2011 Kia Forte

The Kia Forte, a mid-size sedan, is designed to offer a little bit of styling to a daily rider and that seems to be working as consumers want some looks in their average performance utility vehicle. For budget-constrained buyers, a six-speed manual is offered and with some extra bucks, a six-speed automatic is also there. Forte sedan directly competes with the experienced players namely Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla, and Ford Focus.

The Kia Forte is available in three trims- the LX, EX, and SX. It has a 2.0-liter inline-four gas that is a standard powerhouse in both LX and EX, while SX is powered by a more convincing 2.4-liter inline-four gas engine. SX also gets a sport-tuned suspension system but there is one that all trims share and that is the standard six-speed manual transmission. And for a smooth drive, an old tall geared four-speed automatic is replaced with an optional six-speed automatic transmission.

We recommend

We suggest buying the topmost SX trim with the optional 6-speed automatic priced at $18,895. This SX trim is the all-in-one combo of good performance with a powerful engine, comfortable front & rear seats, and nicely wrapped leather steering wheel & gear knob. It also handles better than the lower trims of Forte. SX 6-speed manual would not be a bad choice and those who like to throw gears will love it.

The 2011 Kia Forte sedan is offered by a Korean automaker in two different engine options, a 2.0 Liter inline-4 gas engine that puts down 156 horsepower and 144 pound-feet, and the other option is 2.4-liter inline-4 gas. This 2.4-liter engine generates a total of 173 horsepower with 163 pound-feet of max pulling capacity. Both the engines are mated with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard which shifts smoothly.

On the consumers’ demand, Kia has replaced the 4-speed automatic of Forte sedan with a new optional 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission and in the SX trim, it gets the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel for a more sporty feel. Forte sedan completes the quarter-mile distance within 17.1 and achieves the 0 to 60 mph in 9.2 sec 

Kia has the most powerful engine amongst its rivals and even delivers 144 pound-feet of low-end torque but still, it’s in second place as Ford takes first place in the 0 to 60 acceleration test. The 2.0-liter engine of Kia surely feels slightly slower in the competition. Kia and Hyundai both feature a 6-speed manual, while Ford & Toyota get a 5-speed manual that makes Kia and Hyundai a better option for high-speed cruising.

Everyone expects a best-in-class fuel economy from a mid-sized sedan car as these are typical family cars that are bought to achieve daily mundane tasks. Kia doesn’t fail in terms of fuel efficiency with its 2.0-liter gas engine and 5-speed manual transmission combination, it’s able to claim the fuel economy of approx 26 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the straight highways, and 29 mpg under combined conditions.

The Hyundai Elantra is the most efficient car in the segment, it averages 32 mpg in the combined conditions. While the Forte and Corolla somehow average 29 mpg which isn’t a bad figure and ford is just behind these two just by one mpg. The Forte features the biggest 13.7 gallons of fuel tank capacity beating all the rivals. When it comes to the tank-to-tank range Kia is just a couple of miles behind the Hyundai.

The Kia Forte lies in the budget segment and while having a price tag of $14,995, it just has an aesthetically boring dashboard. The build and material quality of the interior are on the same level as of its rivals. With a seating capacity of five people, the front seats have an ample amount of space and also feel comfortable on long drives, while with restricted legroom the rear seats do feel a little bit cramped up but at least it folds in a 60/40 split manner. Forte has a clean dual-tone dashboard that includes easy-to-read gauges and the cabin feels driver-centric.

All four sedans cater an equal amount of seating capacity while Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra have almost alike front row dimensions, whereas Toyota & Ford are just a little low in the front row space. The rear row dimensions of all three Kia, Toyota, and Hyundai are on the same page. In the cargo capacity, it does not matter if it is the Kia or Hyundai you want, as they have 14.7 and 14.8 cu-ft of cargo capacity respectively, and Toyota with the least 12.3 cu-ft cargo space seems to disappoint us. Some Interior Features of the Kia forte are:

• Cruise controls
• Front door pockets
• Front seatback storage
• Front and rear cupholders
• Front reading light
• Dual illuminated vanity mirror
• Rear floor mats
• Single zone front AC
• Remote keyless power door locks
• Fabric upholstery

Infotainment system

The base trim Forte LX comes integrated with some basic entertainment-related features such as a four-speaker audio system, CD/MP3 player with Bluetooth connectivity, Sirius satellite radio, and USB/auxiliary audio input jack. However, the base trim misses out on some important things like the navigation system, a touch display, and a rearview camera. Let’s take a look at all the infotainment features that come in both lower as well as upper trims:

• 6-Speaker sound system (on upper trim)
• AM/FM radio
• CD player
• MP3 player
• USB and Aux audio input
• Sirius Satellite Radio
• Steering mounted controls (on upper trim)
• Auxiliary power outlet

The styling of the Kia forte looks a bit basic, it has more of a refined exterior just like its interior. It’s designed to be used as a daily driver and to achieve mundane tasks and that makes it the perfect car for a family. But its old-school headlight shape and small front grille might bother someone who likes a more studious and sporty look like the Ford Focus or one who prefers stylish front end like Elantra, while the Toyota is vibing on its own with a great classic appeal. 

Kia is just behind the heaviest car Toyota Corolla by 9 pounds and Corolla is also the longest with the shortest wheelbase in the competition. The length and width of the Forte and Elantra are evenly matched but the Forte is an inch taller and the Elantra with the biggest wheelbase of 106.3 inches tops the spec sheet. Traveling over some rough patches of the road won’t be a problem for Kia Forte as the ground clearance is the highest. Some exterior features of the Kia forte are:

• Front & rear all-season tyres
• 15-inch steel wheels
• Wheel locks 
• Wheel covers
• Intermittent wipers
• Foglamps
• Auto-off headlights

Last year the Kia Forte (sedan) achieved five out of five stars in the frontal impact test for both driver and passenger while in the side impact test it earned five stars for driver and four stars for passenger safety. And just like 2010, the new Kia Forte has also received four out of five stars in NHTSA crash tests, while IIHS awarded it “Good” in all safety tests. Besides all the safety ratings the base trim of the 2011 Forte sedan is equipped with:

• All four-wheel disk brakes
• Antilock braking system
• Electronic brakeforce distribution
• Brake assist
• Turn signal mirrors
• Child seat anchors
• Child safety lock
• Electronic stability control
• Traction control
• Emergency trunk release
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Variable speed intermittent wipers
• Power door locks
• vehicle anti-theft system (optional)

The Kia Forte is a simple-looking budget-friendly car that offers great fuel economy. With ample cargo space, it also has the best in class safety features keeping in mind that it is a sedan. It is definitely recommended to those who want a decent daily driver with average engine performance, can handle the noisy cabin, and doesn’t make a hole in their pocket, then the Kia Forte is the one.