4:42 "Fuel economy... which hasn't really been Kia's forte in the past." I see what you did there 😄

Kia has just won. Ventilated seats and rear ac/heat as an option in the compact sedan segment is unheard of. Great work Kia

I just get a model “S” on Silky silver, black interior after 3 optimas. Im glad that I listen to my wife and get it. Have a 1,200 miles trip from CT to FL, with only $65.00 on gas great miles x gallon. Still learning and adjusting to all the gadgets but so far we are very happy a great car.

Kia really did well with this generation Forte, especially in that color this car looks amazing for it's class

KIA is clearly playing a long term game here. Manufacturers know that if they can capture first time purchasers those buyers are more likely to stick with the brand when they later "trade up" to more expensive vehicles. KIA's old strategy of offering cheap (both in terms of price and quality) alternatives has been replaced by offering vehicles that compete primarily in terms of more and better features at near equivalent MSRP's (with better discounts than Toyota and Honda dealers typically offer.) It's clearly a successful strategy for them.

I have the 2010 Kia Forte EX and I’ve been waiting for this video! Not disappointed at all. Never had a CVT or driven one. Even the rentals that I’ve had did not have the CVT. If Alex says the CVT is noticeable then I’ll glady take his word for it.

Definitely a very good looking sedan! Both the interior and the exterior look like they will age quite well over the years. Can't wait to see (and review) a new 2019 Forte in person. As always, keep up the great reviews!

Great video! Seems you and redline have been posting around the same time. When I see one I know the other is around the corner

Wow I’ve been awaiting this video for months since Kia announced this! It looks so good :)

My understanding is that this new Forte is based on the current Elantra and uses the same 2.0L 4cyl engine. What's interesting is this engine in the Elantra is paired to a 6-spd automatic and is rated 37mpg highway, while it's rated 41mpg highway with the CVT in this new Forte. That shows how much CVTs really can improve fuel economy. This new Forte looks really, really good. I especially like the rear. If they offer it in a hatchback body style, I'll have to put it on my shopping list. Honda and Toyota, this is what an attractive compact looks like. Take note.

Mine has a DCT but now I'm used to it find it a bit better than expected. Mine has the hatchback and turbo, which reminds me of my mini in 1960's.... It's great and people looking for a car/hatch should check out KIA. They are doing a phenomenal job ... Cheers

Kia has always been known for their styling and interiors. I just bought my forte ex and it is so good. Keep up the great work kia

I am a recent KIA Forte owner and love it ...

Alex, big fan, some suggestions on your videos 1) comment on air conditioner. Noise and how cold. had a q7, terrible ac. 2). Headroom- long torso and long neck. Need 40 inches headroom. Some cars like a5 sportback looks like enough from specs, but went to dealer and didn’t fit. Would help tremendously if there is some way to get real life headroom review. it’s so important to sit properly and have good air condition. A ruler or something? Just 2 seconds of video on it would be great. 3) noise.. the decibel are always so close, is there a more precise measure? Seems like all cars are around 67-69dcb. Lastly, no need to spend so much time on car exterior...I mean, I can see it just fine. More on little things such as a shot of what the key looks like, or tire sizes and width. Lastly, live the more technical stuff, such as running the ac in a hybrid while parked, or how 4wd on certain brands work, or how air suspension works. Stuff that salespeople can’t explain. Keep up the good work.

God that car looks drop dead beautiful... I'd say it's the best looking exterior in the compact car class.

Can't wait for the hatchback!

i just test drove one of these, it was the base. now, Ive been completely against CVT, but i was pleasantly surprised by how good this felt to drive. and for 147hp it was actually pretty peppy. looking forward to a sportier version with 201hp and a manual transmission

Alex! Love your reviews and your sense of humor! Your Forte joke was priceless! Gotta be sharp to watch these videos! :)

Took me a while, but I noticed your talking a bit slower and adding more conviction to your vocals. I've always liked your reviews, but this is a welcome improvement. Don't know if this was intentional, but keep it up!

Great review, maybe you should do a comparison review for $25000 and $20000 price brackets. Always love your videos, it feels like I'm test driving it, except you know what to look for.

I’m so excited to take a look at the 2019 Forte SX with the 1.6t and a manual. Hopefully it can be optioned with the B&M short throw found in the veloster.

Alex sporting the t-shirt! Another great review!

Looks a class above it's price range. This is why the American companies are leaving the market. They cannot compete.

Nice reference on the FORTE's fuel efficiency

Just bought one last week and I love it... It's a beauty and so nice to drive.

15:35 Alex's imitation of a Nissan CVT (akin to puking) is spot on, but is contrary to his typical professional and informative style!

Since my car is the Forte5 most recently, looking forward to a review of upcoming Forte5 the top end trim is quite nice ...

Great video, welcome to PA! (I live near Harrisburg, PA)

Nicely done as I would expect from Alex.

I love that blue. I was looking at getting a corolla, but this is an extremely close #2.

