First Drive: 2010 Kia Forte

Kia Forte / Reviews / First Drive: 2010 Kia Forte

The Forte is technically the successor to the Spectra, but it is really so much more than that. This time, Kia decided to leave the help of the rocked-out Soul hamsters behind and instead concentrate on product, not marketing – though we do like the hamsters. The main competitors in the segment include the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda Mazda3 and when you add in the secondary targets of the Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cobalt, it shows why anyone would need to strike hard when attempting to show up as a seriously dominant player that sells on more than just low prices.

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Manual transaxle
Manual transaxle operation The manual transaxle has 5 forward gears. This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized in all forward gears so shifting to e ...

Handling: Capable but Not Quite There
As noted in our prior drives of the SX sedan, the Forte’s chassis isn’t tuned for serenity. The hatchback’s MacPherson-strut front and torsion-beam rear suspension, combined with 17-inch whe ...

Overloading
CAUTION - Vehicle weight The gross axle weight rating (GAWR) and the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) for your vehicle are on the manufacturer's label attached to the driver's door. Exceeding ...