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Kia Forte vs Honda Civic

44 messages,  Last post on Apr 22, 2013 at 1:34 PM

You are in the Kia Forte / Forte Koup Forum.

What is this discussion about? Kia Forte, Kia Forte Koup, Honda Civic, Coupe, Sedan

Messages Page 3 of 5

#17 of 44 kia forte or forte koup? by corisays

Dec 01, 2009 (10:45 am)

Im at a stand still in the car buying market. I really like the forte models. i test drove the ex forte koup manual... fell in love! but now im contemplating if i'd like the size of the sedan more. im 23 and hope to have the car for a long time so space may or may not be important (kids?). also, the idea of four doors seems more conveinent since i sell handmade jewlery. still, the trunk is a great feature on both models. i like the exterior of the sedan, but the look of the koup is far more attractive to me, however i question the comfortablity for passengers/cargo. also im not sure if want automatic or manual. ive only ever owned a 2 door manual, so its kind of all ive ever known. any input would be appreciated and helpful to my decision making. thank you! peace.

#18 of 44 Just a fyi to consider about the... by iluvmysephia1

Dec 03, 2009 (7:31 am)

manual-trannied Forte Koup and Forte sedan from Kia. Apparently some people are having trouble shifting through the gears, for some reason. Do your research and test drive thoroughly. Kia needs to fix the problem...if there is one, that is.

#19 of 44 Koup Sx Vrs Civic Si by kimosi

Jan 13, 2010 (9:04 pm)

While I think many of us appreciate Kia's attempt to bring something worthwhile to the table, this Koup just doesn't cut the mustard. It kind of reminds me of the story of the first successfully cloned animal; you remember ... Dolly the sheep from about nine years ago. Dolly seemed great until scientists found out that she had all kinds of health issues, cancers, and various other terminal illnesses. In the same sense, the Kia Koup is a botched clone job of the Civic Si.
 
Although the Koup has stolen basically its entire interior concept from the Si (ie; red stitched seats, identical placement of all buttons, etc.) the Kia falls very ... very flat in the execution. Interior quality is literally piss poor. Meanwhile, for Honda, the interior is arguably the Si's top feature. The Kia also boasts an interesting engine; slightly larger than the Si's 2.0 Vtec, yet ultimatly lacking the eagerness to rev like the Si. Lastly, the gearbox. Ummm ... yeah. While the Si has had a very small, yet known and addressed issue with the third gear synchro, the Kia Koup has a very large, very hideous monster inside its manual variant. This monster eats your patience for dinner, and then devours your fun factor for dessert.
 
At the end of the day, who is going to pay $20k + for a slow, chinced-out version of an Si that can be had for about $1K more? Oh, and gauranteed, the Si would hold its value way better, so it pays for itself in the end. That being said, this Koup is just a sheep following a leader. Unfortunately for Kia, this sheep is just like Dolly, riddled with terminal illnesses and destined to fail.
 
- Jimmy

#20 of 44 Si vs SX Koup by conwelpic

Jan 13, 2010 (9:34 pm)

At the end of the day, who is going to pay $20k + for a slow, chinced-out version of an Si that can be had for about $1K more?
 
that is misleading as there is $4,000 difference between a SX manual Koupe and the Honda Si base model, whether you live in the US or Canada.

#21 of 44 Re: Si vs SX Koup [conwelpic] by cz75

Jan 14, 2010 (9:01 pm)

Replying to: conwelpic (Jan 13, 2010 9:34 pm)
If I wanted a lesser Civic, I'd definitely consider the Kia, but it just isn't up to a Civic Si this time around.

#22 of 44 Re: Koup Sx Vrs Civic Si [kimosi] by targettuning

Jan 15, 2010 (10:52 am)

Replying to: kimosi (Jan 13, 2010 9:04 pm)
Your comparison between the sheep (Dolly) and the car (Kia Koup) while strange and amusing is flawed. Dolly, while dying age 6 years was not riddled with "terminal illnesses" but instead died from a form of lung cancer not uncommon in sheep (indeed several from the same flock from which the sheep from whom she was cloned also died from the same disease) especially those who lived indoors. Anyhow, I have read that while the Kia has manual transmission problems it is, I believe, related to smooth clutch take-up ( due to a touchy throttle) and ones inability to drive off smoothly from a complete stop more than actual shifting problems. Honda on the other hand has had synchro problems that requires transmission removal and disassembly to correct. So, which is better either a jerky or a tire chirping start or down-time for mechanical repair and possibly not having the problem corrected permanently,(?) something I also believe I have read on these sites.

#23 of 44 Hatchback Forte with a Civic's Suspension by fractalbuzz

Feb 22, 2010 (5:31 am)

I'm looking for a comfortable car that will last me 10 years, that will be safe and fun to drive, and that I can haggle to under $16000. I test drove several cars recently (Honda Fit, Honda Civic, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte), and the Forte, with its standard ABS brakes, stability control, and Bluetooth, blew all the other cars out of the water... except for its suspension. All the cars up to the Forte had suspensions that could drive over a large, deep pothole (which I did on the test drives) as if it were a small, smooth, bump in the road. When I drove over the same potholes in the Forte, it actually gave the car a sizable jolt. Understand that this is the "sports tuning," but I'm not planning on racing this car and would rather have the smoother ride.
 
Is there another car on the market that offers the same safety features as the Forte but has a more forgiving suspension, while still being under 20K? If it's available as a five door hatchback, that would be even better.

#24 of 44 Re: Hatchback Forte with a Civic's Suspension [fractalbuzz] by conwelpic

Feb 23, 2010 (4:01 pm)

Replying to: fractalbuzz (Feb 22, 2010 5:31 am)
Did you mention this problem to the salesman when you got back from your test drive? Seeing you liked everything else except that specific problem I would be inclined to go back and test drive another but get them to make sure the tire pressure is at the correct level. They are shipped with over 40 lbs pressure and sometimes this gets overlooked, not saying that is the problem but it could be. I haven't driven a Forte so can't comment on that aspect. (I own a Rondo)
 
There is a 5-door Forte coming out this summer.

#25 of 44 Re: Hatchback Forte with a Civic's Suspension [fractalbuzz] by chrono

Feb 24, 2010 (10:18 pm)

Replying to: fractalbuzz (Feb 22, 2010 5:31 am)
I test drove one a couple months back and don't remember the harshness you encountered. Do you remember if it had the premium package with aluminum wheels? Those are 16's with slightly thinner side walls. If that was the case test drive an EX without the premium package that comes with 15 inchers. Those have slightly thicker sidewalls which would give you a little more cush and make sure like the previous poster said, check the tire pressure. Should be closer to 30lbs or so. I bet that setup rides just fine.
 
If your willing to wait the Elantra will be out later this year. Same features but more tuned for comfort ..

#26 of 44 Re: Kia Forte [max09] by jungswon

Mar 03, 2010 (6:56 am)

Replying to: max09 (Nov 07, 2009 11:19 pm)
well the honda civic is said to be a revolutionary car for its class, futuristic in a way that doesn't make it look like some car from a cartoon and also won the best re-designed car in 2006 for Kelley Blue book so Honda did do something right. I also have to say the person who designed the new lines for kia(forte sedan/koup, sorento, soul) is also the same guy that worked for audi that designed the TT and the A2 Peter Schreyer. You should look into the Kia k7, its only out in South Korea as now, but hopefully to come to the states

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