I was really excited to drive the new Forte. I personally think the exterior styling is great, probably near best in class. The styling is somewhat understated, but I like how they were able to maintain a sleek and modern appearance despite that. They weren’t impulsively trying too hard to make this car look whimsical or interesting. I spent some time behind the wheel of the old Forte, and I was really curious how the new Forte compared to the old one. I also wanted to test out the new CVT, as I’ve heard very positive things about it ever since this car made its debut. How does the new Forte drive? Below are some of my impressions.
Getting into the new Forte, this car feels notably smaller compared to the last generation, which is pretty refreshing considering that most new cars tend to grow in size compared to their previous models. The last generation Forte had a pretty long dashboard, thick A pillars, and the windshield extended pretty far out from your driving position, which made the car feel somewhat bloated. This new Forte has a short dashboard, the windshield is nice and close, the A pillars are thin, and the front hood slopes down nicely. You just have really good sight lines all around. The Forte feels small when you get it out on the road, the dimensions are super easy to get used to, and this car doesn’t feel nearly as bloated in its proportions as the Civic, Impreza, or the Mazda 3. The Forte reminds me of the MK6 Jetta in its general aura and dimensions.
When you first start driving the Forte, mostly everything feels similar to the last generation. I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t do any serious retuning of the steering dynamics or the throttle response. The CVT is really the only thing that feels notably different, as well as the general dimensions of the vehicle. I also think the ride and the handling have been slightly improved, but for the most part, the Kia Forte still feels like a Kia Forte.
The steering feels a little bit lighter compared to the last generation, but if you’ve ever driven a Hyundai Elantra, Kia Optima, or the last generation Forte, the steering in the new 2019 Forte will feel very familiar. It does have a fairly playful response, and the steering is light enough to feel maneuverable but heavy enough to feel secure. It’s definitely not as mushy or clumsy as the last generation, either. The Forte is a very easy car to kind of toss around on your everyday commute. However, I still think the Forte is missing that premium feel that you would get in a Civic, Impreza, or a Mazda 3. Despite the steering feeling refined and quick to respond at initial turn in, it still feels unmistakably Kia. It’s just a little bit hollow and “raw” in its feel, and there’s not much communication with the road. The steering gives you a better image of where the front tires are pointing compared to most compact cars, and it does feel decently zippy and precise, but the Forte’s steering doesn’t really have the “charm” of a more expensive car, if that makes sense. I think other cars like the Mazda 3 and the Honda Civic just have more solidity, along with a more premium on-center feel.
The engine in the new Forte is essentially a carryover from the previous one. 2.0 liter 4 cylinder making 147 horsepower and 132 lb. ft. of torque. These are the same power figures from the last generation. Again, I’m disappointed that they didn’t do anything to improve the horsepower. They slightly retuned the engine for improved efficiency, but overall, nothing really changed. The 2019 Forte makes almost the same power as a Honda Civic from over 10 years ago, and if you’ve ever driven the last generation, the engine will feel the same in terms of noise and general power delivery. If acceleration is your thing, I would probably look elsewhere.
The Forte doesn’t necessarily feel “slow”, though. This car actually gets up to speed decently well for what it is. The Forte hits 60 in just over 8 seconds, which is slightly below average for the segment, but I think this car feels decently peppy despite that. The engine gives you pretty good torque right off idle, and the power band is smooth and linear. It does have that typical grainy engine note that you associate with Hyundai and Kia products, and it is a little loud in the cabin, but this engine will feel fine to most compact car buyers. You do need to rev it out occasionally, but the engine feels refined and consistent when you hit those higher revs. It’s also fairly quick to rev, and overall I think this engine feels a little more zippy and playful than you would expect it to be. It’s not fast, but this engine carries some additional engagement and rawness that several modern compact cars don’t quite have anymore. The Civic and the Mazda 3 have quicker and more refined engines, but if you’re looking for something more simplistic and predictable while still feeling decently playful and quick-revving, the Forte’s 2.0 engine will perform fine.
I was really curious to test out the CVT in the new Forte. It’s Kia’s first attempt at a CVT, and I have to say that it’s a very impressive powertrain. Hands down, the Forte’s CVT is amongst the best CVTs in the business. I think the only other CVT that can beat it is the new Corolla with its launch gear. I really wasn’t expecting to be impressed by a Kia-designed CVT, but I have to say that it feels better than the CVT from the Honda Civic. Shocking, right? While the Civic’s CVT is very good, it still carries that mushy feeling when starting off from a dead stop or when you put your foot down upon exiting a corner. However, the Forte’s CVT takes off just like a regular automatic. When I first put my foot down, I thought “wait a minute..didn’t they put a CVT in these things?” because of how natural it felt. Unless you were to floor it from a dead stop, you really don’t feel any mushiness or delay. That rubber band effect that plagued CVTs for so long doesn’t come out at all in this car. It does occasionally feel like a CVT, as the engine occasionally has a sense of droning and free-revving, but it’s all muted down to respectable levels. I noted about two or three artificial shifts, but they feel very natural. This CVT still performs like a regular CVT most of the time, which is something I prefer. It doesn’t mimic 7 or 8 artificial ratios like some of the other ones on the market, but when it does mimic shifts, they feel more mechanical and not quite as slippery or “fake” as some of the other CVTs out there.
