Kia Forte Best New Compact Sedan: Luxury Became Affordable
“I want to see ya in a Kia”
If you live in or around the Lansing area, you are quite familiar with that phrase!
But you don’t have to live in the area to understand the jest of this catchy slogan. Vehicles made by Kia Motors America have become increasingly popular in the last decade. With the many benefits and perks that comes with owning a Kia, it’s easy to under why.
……but I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Recently, I had the opportunity to test drive the 2014 Kia Forte Ex in exchange for my honest review about this vehicle.
Now, I’ll be the first to tell anyone that I am not a “car” person. I’ve always gravitated towards owning a Van, Truck or SUV.
Being 5’11, smaller cars always left me looking for more space. So I’ll be honest to say that I was hesitant about
driving a “little car” for a week and wanting more space.
So here’s my week in review with the 2014 Kia Forte Ex.
What do you think was the first thing that immediately caught my eye when my Kia Forte Ex showed up at my house?
The color!
How did they know blue was my favorite shade of happiness? Brownie points right off the bat.
Of course I didn’t waste any time and pretty much jumped right in.
I drove the Forte in and around the Lansing area and the ride was really nice and comfy.
Plus, it handled just as good traveling I-496, traversing up and down I-127 North and South as it did
on the city streets.
Also, there is nothing I like better than cranking up the music when I am driving alone and the
Forte’s AM/FM/CD/MP3/SiriusXM Audio System with 4 Tweeter Speakers performed just fine.
(Yes I listen to a little rap from time to time).
So far, so good.
And, since I am a self proclaimed gadget girl the Forte gave me so much a tech head would covet in a car.
Right away I really loved having the ability to sync my iPhone with the Forte and make hands
free phone calls, as well as listen to my music via the iCloud. (a great safety perk!)
Also, no need to bring along a Garmin or TomTom this baby comes with a state of the art
Navigation System with HD Radio™ Technology.
Everything about the console and digital display is bright and easy to read.
Another cool feature that I totally loved is when you put the transmission into reverse the Rear Camera Display
will show a live image of what’s behind your vehicle. (another great safety perk!)
For added convenience, a vehicle footprint that shows bumper width is superimposed in the display.
How cool is that?
___________________________________________________________________
My Family of 5
After running a few errands it was time for me to pick my kids up from school.
When they saw Mommy’s new ride for the week they went a little bonkers, needless to say they were happy.
Saying things, like, “Cool”, “I love it, ”and the most used phrase, “Can we keep it? All the sentiments my
own inner child joyfully enthused.
As a wife and mother of three young boys I loved the roominess of the four door Forte sedan.
My eleven year old twins, who are all leggy and gangly never complained once about being cramped
or uncomfortable in the back seat.
But what about an adult size person you may ask?
I got into the back seat too, just to see, and feel, if it could accommodate a 5’11” woman like myself,
and I was pleasantly pleased.
There was enough legroom to stretch out and relax, and enjoy a trip to just about anywhere.
And remember I mentioned that I wasn’t sure if I would be able to fit into a “small car” comfortably?
Well, I’ll be the first to say that this is no “small car”. This car offered comfortable room for my family of 5.
I had enough leg room to stretch out. I also was able to adjust my seat to my own settings, instead of adjusting to a
standard-there-is-only-one-button-lever option.
Other benefits and perks of driving this 2014 Kia Forte Ex:
- The heated seats
- Steering Wheels mounted controls
- Welcome lights: Perimeter Approach Lightning and Door Handle Pocket lights that lit up when I came close to the car
- Sunroof (although the weather did not permit for me to “test” that part out 😉 )
- Did I mention the heated seats? Perfect for our cold winter blast.
- Hands free: I was able to manager my music, directions, phone contacts just talking to the car
- Additional Airbags (front and side)
- 24 hours service provided with your Kia
Our family spent a week with the Forte and we enjoyed it. The twins loved all the room, my eight
year Zayd’n loved the stereo, and my husband loved the Forte’s sportiness and handling.
Zayd’n told me that this car has”guts.” He said that because not one time did we get stuck in the snow.
So yes, for those that are wondering if this type of car will survive a Winter in Michigan with mounds of heaping snow
and trying to constantly dig you and your car out of snow banks, it plowed right through every snow pile in my
driveway and street.
Heading out shopping didn’t leave me worried about not having enough storage space. This trunk can hold quite a bit
of shopping bags and coupon binders 😉
It is affordable?
And I, being perhaps the only practical one, loved it’s fuel efficiency, and at 24 City mpg( I noticed I was able to get up to
about 28 mpg during the week I was driving the Kia Forte Ex), 36 Highway what’s not to love?
This is an affordable car with a lot of bells and whistles, and it does everything our family
needed it to do and more.
This Kia Forte Ex gave me the feeling of luxury, but the price tag is affordable.
Another BIG plus that I just have to take time out to mention is Kia’s 10 year or 100,000 mile warranty.
This is a HUGE perk. I’ve had plenty experiences of transmission blowouts, stranded on the side of the road, and
constantly pumping money into a dying vehicle.
Kia’s Forte (or any Kia vehicle) gives you that peace of mind. How long do you think it will take you to get to 100,000
miles?
A long time!
Which means you are covered for all of the major issues (transmission, engine, etc).
You do have to pay for the regular wear and tear: tires, brakes, etc.
However the big stuff, the unexpected car expenses is where owning a vehicle can make or break you.
And fortunately, Kia understand this- therefore giving each owner 100,000 or 10 year warranty with every vehicle.
(Be sure to check out the full 411 on the warranty or talk to the dealership).
