for its comparatively low price. It may not match up with the best vehicles in its class, but improvements over the old Spectra are sure to please many buyers on a budget.

The 2010 Kia Forte offers responsive handling, strong fuel economy, a good interior layout, and ample interior space for its compact size. Standard features are plenty for its class. The Kia Forte comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, abs, fold down rear seats and many additional features.

Starting with price which is always a plus for Kia models, the 2010 Forte comes in at a base of $13,695. Top level Forte's start at a base price of just $17,695. For the low price, the Forte is hard to beat. The base engine is a 156 hp 2.0 liter 4 cylinder while the uprated engine is a 2.4 liter, 173 hp 4 cylinder. Both engines offer strong fuel economy of around 28 mpg in real world driving. The Forte is available with your choice of a 4 or 5 speed automatic transmission, and a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission dependent upon trim level and engine choice. The Forte is offered in 3 trim levels including LX, EX, and SX.

Moving on to the interior, the Forte offers ample room for four people. The interior is spartan in appearance lacking many luxury options, but those options are not expected at this price. The interior is well laid out, but lacks some refined details and fit and finish is below average.

The shortcoming of the 2010 Kia Forte are quite limited. For example, the Forte's ride could use some polishing as its often full of harsh impacts from irregular road surfaces. The engine noise is prevalent due to lack of sound deadening material. Additionally, the interior is not quite up to par in terms of materials or fit and finish.

In the end, the Forte falls a little short of best in class. However, the vehicle competes well in the compact sedan segment and gets the job done for less than most. As basic transportation, the base 2010 Kia Forte is hard to fault. It offers all of the amenities expected in this price class, strong fuel economy, and a decent driving experience for as little as $13,695.