2016 Kia Forte5 SX Hatchback Test Drive Video Review

[@safa1745]

I just got the 2016 kia forte5 and I really love it!!

[@arevee9429]

Great review. All pros and cons honestly stated and clearly not a 'fluff piece'. That said, reviewers of hatchbacks, please show us the business end of the car - the cargo area - with the seats both up and down.

[@jermaineowens5398]

So... Am I the only one that noticed he nearly crashed into that Toyota Tundra at 5:44 because he was looking over at the camera...?? We're just not going to talk about that LOL!

[@RudySoliz]

I've had my 16' forte 5 for almost 3 months now. I went from a big Toyota Tundra (had for almost 4 years) to the Forte. Although i do miss my truck, i LOVE this car. I got the SX model with all the bells and whistles (touch screen navigation, sport tune suspension, rims etc) and its impressed me so far. Handles really well, and i can zoom around town without feeling like im giving up speed or control of the vehicle. Also ive found an online store that specifies in Kia and Hyundai performance parts, so this baby will be packing some more heat here pretty soon.

[@kei316]

What site did you find performance parts at? I cant seem to find anything at all (mostly that the shops I find dont carry parts for the 5 SX in specific... assuming this trim and engine config doesnt exist in korea)

[@RudySoliz]

google k5optimastore...the name might sound deceiving but they have some parts for the forte5 SX model. Cold air intake, BOV, tuned chips, coil overs, and plenty of cosmetic features

[@py1211]

2017 Forte 5 for sure (even without a review). Man I like the way you present. Very logical, well versed and informative. Please keep it up.

[@JonathanPerez-bm8sm]

Paul Yuen convense a mi mujer que me la compre

[@Robert.Riddle]

He is right that the Mazda3 has a 155 HP engine but the S trims have a 184 HP engine. Just FYI.

[@SlevinCCX]

I bought my SX brand new for 18,300. Just gotta know where to look. Debadge it and people will like it. None of the that "It's just a KIA..." BS. That's because the Forte5 SX is a very rare car and most people won't even know what it is.

[@PugsNotDrugs4]

SlevinCCX I've had mine a year and I've only seen 3 others on the street.

[@Coolbanana389]

Guy knows how to give review.

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

Good Review ! You are really good at explaining all the different cars. The Mazda 3, VW Gulf, and Prius C are all decent cars, as well as the Ford Fiesta. If you want good gas mileage and cheaper at the pump, Prius C gets almost double the gas mileage. But if you want the ZOOM power of a 200 hp engine - then the KIA easily blows the doors off other cars from the starting line. What does Chevy offer in this class / range of car ?

[@ctsfiddler]

refreshing to see a real honest review.

[@PugsNotDrugs4]

This car is an absolute sleeper. I love mine!

[@Imakebootysclap]

IKR who needs uber when you can just pass out in the back. Total sleeper!

[@Vbluguitar]

Went to look at these (not knowing much about them) last night. Took a fully loaded (6 speed manual, 201 hp turbocharged, Leather heated steats and much more) SX for a test drive. OMG I was shocked at how smooth and tight the car was. It was a blast to drive and I definitely want one to replace my current 2016 Kia Forte sedan when the lease is up. The only downside - This guy says its cheap, but the car I test drove was 28k. That's not cheap. My 17k forte sedan is fairly cheap. Anyway. It was a great car and hopefully I will be able to afford one when my turn in time comes.

[@Vbluguitar]

I should put in that it was the EXACT car in this video. SO NICE - dang, I can't stop thinking about it.

[@joshuadennis9025]

+Arthur Chapman look into a used one. Found a fully loaded one just like this with only 23,000 miles on it for 15k at a kia dealer.

[@joshuadennis9025]

+Arthur Chapman look into a used one. Found a fully loaded one just like this with only 23,000 miles on it for 15k at a kia dealer.

[@Vbluguitar]

I am definitely going to look for a used one - I have seen several with the same mileage/price that you stated. Haha - Now I just have to wait for my 2 years of lease to be up :)

[@PugsNotDrugs4]

Arthur Chapman for what you get in it, $28K is pretty cheap. I got mine last year for $24K because of a $4K Kia rebate.

[@sportsMike87]

Golfs are the most boring looking in the class.

