2017 KIA Forte' Base Sedan-rental car

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As the title says, I have a rental car that I am driving and I'd like to do a review. When I rent a car, I try to figure out if it's a vehicle I'd buy or recommend. I also try to rent the ones that have my curiosity as a car for me/family/friends future. So, I ask for a specific/particular vehicle when I reserve the vehicle. I'll usually have several vehicles on my radar. This time, I am interested in the Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra, KIA Forte and the Forte is the one the rental car agency gave me.

In the next year or so, my daughter(2006 Mazda3/155K mile) will be looking for another vehicle. So, I'm testing now when ever I get the chance to rent vehicle while on a trip.

Let me say that this is the typical rental car trimline(33k miles) with the standard engine which is the 2.0L 147hp(not the 2.0 160hp) and 6spd auto. It also has aluminum wheels with 205-55-16 Kumho Solus TA31.

Also IMOH, this car is in need of a rental replacement as it doesn't seem to have been maintained very well. The front end alignment is out and the steering wheel is off to the left at about 2-3 min to 12 o'clock and pulls to the right. The front tire(s) are growling a bit.

The negatives:
*Loud interior(even despite the tires) as there is too much road & wind noise.
*The ride is a bit firm over broken pavement with little road absorption and a bit noisy as well and the tail tends to hop a bit over those road irregularities(std beam axle rear). I'll check the tire PSI as they all seem to have way too much air. I'll check back.
*Seat comfort is only OK and could use some more standard adjustments.
*Standard 4 speaker radio is kinda' tinny and difficult to find tone adjustments. All 4 speakers are in the front(doors/dash) nothing in the rear.
*MPG-jury is still out!

The positives:
*This 147 hp engine screws! I'm not kidding and I don't care what the PRESS reviews say about only being adequate. It's more than that! It doesn't need the more powerful/less MPG 2.0L GDI. And I can't answer for MPG yet but, I am curious!
*The 6spd auto tranny works very well with this engine and doesn't call any attention to itself except at WOT where, after letting off the accelerator pedal, the revs hang on a bit.
*View outward is decent(better than Mazda3) but, not as good as some others but not bad. If anything, the rear headrests are the culprit in the rear. Again, not bad.
*Cruises on the highway nicely and at 70+MPH to keep up with traffic. Getting there is easy
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*Rommy trunk & rear seat with center fold down armrest/2 cup holders plus 1/ea door
*MPG-jury is still out!

Just a mention:
*The steering isn't as bad as the PRESS makes it out, and this is with the alignment issue that I mentioned.
*The ECO, Normal & SPORT modes are all hard to distinguish between any of them. IDK, I'd have to play with them more than I have time for. And I'm really not sure if I notice anything or not!...sometimes, sometimes not but, it's sooooo small of a difference that I'm actually NOT SURE.

I don't think I'd buy or recommend this trim line however, other trimlines may change my opinion. The road noise alone is a deal breaker for me. I want to check it's sibling the Hyundai Elantra to compare.

I'm not really interested in the overstyled CIVIC or the loud/noisy/harsh riding Mazda 3. Looking for vehicles that are better in "everydayness"/"normalness" for the way we drive 90 something % of the time. Not vehicles that are only used(winding mountain road/hard corners) the few % of the ownership.
 
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A quick edit:
The tires are supposed to be at F:33 psi/R:33 psi and all 4 were at 38 psi @32 degs F this morning. So, I lowered them all to spec. I'll check the ride today.

This car/2.0 EFI/ Atkinson Cycle (not GDI) engine/6 spd auto is EPA'd at city:29/hiwy:38/comb:32

This trim MUST be the LX/base trim line as according to KIAs' website with some options and has std 16" wheels/tires.
 
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Thanks for the review. Have you driven the Civic? I wouldnt judge a book by its cover. Also, maybe consider driving the new corolla, and impreza? Just curious if you have driven/considered those models?
 
Yes, I have driven the Corolla(mehhh) but, not the Civic. I have sat in a new Civic and they sit lower in older Honda fashion...something I once like but, not anymore! Getting too old/back issues etc.
 
It is a nice car. Little, well, they're all getting bigger these days.
And nothing a good set of tires with the proper PSI(even tweaked for preference) and an alignment couldn't take care of.

Back seat room/comfort is decent and trunk space rivals some larger cars of just a generation ago.
 
Considering the real retail pricing of these cars, it doesn't sound bad at all.
A Forte would go OTD for several grand less than any new Civic and at least a couple of grand less than any Corolla, so a little less refinement would be acceptable.
This car also has a transaxle with actual gears for those who'd prefer to avoid CVTs.
 
Yes, I agree. I like the fact that the whole drivetrain seems simple by today's standards. Base engine in non-GDI and the automatic has actual gears. However, I am not quite sure what the Atkinson Cycle is with the exception that, it helps MPG???

The are some things that I disagree with the PRESS. The engine IS NOT underpowered nor does it sould agricultural. Actually, it sounds modern(smooth, clean & revs nicely) at WOT.

Since I lowered the tire PSI to a normal level, the ride in WAAAAY smoother and absorbs road irregularities much, much better without upsetting the rear end. That 38-40 PSI in the tires even at cold temps of 32 degs F is way too high. 33 PSI is much better.
 
So, I'll be returning the KIA Forte today and I have just a bit more to add in my review.

Yes, I now notice a slight difference in the drive modes between the ECO, NORMAL & SPORT. However, they're slight.

In typical driving the way we were using the car, ECO is a great choice. Especially in city or bumper to bumper stop & go traffic. When at a complete stop, then starting off again as traffic moves, the ECO mode allows the driver to accelerate more smoothly than in NORMAL and much better still than in SPORT. ECO mode would also be wonderful in icy conditions as it allow one to start off without spinning tires.