I honestly didn’t want to say goodbye to my 2014 Kia Forte. My eight year (Zaydn) wanted me to buy it right on the
spot. We had fun zipping around town, blasting our music, feeling the luxury of heated seats, telling the car what to
do (which was better than dealing with Siri), and saving on gas!
When I put together the price of gas and how much one can SAVE at the pump, along with a FULL warranty that
has you covered, and the price tag on this Kia Forte-– I give this a thumbs up on being a trendy, luxury, but
affordable car.
Price tag starts out at $15,900. When I purchased my GM Truck several years ago I paid around 12,000 and didn’t get
a brand new vehicle with all of these bells and whistles on them!
And did you know that Kia will give you $25 bucks for just test driving a Kia?
Yes!
Be sure to read my post here about how to sign up to test drive a Kia and receive a $25 gift card.
Whether you’re a family of 5, a student of one, a couple, new parents, first car, or just looking for a new vehicle I
highly recommend that you check out the Kia Forte.
You just may be surprised by all the bells and whistles this sedan offers, while maintaining the affordability for any
budget without sacrificing comfort and safety.
And just in case… you don’t want to take my word for it: Cars.com named the 2014 Kia Forte the best NEW
compact sedan. So be sure to check out their review as well!
In the market for a new car? Have you test drove a Kia Forte before? Own a Kia Forte and want to comment?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear what you have to say about my review!
That is a really cute car. I am more of an SUV kind of girl, but I would definitely look to see what kind of SUV’s Kia had to offer!
kia always adds SO many bells and whistles to their vehicles!! and they have a great body too
I haven’t test driven or owned a Kia Forte, but I do own a Kia Sorento and looked strongly at the Forte before my purchase! Kia has come along way over the years and I’m pleased to be a Kia owner! The Forte really is a sweet ride that offers a lot of bang for your buck!
Being from the suburbs of Chicago, I’m a little hesitant in driving around in a car with all that snow and ice without 4-wheel drive. I currently live in NC and hate that my Volvo is out of commission esp. with all of the weather that we’ve had this winter. But if the gas mileage is good, it might be a good trade off.
I love the rear display camera! I have always wanted a car with one of those.
I adore my 2011 Kia Forte hatchback! I wish mine had a back up camera! I also adore the 10 year, 100k warranty!!
That is a great looking car! We have a Camry, but I can be swayed!
Mitch
Nice car! I think all car brands have its advantages and disadvantages. I like cars more than SUVs or trucks because it is more cost-effective when it comes to fuel. Thanks for this honest review. I am sure that Kia Forte is worth the try. 🙂
I have an old Kia Sedona that I adore. It is a reliable car that has served our family well.
I am definitely a SUV person. But my mom would love this car; so cute! And great warranty!
That navigation system looks so awesome! I really need my next car to have some of these awesome features. I love that blue color too!
My father in law has one of these and absolutely loves it! They are such an affordable choice!
I love that it has a rear camera. I would really love that in my car!
It looks great to me, and blue is definitely a gorgeous color for that car! That’s awesome that they pay for a test drive, I think that means they have faith in their cars to make the sale. 🙂
How fun that you got to test drive, woot and (3) cheers for Kia!! 🙂
I am a big fan of Kia vehicles! They are always so sleek and easy to drive. I recently drove the Sorento and really want one now.
I’m totally looking for a new vehicle, but something much larger for my kids and car seats!
Great car. Has a lot of great looking features. Like the back up cam!
Wow, that really is a gorgeous car! I have new car fever!
I want a car with a back-up camera so much. I love all the detailed pictures in your post!
That price tag is super reasonable for all its bells and whistles. This might make a nice car for my son!
OH this is a beauty. I love it. Kia has come out with some fab vehicle choices, I swear. Now if they have one that seats seven I am happy .. that’s five kids and two adults…
I’ve been in love with Kia vehicles for quite awhile. I don’t own one, but I sure would like to. I love all the features of the Forte. I prefer a larger SUV but it’s obvious that this car has tons of room! Even with your family of 5! I think my favorite thing about it would have to be the rear camera. I think it’s an awesome safety feature to have!
Oh, I NEED that rear view display! As much as I love that little Kia (I looked at getting one recently!), the rural Kansas roads would kill it in less than a couple of years. I had to get a truck instead. :/ But how I adored that little car on my test drive!
Kia’s are really cute cars! I will be buying a new car at the end of the year, and while I don’t think I’ll get a car, their SUV’s are definitely on the test drive list!
We LOVE the Kia Forte. I had such a hard time parting with mine. SO many awesome features and an affordable price.
Rear camera and heated seats are wonderful things to have! I have an older car so I don’t have those things but would love them when we get our next one!
Kia’s have come such a long way! They look so sleek and fancy, now!
The color of that car is stunning! I’d love to test drive a Kia!
That’s such a pretty color! I love heated seats. My van doesn’t have them but my husband’s car does.
I’ve always heard Kias are fantastic. It may be our next car because there so economical. Also, I so love heated seats. I have them in my current vehicle and LOVE them.
Is it bad that I have never even heard of a Kia Forte? I think it’s cool that Kia offers $25 just to test one out. It’s a great way to raise consumer awareness on their product.
How lucky! I would love to review a car! This one looks great. I’ve toyed around with the idea of getting a Kia. They’re really good for a great price!
I’ve never been a huge Kia fan, but hubby likes all the extras that they offer. This color is great! It definitely doesn’t look roomy enough for my girls and their carseats but we love our minivan, too bad they don’t make those, we may be willing to try that out, maybe. 🙂
That reminds me of my sonata! I love the color!
So cute! I love the color too. I don’t think it would fit both our carseats though.
What a cute car. I love the backup camera.
Wow! Lots of great features and great that it’s affordable for families, too! I have a good friend who is in the market for a new car. I’m going to tell her to check the Kia Forte out!