![]() ![]() It doesn’t have the spark that makes those cars feel special, even in their least expensive versions. The ride can get choppy like those stiffly tuned cars, but the Forte doesn’t have their eager steering or planted feel. What the Forte lacks is the sophisticated chassis tuning of a Mazda 3 or Ford Focus. The Sport mode does help the somewhat wandery rack keep a straighter track down interstates. Steering weight is driver-selectable, but doesn’t really affect its quickness. Straight-line performance is unremarkable, but the Forte handles decently. Deliberate and slow, it does all it can to boost the Forte’s fuel economy ratings. The automatic transmission is tuned to soften shifts, not to crack them off quickly. Still, neither offers the output or the excitement of a Civic or a Focus. In either form the Forte has performance that reminds us of the better ‘90s economy cars, fairly rev-happy and with lower noise and vibration than we’ve observed in small cars with bigger engines. The optional 4-cylinder is a new design, with direct injection and power output of 164 hp and 151 lb-ft. It replaced an older 4-cylinder in the 2017 model year, and pairs with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. The standard inline-4 has 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. Kia sells the Forte with either a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, or a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. The overall look is tasteful, simple, and just a bit upscale. The gauges sit in a hooded binnacle, and sturdy, round climate-control knobs punctuate the dash. A bank of controls emerges from the Forte’s smooth dash, wearing nicely grained plastics and light touches of metallic trim. The Forte’s cabin has a straightforward layout, with some details that look more organized and more neatly detailed than in rivals. Kia used to sell a two-door Forte Koup, but it was scuttled after the 2016 model year. It's a good-looking, well-proportioned small sedan or hatchback. The sports-car-like rake of the front and rear ends caps the design. That roofline arc still is graceful, and the band of grille and headlights makes a distinctive visual statement. We still think it’s among the better-looking economy cars. They’re not as distinctive now as they were when the shape was new in 2014 they’re quite close, in fact, to the Forte’s cousin, the Hyundai Elantra. The arched profile, lightly sculpted sides, and long roofline remained intact. Last year’s update brought new headlights and a more shapely front end to the Forte. Small-item and trunk space are great, and the Forte goes to some effort to present high-quality plastic trim and to reduce road noise. Four adults can fit, no problem, but head room suffers thanks to a low roof and where it’s ordered, the thick-mounted sunroof. There’s ample space inside the 2018 Forte, but passengers deserve better than its short, low-set seats. If you’re stuck on a manual, can we show you something in a Ford Focus or Mazda 3? A 6-speed manual transmission can be fitted, but given the Forte’s straightforward economy-car handling, we’d stick with the 6-speed automatic. Acceleration is smooth but predictably, relentlessly average. Base inline-4 models have better fuel economy than the higher-output versions with direct injection. Performance is run of the mill with either of the Forte’s 4-cylinder engines. The Forte’s interior feels simpler and more straightforward than those of Kia’s larger vehicles it’s a sporty look, with a clean layout, effective infotainment systems, displays that have a hooded array of analog gauges and just a hint of sport-sedan style. The hatchback’s stubby rear end has more drama, for sure. With its last redesign, the Forte gained a little bit of width and length, but not height and that works especially well in the handsome, elongated roofline and profile of the sedan. ( Read more about how we rate cars this year.) Sold in Forte LX, Forte S, and Forte EX trims for the sedan and LX, EX, and SX trims in the hatchback, we give the lineup a 6.5 out of 10. The Forte nevertheless gives compact-car shoppers a good choice, if it’s top safety ratings and easy to use infotainment they seek. The Forte trades on its roomy interior, good fuel economy, but cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla have a longer history and name recognition with economy shoppers. The 2018 Kia Forte is a compact sedan or hatchback that competes with heavy-hitters of the industry. ![]()
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