This looks really sharp, I'm a KIA fan now :D

When he was talking about the steering wheel, I had a flashback while I was test driving the car. Totally enjoyed the moments but forgotten to take note of the of that steering wheel size. What is the size of that steering wheel? 320? 380? I had a momo steering wheel on my current car which is 320.

When you get blind spot monitoring you usually get rear cross traffic alert. It would be nice if you mentioned whether or not rear cross traffic alert is included. When it comes to adaptive cruise control, it would be nice if you mentioned whether it is traditional ACC or smart SCC with full stop/start. Rear cross traffic alert and smart ACC with stop/start are two very important features that I look for when purchasing a new vehicle.

Love that color. Can’t wait for the SX!

It would help if you added actual civic volume measurements to the size line plot graphics you put on the bottom when you explain the size. Like I see that the Civic and Forte are close but how close? Without actually putting numbers in it’s just an arbitrary scale

Great Review. I think this redesign should do quite well. I certainly hope they offer the 1.6T/7spd DSG combo and a independent suspension.

Looks very attractive, especially in that blue!

Owned a 2018 Elantra with the 5 speed auto, great car. I had to move so sold it. Recently got the Forte EX with the CVT. Pretty much the same car with better mileage. Definitely recommend.

See you finally changed your shirt Alex. That old one got a lot of use LOL 😂

I’m confused by what I see online. It appears the front collision WARNING is standard, but autonomous braking appears to come with the launch trim only. Is the launch trim really only available in orange?

Ohh and then when buying last year was concerned over the stated fuel consumption. I am happy to report that has really not been an issue. Since it seems they may be understating the fuel consumption figures?

Alex had you heard the problem with the Honda 1.5 turbo. My friends civic burns a lot oil. They could fix and gave him a motor because the melt interior

Why did you not include the Cruze or Focus on your smaller to bigger line chart? That would have been helpful

I was hoping you would have compared this to the Hyundai Elantra more. I was thinking of getting one or the other. Any comments, advice suggestions welcomed by me. Thank you!

I must say that is VERY nice interior for the class. Well done KIA.

had mine a week now and love it...if i have to pick something its the road noise on unsealed roads

People keep saying that this new forte's styling is based on the Stinger, but the tail lights and headlights are both 1:1 the same as the current gen Sportage.

Alex we waiting for the new Jetta review, thanks for the forte review.

I got a 2018 Hyundai Elantra coming from a Kia. Glad to see Kia is catching up. And it has rear ventihillation which mine does not!

I’ve been looking for a new car lately and this thing seems to check all of the boxes except one, performance. I really hope they come through!!

Is this a launch edition? I thought the launch edition only came in orange. How were you able to get a blue EX?

Great review!

You deserve 1M subscribers

They need dynamic cruise control included on most trim, just like the Japaneses do.

Alex, I am looking forward to your review of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, which has a low cost twist beam rear suspension like the Forte. I would like to know how the two vehicles compare in ride quality. I have yet to find a car without independent rear suspension that did not feel dead in the back, as if it were hauling a trailer. You can feel every bump, which I hate. I like the height of the Kia better than the Civic. Getting into the Civic is like squeezing into a telephone book. For looks, the Volkswagen Jetta is the winner hands down in my opinion, but Volkswagen reliability is still suspect in the minds of many consumers. The 2019 Hyundai Elantra looks very hard and ugly, in my opinion, but I look forward to your opinion on that vehicle as well.

I saw this thing while watching a Korean tv show and I thought "damn that actually looks kind of nice"

Nice design Throughout, well done KIA

I've got the 2016 EX. 173 hp and a blast to drive.

Are the Alex on Auto tshirt for sale? Still curious 😉

Jeremy Clarkson would love your jeans.

I wonder how many people but a car with other than a manual change, actually use those switches and knobs to drive emulating a manual version? I know I haven't ....

I'm torn between a Forte LXS or Rio S sedan. Should I put up with the GDI in the Rio or the IVT/CVT in the Forte hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Awesome video alex

Is this the first vehicle to offer heated and ventilated vinyl seats?

when exhaust tip is exposed it should have some balance and symmetry.. they should gave given dual exhaust tip..that way it will look more sporty..

Oh, man, I like Kia. It has the right ride and handling I like. I don't like stiff ride. It's quiet even for its compact sized car - rio. Amazing job, Kia, keep doing great.

Wonder what Kia's going to have to counter the N division in Hyundai?

This body design deserves a sport version with turbo, independent rear suspension and DCT or 6-speed manual. It would be a waste not to offer that. I don't outright dislike the Civic, but it has that Hotwheels toy car look to it. Whereas this Forte looks very mature. I don't know about the US market, but in Canada the base model has 6-speed manual, 8" touchscreen, rear-view camera, heated seats, heating steering wheel, air conditioning and a whole lot more for about CAD $18k + sales tax. In order to get that in the previous model you had to go to the level # 3 car with automatic transmission which was $21,500 (but you could negotiate down to an even $20K). No wonder Chrysler, Ford and GM are discontinuing some or all of their regular passenger cars. They can't compete with such an offering. Plus 5 year warranty vs. their 3 year warranty. I realize that this car is made in Mexico. But perhaps people would pay an extra $1k to have it made in USA or Canada. Who knows.