SPORT mode in the same situation(with my limited driving) would make the car jump off the line and I'd be on top the car in front of me and also causing my passengers upper torso to lean & lunge with every start. Considering the same throttle input.

On the hiwy, the ECO was also nice for cruising as nothing else is really needed(this 2.0L non GDI) has more than enough power and I think the PRESS is a little misleading of this engines power output(147 hp/132 lb.ft.). Should one need to overcome traffic on the hiwy while in ECO mode, just step on the accelerator pedal the there is ONLY a bit of what feels like Turbo lag however, the engine still revs to the same redline as it does in NORMAL or SPORT. All modes rev the same, sound the same and feel the same but, the throttle reaction is different. But, only different when one is paying attention.

The only time I could see myself needing SPORT mode is when planning a launch into(maybe) traffic from a dead stop. And while waiting for that particular opening arises between cars, then just step on it! Throttle response off the line is quicker in this situation than it'd be in ECO or NORMAL.

Also, driving in ECO produces some dead throttle response(that the others don't) while feathering the gas pedal. Again, it's programmed in. So for example, while driving on the hiwy in ECO mode(if not in Cruise Control), we a humans tend to slightly press/feather the gas pedal without realizing it, there is some nothing(dead spots) going on. However, like Turbo lag, press the gas pedal just that little bit further produces "all at once" power!

NORMAL mode is somewhere in between and I just stayed in ECO mode for my easy driving style in traffic type driving. I did have to pull out of a gas station in heavy traffic and while waiting, I put the car into SPORT mode. This got me into the lane that I needed quickly.

As far as buying this car, well, I'd have to drive other trimlines to see if the sound insulation changes in the higher trims. Otherwise, the car is just to under insulated for my taste. The ride did turn out to be OK with the lowering of the tire PSI however, I'd still want a bit better and I understand that the ELANTRA is better in both of these areas of ride & quiet. Maybe this will be my next review.

CB
 
They did put a lot into Elantra for 2017 redesign. No road hop. My Elantra is not noisy in general but am getting some wind noise on drivers door side after a year. May need to address with warranty. Mine came with the Nexen NPriz AH8 tires. I like them. Very smooth and quiet. Since mine is base model I have 15" steel rims. I prefer setting them to 40 instead of the recommended 36. Highway mileage is low to mid 40 with a lot of hills. With less hills around 60 mph closer to 50 at times. With mixed driving I routinely get low 30's. It may be a little lower since I am not hand calculating. I know I am not filling up very often compared to last car.

I agree with motor and transmission. I use Eco mode a lot, but for defensive driving when you need to get out of the way Sport mode ensures good response. Love the transmission. Very smooth. With Eco mode steering is light so perfect for city parking.

I can do an oil change with one hand in 15 minutes with car parked in garage level. Air and cabin filters are super easy to access. Jacking points are limited which would be my main complaint for DYI, but you can't have everything.
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One quirk of base model is the simple Fob. Too easy to press buttons or just accidently open trunk with key in your pocket. I wear cargo pants to put in a pocket that will not touch anything and have a silicone cover. This is a problem other owners reported having. But, if you get a model with the more deluxe Fob should not be a problem.

Last, if you are in a cold environment some people complain heat is not adequate or takes too long to generate adequate heat. Mine is fine, but when it was zero out heat production could have been better. With my climate 99% of the time it has been fine and I was actually impressed with heater when I bought it a year ago.
 
Something that I noticed about the Drive Modes in the Forte is that, which ever drive mode that the car is in when the engine is shut down, it stays there upon a restart. The drive mode doesn't default back to something else such as e.g., NORMAL mode. And I like that. So, each day that I got into the car, the drive mode was where I left it the day before which in my case was, ECO mode.
 
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It does that with ECO mode in the Elantra, but if you have it in SPORT mode it will be in the NORMAL mode when you restart. It also has the Triptronic feature where you can manually change gears. I discovered it one day when the engine had high RPM's since I accidentally put it in first gear in a parking lot by moving gear selector to the left. This is a great feature with snow. Allows you to keep engine RPM's up and use engine to brake. Also will allow engine to warm up faster. With Eco mode I am in a high gear with low RMP's in no time.
 
Yes, I like the Manual Shift(auto) as well. Although I don't use it often in vehicles that have it, I do like that in Manual Mode, the shifts are Down for down and UP for up instead of the opposite as in too many other vehicles.

I stated earlier that I like the power of the standard 2.0L(147hp) and don't feel as though more is needed. Also, the fact that the standard engine is a non-GDI as there are just too many horror stories of carboned up intake valves with the direct injection. And a good'ol 6spd auto. I realize that Hyundai & KIA have 7spd DCT/DSG auto as well(I hate the slipping/rolling back feel) however, in 2019 the new FORTE will sport a CVT.
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Now, I love the CVT in my '15 Altima 2.5 and it's been perfect as I am an easy driver. But, they worry me about their longevity. My neighbor has an '08 Altima 2.5 w/170K and never an issue. However, my SIL replaced 2 of them in an '08 Rogue. So, it is what it is!
 
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I would not want the CVT until I was sure it was reliable. I have a friend who traded in his Versa due to the CVT transmission needing replacement. Said it was a common issue.

I must have the same engine and agree it is plenty powerful. So quiet at idle I had to look at Tach when I first got it to make sure engine was on.

I love the folding back seats. I keep the passenger back seat down at times. Great for luggage. Today 4 bags of topsoil. This spring for hauling mulch. Easy lifting for my back.

I feel fortunate to have found a well rounded, affordable car for my needs.
 
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