Kia Forte SX Sedan Review

The stylish Forte, introduced in 2010, is a very competent compact sedan. For 2011 an all-new 5-door hatchback was added. For 2012 it is pretty much carry-over with a few minor changes.
The Forte’s entry price is low and the standard amenity list is long. The exterior might be categorized as a Euro-look. I found the interior on my SX sedan test car to be very handsome and comfortable. Response from the 2.4L 4-cylinder was more than adequate for Chicagoland city streets and highway on-ramps as well as cruising the expressway City dwellers will like its practical size, excellent visibility and tight turning radius. The 5-door is even better suited to city life with it being shorter than the sedan.

Since its debut in Summer 2009, the Forte compact sedan has racked up an impressive list of accolades, including being named a 2010 "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), named to MSN Autos "Top 10 Cars Under $15,000" list, and named a "Consumers' Top Rated Vehicle" and "Top Recommended Vehicle" by Edmunds.com. Cars.com placed the 2011 Kia Forte 5-door on their recent list of the "Top 10 Urban Cars." Both the sedan and 5-door offer numerous standard comfort and convenience features depending on trim level, including power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry and hands-free Bluetooth wireless technology connectivity. Added flexibility comes with the 5-door hatchback’s 19.4 cubic foot cargo area. The sedan offers 14.7 cubic feet of cargo room.
Available in LX, EX and SX trim levels for the Forte sedan and EX and SX versions for the Forte 5-door, pricing for the sedan starts at $14,995 for the base trim, while pricing for the hatchback begins at $16,895. Both the sedan and 5-door offer standard convenience features including air conditioning, SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service, MP3 connectivity and Bluetooth wireless technology and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.