[@mbero29]

big time and will cost you a fortune on gas and maintenance...

[@palebeachbum]

The Golf is what I would call conservatively handsome. Others might call it bland. I would buy a Forte5 over a Golf any day. The Forte costs less to buy, comparably equipped. It's just as, if not more, reliable than the Golf. Repair costs are MUCH cheaper. VWs are basically nice cars that are money pits. Really no logical or rational reason to buy one unless VW has a place in your heart for some reason or you can afford the extra cost of ownership for the sake of the badge.

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

Great review. Really helped. and thanks for wearing a mic 👍🏽

[@roadkill4u2]

I was just on the Kia website. On the 2017 model the 6mt is listed as an optional +$2200 UPGRADE. Pay 2K more just to stir your own gears. Yikes!

[@Bare_Essence]

When you mentioned the Golf as a premium, were you referring to the base (and the various trims) or the GTI? Very Curious. The Golf (regular and GTI) is typically at the top of the compact list, but I have not heard the base Golf considered a premium. Now in 2017 they have turned the tables on trim and made only two basic Golf trims, a couple mid range GTIs (with odd cloth seating), and the Sport and AutoBahn very high priced model. The R sits like a cherry on top. No crazy that the lowly base golf stops short of leather and electric seats and the cheapest Golf with Navi is the AutoBahn GTI for 36K. Very odd pricing.

[@jvrdlc]

people are saying gear things about the new 16 Civic Turbo. How is this Turbo compares to the Civic, in terms of power, 0 to 60, handling and interior ans exterior design

[@SaraK_69]

My Forte5 SX turbo goes 0-60 in 6 seconds, I am tied with my friends 2016 Golf GTI. I also have triple the warranty as his, and paid 12k less. The trick is the proper true 6 speed automatic, it works really well for the Forte5, it's a good buy I am very happy with it.

[@gowest0830]

Such a good review!

[@chairrules2007]

For all of the aforementioned reasons, I'm choosing to wait for the revised 2017 version. In my opinion, the new 7 speed dct is the most important revision for this car, and will make a difference in the sportiness and overall driving experience. As far as price, whether its a 2016 or 2017 I would expect to get a really good deal on a Kia, simply because its still a Kia. (Don't hate the player, hate the game; hahahal).

[@nic_ccc3366]

Exactly right. Recently had to get a new car on a budget of $20k Australian and was not expecting to get a Kia due to their previous poor reputation. Ended up getting the Forte's Australian counterpart, the Cerato, for under 18k and could not be happier. Did my research and the brand has improved tenfold, as you say doing well in customer review surveys. Very good value for money.

[@TVinmyEye]

Drop this about an 1inch and it'll look even better.

[@shoman24v]

I looked at this car yesterday, not the SX but an EX, and I absolutely love it. Biggest negative of this car, at least the 2017 model, is the $2,200 cost for the 6-speed manual on the SX. When was a manual an upgrade? Now, I won't buy this car because of that outrageous cost and also because the lower models do not offer a manual option. Dumb. After upgrades, you're looking at a retail price of $27,000 for the SX. No thanks.

[@PugsNotDrugs4]

shoman24v with what you get in the car, $27K is pretty cheap. The base model GTI starts at like $32K.

[@MisakiLeasim]

Even a Scion iM has a better interior than this. But the rest of the car is pretty impressive. Great review.

[@gabepettinicchio7454]

IMO, Hyundai/Kia need to improve the steering dynamics on their cars. Feel, wgt. & responsiveness included. Word is that they have gotten better, but still fall short of the Mazda's, Ford's & VW's.

[@mariusdoiron9066]

have you tried one , i did.

[@gabepettinicchio7454]

I own one, and yes I've driven others.  Granted, these were all from 2009 - 2013. If they have improved since, most auto journalists are keeping it to themselves.  They still seem to trail behind most of their class competitors in regards to handling.

[@SaraK_69]

I totally disagree with you, my last car was a Mazda3 Speed and this KIA forte5 SX blows the wheels off of the Mazda in regards to handling and sheer performance and power. I doubt you actually drove the KIA Forte5 SX, because you would not be parroting this nonsense and flat out lies.

[@gabepettinicchio7454]

For gosh sake lady, we're talking about cars, not hair bleach!

