Everyone's Forte: The new Kia Forte proves to be a solid choice

In the hyper competitive compact-car market, the Honda Civic is the prohibitive favorite these days, but Kia offers a formidable, and more affordable, rival in the Forte.

Starting for a solid $3,000 less than the leaders of the pack, the Civic and Mazda3, the Forte is an attractively styled, well-crafted, comfortable and road-worthy choice. The Toyota Corolla, Kia Soul, Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus also run with the leaders in this niche.

The Forte wins hearts several ways: It offers some of the most up-to-date technology for both entertainment and safety, is roomy inside, features quality materials inside and out, has above-average fit-and-finish, and has earned a reputation for reliability.

New for 2017 is a base 2.0-liter engine, that replaces a 1.8-L inline 4-cylinder. The new Atkinson cycle power plant makes 147 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 132 lb-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. That's plenty to move the Forte into and through freeway traffic, even on today's Texas Interstates, which resemble a NASCAR event weaving through an endless line of trucks.

On a jaunt over to Dallas, with the cruise control locked on at 80, our tester averaged nearly 32 mpg. The EPA estimates the 2017 Forte will achieve 29 mpg in town, 38 on the highway. That's good for the class. Independent testing puts the Forte at 0-to-60 in 8.7 seconds with a top speed of 122 mpg, just fine for a compact car.

We found the car to be pleasantly responsive. When it was time to dart through an opening between 18-wheelers, the car accelerated quickly, smoothly and quietly. 

Handling isn't as zoom-zoom as the Mazda3, or even the VW GTI, but steering was firm and linear. Independent braking tests put the Forte among the class leaders.

Standard are a host of tech features, like Bluetooth, Sirius, andUVO35 telematics, which is displayed on a 7-inch touch screen display and includes a suite of core smartphone functions via Android Auto and Apple CarPlayTM . Both platforms allow drivers to conveniently use the touchscreen for smartphone functions like sending text messages, streaming music, and looking up driving directions. As an added bonus, Kia's engineers made them easy to learn to operate.

Depending on trim, the Forte also comes with Kia's latest navigation system and Drive Mode System, which allows the driver to change the driving experience based on their preference: Normal, Eco, or Sport. 

Our tester came with Kia's reasonably priced advanced driver assistance systems—Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection, and Rear-Cross Traffic Alert3. (Standard lecture: Don't you dare buy a new car without these features. They save lives).

Forte comes in three body styles—sedan, hatchback and Koup—and each of those come in three trim levels, LX, EX and SX.

Base price is $15,590, and you can get a very well equipped Forte for around $21,000. For around $25,000, you can even  toss in a $4,500 Premium Technology Package, which gets you a power sunroof, the UVO infotainment system, voice-command navigation, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather seats, heated front and rear seats, and a heated steering wheel.

All Fortes come standard with antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. A rearview camera is optional on the LX and standard on the other trims. 

Earlier Forte models lagged in safety protection, but those issues appear addressed with the 2017 model, which earned five out of five stars in government crash tests, with four stars in front-impact protection and five in overall-side impact protection.

Bottom Line: There are many fine choices in the compact car market, but if you can't get the trade-in you want, or the payment you need, the Kia Forte is a smart choice.

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Popularity Meets Affordability: Reasons to Buy a Kia

As a vehicle brand, Kia has been gaining popularity for the past several years. And the company’s recent Super Bowl ad will likely help them sell even more of their budget-friendly cars. According to Kelly Blue Book (KBB.com), consumer searches for the brand on their site increased by 110% right after the Big Game. And Edmunds acknowledged a 203% spike in Kia searches.

While it is true that Kia had a rocky start in the U.S., consumers now understand that buying a Korean car doesn’t indicate that they are settling for something cheap and subpar. Instead, they are most likely getting more for their money. And isn’t that the goal of every savvy shopper?

Getting More for Less with Your Next Car Purchase

The Super Bowl 50 Kia commercial featuring Christopher Walken and his “Walken Closet” served to promote the Kia Optima, a midsize sedan that could count as a luxury car at the right trim level. When you choose the Optima, you can get such amenities as a genuine Napa interior, heated rear seats, automatic high-beam assistance and ventilated front seats. Granted, you may pay $30,000+ on the high end, but a similar Audi would probably cost twice as much.

And who says that you have to buy a brand new Kia? You can skip the giant depreciation hit and pick up a used Kia Optima for a very affordable price. Typically, it is easy to find a 2014-2015 Optima for under $20,000 or a 2013 version for less than $15,000. If you want to save even more money, check out the previously owned Kia Forte and Kia Rio options available. You may be able to purchase an excellent example for less than $12,000.

The Formidable Kia Warranty

When you buy a new Kia, you get all of the benefits attached to “America’s Best Warranty.” When it was rolled out in 1998, the now legendary Kia warranty was an industry first because it is good for 10 years or 100,000 miles. It covers the powertrain, includes 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper coverage, and comes with 5 years (60,000 miles) of roadside assistance, as well as 5 years of rust perforation protection. If you opt for a hybrid model, the battery is covered by a lifetime warranty.

If you are looking to purchase a used Kia, it might be wise to consider a factory certified pre-owned one. Depending on the model year you buy, there is a very good chance that a significant amount of the original warranty will still be valid and usable. Not convinced? Kia was recently awarded top honors by IntelliChoice for their CPO Program in the Best Popular Program category.

Kias are Looking Pretty Good These Days

Eventually, everyone will have to get used to the fact that the vehicles produced by Kia look as good as anything else on the road. In fact, they may even look better. Yes, Kia has won awards for value and safety, but they have also taken home accolades for design and ingenuity. There is still the chance that your neighbor will notice the LED illumination, sharp lines and high-quality interior of your new car and say, “There’s no way that’s a Kia!” And you can proudly respond with, “Why, yes. It most certainly is a Kia.”

Just don’t be surprised if they also ask you about your “Walken Closet.”

Great Financing to Match Your Great Car Deal

If you are interested in getting a great deal on a Kia, Hyundai or another affordable car brand, Auto Credit Express can help you get approved for the best available financing. Even if you have bad credit, we can match you with a local dealer who is qualified to handle your situation.

We understand that you can’t put your life on hold while you are repairing your credit. Sometimes you need a car right now. That’s why our process is fast and easy, and our goal is to get you into a vehicle as quickly as possible. So, don’t wait another minute.

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