2010 Kia Forte Buying Tips and Reviews
2010 Kia Forte Buying Tips and Reviews
The 2010 Kia Forte is a strong contender in every way—a surprisingly good-looking, enjoyable-to-drive car that will hold the budget down.
Overview of 2010 Kia Forte
The 2010 Forte is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in 3 trims and MSRP as following:
- LX — $13,695
- EX — $15,995
- SX — $17,495
Upon introduction, the LX is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 156-horsepower engine that achieves 25-mpg in the city and 34-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The SX is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 173-horsepower engine that achieves 22-mpg in the city and 32-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional.
The 2010 Forte is all-new for 2010.
Index of 2010 Kia Forte Expert Reviews
- thecarconnection—STYLING:The 2010 Kia Forte has a simple, attractive exterior that looks good from every angle; inside the Forte is attractive but not charismatic;PERFORMANCE :The Forte doesn’t handle with the verve of some other cars in its class, but it keeps up with the pack in every other way;QUALITY :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;SAFETY:We don’t know about crash tests yet, but the Forte offers a host of safety features, many of which are optional in rival models;FEATURES:You won’t pay a bundle to get the most desirable features. In fact, some of the most desirable ones like Bluetooth are standard.
- Edmunds—”Unlike the bargain-bin Spectra that it replaces, the new 2010 Kia Forte is good enough to compete against perennial segment stars from Honda, Mazda and Toyota. Pros:Attractive exterior design, good fuel economy, excellent handling in SX trim, affordable, long warranty, standard Bluetooth. Cons:Four-speed automatic’s overly wide gear spacing, tepid handling except for SX.”
- cnet reviews—”The good: Standard Bluetooth phone integration on the 2010 Kia Forte SX allows voice command calling by name. Standard iPod integration includes full library browsing. The bad:The bottom line: Although not much of a tech car except for a couple of important features, the 2010 Kia Forte SX provides economical and practical transportation.”
- Leftlane—”Like their Hyundai partners, Kia has the competition looking over their shoulders with good products at great prices. Add in the hefty Kia warranty and you have a great combination…just stick with the automatic transmission. Not quite the standout Kia would like it to be, the Forte is nonetheless leaps and bounds above its pedestrian predecessor and offers 95 percent of the refinement of the class leaders at 75 percent of the price.”
- auto123—”In all though, Forte looks to have the value-priced sporty-sedan thing pretty much nailed. Include it on your list of test-drive candidates if a well equipped, nicely priced and sporty sedan is in your sights. Forte is hitting dealer lots now.”
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Buying Tips:
Go for the EX Fuel Economy Package because you’ll end up with a better-driving car, thanks to the electric power steering (which we don’t always like, but it’s better here) and the five-speed automatic. Plus, you’ll save 1 or 2 mpg.
Competitors Box
* Toyota Corolla
* Mazda Mazda3
* Hyundai Elantra
* Chevrolet Cobalt
* Ford Focus
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Comment by
Nichole on 19 December 2009:
Pros
Great look and accessories. Comfortable to drive.
Cons
This car doesn’t drive well! It chugs between gears – even though it is an automatic.
Purchased As New
I have put 2500 miles on this car and I love the comfort and the look of the car as well as all the added extras but it drives terrible! It has no get up and go and it chugs and sputters between gears. I feel it drag especially driving in the city. I was extremely happy the first 50 miles or so but I am not a satisfied driver!
[Reply]
August 10th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Noticed the same chugging as you. Did you ever take it back to the dealer?
[Reply]
Comment by
Donovan on 19 December 2009:
Pros
Sporty lots of features
Cons
Ride may be too rough for some
Purchased As New
I love this car and disagree with most critics on their reviews. Everything else in the class seems lack luster. I was dead set on a Mazda 3 and had test drove em many times. I couldn’t get the price I wanted and went just for kicks to look at the Kia. Well more horsepower more responsiveness more comfort and a warranty that can’t be touched and a far better price tag was a no brainer. Critics yell Corolla or Civic, Come on Bo-o-oring Same body style forever and far less horsepower. You can continue to feed the monsters who would have you pay over $20,000 now for a compact car. Or slide right under and have a car you can drive for at least ten years cause the warranty covers it that long. The interior speaks to the sports enthusiast but is pratical enough to say I don’t need a gas guzzler to get around town. What more do you want a good car or a name brand your choice….read more
[Reply]
Comment by
kenneth on 19 December 2009:
Pros
price,huge trunk,looks,fuel economy
Cons
small rear window,no bottom end
Purchased As New
This car is an excellent value. Kia has made this gen Cerato (Forte) the best yet. The only problems i found were the rear window is too small. Don’t get any of the rear spoilers even the little one will cut your view in half. The 4spd auto has no real power till about 3500 rpm. And you’ll notice the interior fit is not just right here and there. On the plus side this is one sporty looking car that handles well, Great on gas, Lots of room particularly the trunk (more than my Lincoln LS). I’ve owned it for two weeks now and put 2,600 miles on it so far no mechanical problems.I love this car. It’s the best vehicle i own, my favorite i own, and the best decision i made. The Kia Cerato (Forte) is the best value on the market in it’s class. A definite buy. You will be happy with your purchase.
[Reply]