Still happy with my Civic Touring vs the new Corolla and this. The acceleration and fuel economy combination is still the best.

This and the civic are my favorite in the segment

Question about the CVT: if I stay in D for 2-3 minutes for exemple , do I damage the transmission?

I have an EX with about 3000 miles on it, and I'm regularly getting about 40 mpg or more on the road. I drove it about 70 miles today on I-95 and I got 42.4 mpg.

I grant that a turbo engine is always more expensive, but the real combo suited to how most people drive is a small turbo 4 and a CVT. I hope that Hyundai/Kia will at least pair their very good 1.6 turbo with this CVT for the next Optima/Sonata, or even that motor with the 8-speed auto in the new Santa Fe. That 7-speed DCT seems to have reliability issues.

Engine 2.0 liters 147 hp? How so? Is it a fuel economy setting? Korean model 1.6 liter ivt (cvt) 123hp It has 15.7kg.m and GT 1.6 Turbo 204HP. The fuel economy of the basic 1.6 model also has a level that is not bad....

Great work

That's my my car and I have it in same color ! Best car I've ever owned.

I test drove this Stinger. Manager is a friend and he lend me a loaner to keep for a weekend. After a weekend I can tell you these 2 things. Most annoying thing is front seats are uncomfortable. It feels like you are sitting on a bench. After about 20 mins of time in the seat you start feeling your back and hips are being annoyed. And lastly anybody who sat in the back seat complained loud road noise. And those are big no for me. I was considering this for my friend who is looking to commute about 50km one way to work. But instead went with 2019 Civic LX.

I think at that price, they really should have put LED headlights. I'd rather have safe lights and a smaller infotainment screen. I like how it looks, the Corolla needs a redesign in comparison, but I think the Civic is still the model to beat. Side note, does a headroom difference of up to 4/10 of an inch really make that much of a difference? I'd guess anybody taller or shorter than you must not perceive a difference.

Are the Alex on Auto tshirt for sale?

I wish they would’ve kept the true look of the forte... I have the first gen ex and that continues to be my favorite body style

kia been doing right with their cars so far.

A Kia forte n-spec possibility is oddly intriguing. Reminds me of the stories u hear about the 80's and 90's where car manufacturers took boring cars and hooked them up with power and handling packages. Edited for typing while sleep deprived.

What up with the tablet style stereo that manufacturers are doing lately? Not a big problem though.

Should I sell my E90 320D for this or the Forte GT?

What about the Recalls on these Models? Are they realistic or are they irrelevant

Looks like a good DAILY DRIVER from Monday to Thursday ....

kia have done very well for them self's. i would not buy anything else , only a kia. i have a 2012 kia optima , no trouble at all, only brakes, oil changes and tires. it has 180000 kms on it and still going strong !!

When you're so early it's still in 360p lol

Currently own a 2015 EX Sedan. From what I saw in your video, looks like Kia eliminates the below listed features from the 2015 model: 1) Memory driver’s seat 2j Heated steering wheel 3) Heated outboard rear seats 4) Power folding exterior mirrors 5) As you mentioned, real leather seats Missing some of these features is a step backwards in my opinion.

Lovely road!

Alex, sorry to say but I get 30 mpg avg with manual Mazda6. On the other note, the engine sound in Forte, Corolla, Elantra, some other cars is just weak. Get into Mazda3 and you hear a satisfying growl.

Forte koup and Forte 5 sx are both turbo and worth the price considering HP

Are you going to do the Tesla Model 3?

Can you compare CVT of Subaru? I have Subaru outback with CVT and my wife has Honda civic CVT, and Subaru has much much better CVT transmission.

I'd love to get this, yes right now in summer 2020. Mainly attracted by the rich features like rear vents, great mpg. Not so much about the looks/exterior. To me Kia' grille (especially on this Forte) and the design of its lights (especially rear) make it look rigid, robotic... like it's a Robocop's car. You know, that Cyclops goggles. I'm more inclined toward slicker looking fronts like the Hyundai's trapeze.

The light placement seems like a disaster waiting to happen especially in places with a lot of parallel parking

Nice looking car.

Looks nice, but I would have to test drive it first. I would also get it preowned. The resale value drops drastically on Kia's.

Absolutely spectacular vehicle, especially compared to the mediocre Corolla and garish Civic. Both this and it’s platform brother, the Elantra, are absolutely stellar vehicles! The build quality and feature sets are far beyond the competition, and the style and refinement classes it far above vehicles like the Corolla and Civic mainstays.

Great redesign, hate the fact it's a cvt now...