[@JB-gf5mg]

I have to agree with SK, this KIA Forte5 handles great and has a ton of torque for the price. The only thing the Mazda3 has over it is handling in tight corners, then you can really feel the fully independent suspension of the Mazda3 over the Forte5. However, the KIA is a much better deal and steering feels just fine when compared to the Mazda and Ford. I don't know why so many reviewers rehash the KIA steering feel as not responsive enough, that is just nonsense in my opinion.

[@pedrofernandez3893]

I would not buy that 7sp DCT after all, reliability may be an issue

[@supercooled]

are you dumb? this is in its 3rd year with a refresh coming in as 2017.

[@corsamec]

WHAT COLOR IS THAT?

[@carlosm.garciarivera7138]

VW GOLF is ugly and bad quality, Kia has better warranty and looks pretty

[@Anael1115]

This car has the same engine as the Hyundai Veloster Turbo, which in my opinion looks way sporty and stylish than this car.

[@mariusdoiron9066]

veloster is a lot smaller inside , based on the hyunday accent.

[@PugsNotDrugs4]

cbr. life the Veloster is pretty cool but the 3 door thing is a turn off.

[@Ghazi18]

Nice Car..

[@chrisreed26]

I think I understood him to say the VW Golf was a premium vehicle? Alright...Just lost all respect for this guys knowledge of cars!

[@marcthibault8723]

Look at this guy's taste in clothes and he is criticizing the styling.... lol

[@Adam-oo7tn]

i would rather have a Lexus CT over this...

[@robles]

it's 4cyl turbo that gets crap mpg

[@cheekibreeki7058]

Yes because it has 201hp, it's a turbocharged engine, so be careful, this car is very fast!

[@robles]

no its not fast. I have test drove it before and the power figure is overrated. crap gamma engine and even crappier transmission.

[@jt8280]

Hi-revving 1.6 buzzy turbo motor, will not last long.

[@prd185]

The Dps6 transmission in the Ford fiesta and the Focus is a manual transmission that is automatically shifted with a TCM and servos. It's a dual clutch transmission. 1st, 3rd, and 5th on one clutch, and 2cnd, 4th, and 6th on the second clutch. Ford basically copies everything the Germans do and make it cheaper. There are problems with severe clutch shudder and the TCM going out. The dps6 transmission is a piece of shit. If Kia puts that 7 speed dual clutch transmission in the Forte, Kia will have nothing but problems if it is not done right.

[@lukehoisington4236]

the front looks like a frog

[@rossifumifan1]

This guy comes off as a snob!

[@axc8932]

Not wagonlike

[@jackcooper6052]

This review is so, so understating the car it's sad. Great car ; less than informative review.

[@FrostyTTV]

Hello stick to the kia....

[@SaraK_69]

LOL! The reviewer was trying to hard to be hipster with his red watch, sunglasses, and unshaven image. I felt bad for the poor KIA that such an unclassy dude would do a review on it. Anyhow, the Forte5 SX is actually a hot hatch. At $25k fully loaded you can smoke any VW out there with the exception of the GTI, in which the Forte5 SX comes in at a tie. However, for a VW GTI you are paying well over 32k for it, and the backup camera isn't even standard on the GTI but it is on the Forte5, the reviewer failed to mention this. Also, the Forte5 has all soft touch interior with leather trim and a leather steering wheel, so saying that the interior is economy fails to say you get premium interior materials at economy pricing.

[@Snake-ms7sj]

Actually you can get a Ford Focus ST for under 25K as long as you skip the leather seat option with more power and better driving dynamics than the Forte5 SX. Also the reviewer was comparing the Forte5 SX to the non-turbo versions of competitors and also didn't mention that you can get the Mazda 3 hatch with the larger 2.5 engine which puts out 184 hp. If you compare the Forte5 SX, it doesn't quite stack up to the competition in performance. Still the Forte5 SX is a nice car, don't get me wrong.

[@xymox007]

SaraK You obviously have no clue what a hipster is. From this guy’s hair to the Jerry Seinfeld bright sneakers, he looks like the run-of-the-mill auto reviewer. The Forte5 competes with the VW Golf. Period. Just like a Focus ST competes with a VW GTI. I like the Forte5 quite a bit, but it sounds to me like your automotive knowledge is lacking.