2019 Kia Forte

2019 Kia Forte video

2019 Kia Forte | First Drive

[MUSIC PLAYING] MARK TAKAHASHI: Not everyone can afford a Maybach, or even a Mustang. That's where the compact class of sedans and hatchbacks come in. Behind me here is the all-new, fully redesigned 2019 Kia Forte. And it's a great place to start. [MUSIC PLAYING] This time around, the Forte is slightly bigger overall. And as you can see, it takes a lot of [INAUDIBLE] cues from the evocative Kia Stinger. And that's a good thing. It looks sharp, sharper than you'd expect for the compact class of sedans. The question is, how does it stack up against the rest of the competition? We'll get to that in a bit. In the meantime, do us a favor and hit Subscribe below. [MUSIC PLAYING] In the compact sedan class, you sort of have to temper your expectations. But the Forte exceeds expectations in a number of ways. I wasn't all that jazzed about 147-horsepower continuously variable transmission. Those CVTs tend to suck the life out of any car. But the Kia's CVT does a really good job of being more responsive and quicker to accelerate right off the line. It doesn't have that sluggishness or rubber band feel that other CVTs have. And when you're going to pass slower traffic, it does a good job of dropping down into a lower ratio, much like an automatic transmission would, where it just drops you into a lower gear by about two or three. So you get that good punch when you need it. And that's pretty unique in the class, or unique for CVTs in general, actually. The ride quality, it's a little stiff, but not objectionable. In return for that stiffness, it handles pretty well. Not quite as well as the Mazda 3, but far better than most drivers will ever need. One thing counting against it is the rear torsion-beam suspension. And that tends to be a little nervous over mid-corner bumps. That is the case with the Forte, but again, not to objectionable levels. There is a noticeable amount of wind and road noise, though. But again, I'm driving with the radio off. And this has the premium Harman/Kardon system. Just turn it up a little. It should drown it out just fine. In the class, the Forte competes against kind of entry-level sedans. So Corolla from Toyota, Honda Civic, Mazda 3. Those are kind of my picks in the class. Not so much the Corolla, but I really like the Mazda 3. And this, well, it seems to offer quite a bit more than the Mazda, especially when it comes to advanced safety features. This comes standard with forward collision warning, blind spot monitors, and all the latest modern cars have. One thing I like about it, though, is I'm not getting a lot of false alarms. And the Lane Keep Assist on this top trim is actually really good. Comparing prices between the Civic and the Mazda 3 to the Forte, the Forte has a slight advantage just because it has a lot more features. For the base-model Forte, prices start right around 18.5, 18.6. That's manual transmission, lowest trim level. Probably not going to be a lot of people taking that. For another 1,000 or so, you get the CVT. This is the Launch edition EX. This is the EX with all the options. So all the advanced safety features, different colored wheels, sunroof, navigation. It goes on and on and on. It's just over $26,000, though. That's a bit much for this class. But the regular EX, right around $23,000. And that makes a lot more sense, because you get a lot for that, as well. And you have the option to add stuff. But you probably won't need the navigation because it comes standard with Apple Car Play, as long as you have a cell signal, obviously. And the voice recognition is still probably the best out there, in any car. Not only does the Forte draw on some of the Stinger's exterior styling, but also on the interior. It's got the wide dash, just like that, as well as these racy-looking round vents. Materials quality is really good for the class. Everything that you touch has nice, good, soft cushioning to it. So your elbows are well-padded. And elsewhere, when it is plastic, is grained really well. There's really not a whole lot of hard plastic in here to kind of take you out of the fantasy of driving a nicer car. One thing I really did like as soon as I sat down, though, was the amount of travel the steering wheel has. Now, that's quite a bit, so that means that taller drivers aren't going to have to sacrifice their driving position. You have a ton of features here, as well. The infotainment has a standard eight-inch screen. It's sharp, it's responsive, it's quick. And you have a good amount of physical buttons here, which means you won't have to dig through menus just to get some simple operations done. Also standard is dual-zone automatic climate control. That's unusual for the class as a standard feature, even on the base model. On this top trim, you also get ventilated and heated seats, which makes it really comfortable on a hot, muggy day like today. On this top trim, you also get a wireless charging pad, as well as a USB port right under it, and another one right under your center armrest. Despite being a compact sedan, the Forte doesn't skimp on rear seat space. I'm five foot 10, sitting behind the driver's seat, which is set for me. And I have plenty of leg room and knee room. And my hair's just barely brushing the headliner. That means the average adult will be just fine back here. Materials quality, as you'd expect, isn't quite as nice. A little more hard plastic. But if I didn't tap that, I wouldn't have known. I also have a nice center armrest here. I'd be comfortable back here for a road trip. Not a single complaint. And I also have vents right here for climate control. So, well done, Kia. [MUSIC PLAYING] After spending a lot of time with this Forte, I can say it gives the class-leading Mazda 3 and Honda Civic a run for the money. Honestly, I would take it over the Civic. The Mazda, in my view, is still the best driving in the class. But for a lot of people, it's not that important. What is important is stretching their dollar. And the Forte does that. It delivers a lot. A lot of advanced safety features, a lot of infotainment, a lot of just quality overall. For more information on the Forte, as well as its competition, head on over to edmunds.com. If you want to see more videos like this, hit Subscribe. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Edmunds Senior Writer Mark Takahashi took a spin in the all-new 2019 Kia Forte, the latest entrant in the affordable compact sedan class. The Forte faces some tough competitors in the class, but it rises to meet the challenge with praiseworthy driving dynamics and a value-packed list of standard features. Mark covers everything that shoppers need to know in his drive between Pennsylvania to Ohio and back.