I also like how this transmission keeps the engine in the meat of its power band, and how it has the predictability of a traditional automatic. The engine still revs quickly as if it was mated to a stepped transmission, and it’s far better than the 6-speed from the old Forte, which would take forever to respond and constantly hunt for gears. The Forte’s CVT feels surprisingly natural and intuitive, and it’s quick to drop a ratio and give you some passing power. It really maximizes the torque curve from that 2.0 4 cylinder engine, and the Forte gets up and goes really well thanks to the programming and shift logic of this CVT. Overall, the new transmission definitely helps this car feel considerably faster and more “eager” to get up and go compared to the last generation.
I never thought that the old Forte was necessarily a bad handling car. The Forte always felt a little lighter and more playful compared to some of the bigger and heavier offerings in the segment. However, I think the new Forte has definitely been retuned to give you some additional refinement and stability around corners. The new Forte feels a little bit lighter, there isn’t as much body lean, and the chassis feels more rigid and secure. As I mentioned above, it still drives like a Forte, but it’s just more settled than the last generation. The old one was somewhat bouncy in the suspension, and things like weight shift and wheel hop would come out just a little too much when hitting some harder corners. The new one feels more settled on just about any road surface you’re likely to encounter, the body doesn’t lean all that much, and there isn’t as much flex or wheel hop from the suspension. I was pretty impressed with how well the new Forte tackles corners, as it feels about on-par with the sportier handling compact cars.
While the Forte feels class competitive in the suspension tuning, I do think that the Civic and the Mazda 3 will still overshadow the Forte. This car doesn’t have the same level of grip or “muscle” hiding underneath the chassis. The tires will squeal on you if you’re going a little too fast, and the Forte just feels like it will lose itself more easily compared to the more sportier handling options. The level of athleticism you’d find in a Civic or a Mazda 3 simply isn’t there in the Forte. The chassis in the Forte feels rigid and flat for the most part, but the actual limitations are still set lower compared to the Civic and the Mazda. So, while the Forte is still an agile and playful car for what it is, I still wouldn’t say that it’s the handling king of the segment.
Ride quality in the Forte is really good. As I mentioned above, the chassis feels settled and sure-footed, and the suspension does a really good job at isolating you from bumps and potholes. The Forte never feels jittery or clumsy, it just glides down the road with a calming and relaxing ride. I think the ride quality is slightly better than the Civic and the Mazda 3, and definitely better than cars like the Sentra, Cruze, and the last generation Corolla. Overall, I was impressed with how plush and settled the suspension in this car felt, and the fact that the Forte still retains competitive handling despite that. I think they put a little more focus in ride quality than handling abilities, but the Forte still feels pretty impressive all around.
Road noise is on the quieter end of the class, but I still think the noise levels are about normal for the segment. You don’t hear a whole lot of tire, road, or wind noise, and the cabin feels peaceful for the most part. It’s definitely not as quiet as a German luxury car, but I think the Forte definitely has less noise, vibration, and harshness than the Civic and the Mazda 3.
As for the general response, the Forte will feel strikingly similar to the last generation. I do think the throttle response feels more linear and predictable compared to the old Forte, though. It has a stiff resistance to it, and there is some dead travel at the beginning of the pedal, but the response builds up in a linear and predictable fashion. It’s pretty easy to control where you want your RPMs to be at and predict how the car is going to accelerate when you step on it. It’s not quite as immediate as a Mazda 3, but the smoothness and responsiveness when requesting passing power is definitely there.
Brakes are somewhat hollow. The pedal feels typical of a Hyundai/Kia product, with a lighter resistance in the brake pedal and somewhat of a spongy braking characteristic. The stopping power is very smooth though, and the brakes feel powerful and predictable for everyday driving. I just wish there was more of a “bite” to them. You also get some very slight chattering from the brake pedal occasionally, which makes me question if that will become more prominent as the car ages.
Interior quality is nice, but it didn’t really “wow” me. I liked the large infotainment screen, the silver accents on the shifter, and the smaller steering wheel. However, I think there’s still just a little too much hard plastic. I also feel like Kia has been using the same general font and layout in the infotainment for too long now. Other car companies like Honda, Mazda, Toyota, and Subaru are pretty good at updating their infotainment systems, but Kia’s infotainment just looks a little dated in my eyes. The touch response is good though, and the infotainment is easy to navigate. I also appreciate having physical volume and tuning knobs in the dash that are well within reach.
The instrument cluster in the Forte looks dated in my eyes as well. There isn’t much digitization in the gauges or the status screen in the middle. I suppose it isn’t a big deal if you prefer just simple gauges that are easy to read, but regardless, this is something that seems to plague several new Hyundai and Kia models. While they seem to be pretty good at updating their interiors and adding new features, their instrument clusters never really have any changes or details put into them. It’s like they have a giant parts bin full of old gauge clusters from the late 2000s that they still haven’t used. The new Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade seem to have the same problem as well.
Overall, the new Forte is a good, honest compact car. It has competitive handling, the chassis feels light and agile, and the new CVT has amazing performance for what it is. The infotainment is easy to use, the visibility is excellent, and the Forte generally encourages you to toss it around corners while still maintaining good levels of refinement and composure. However, I still wasn’t really “sold” on it. All the updates that were made to this car are very subtle, and I could tell that they didn’t want to rock the boat with any extreme changes. The engine is the same, the infotainment is mostly the same, and the overall feel of the car and how it drives is still very familiar. The interior space feels a little cheap despite having some nice metal finishes splashed here and there as well. If you’re used to driving a Civic, Mazda 3, or a Subaru Impreza, the Forte will feel pretty competitive, but not quite as exciting to drive, as comfortable to sit in, or as solid out on the road. If you own a last generation Forte, I think the new 2019 Forte is a decent step up, but I’d also encourage you to test drive some of the other offerings before making a decision.