A week in the 2010 Kia Forte SX: Day 3 (stop-and-go driving)

The 2010 Kia Forte SX resists efforts to put it gently into a parking space, and it's not much happier in other aspects of city driving. Blame falls to a touchy throttle and abrupt clutch that make it want to either zoom or stall. 

Getting going from a stop is one of the first impressions you'll get from a car, after the styling and the initial comfort of the driver's seat. It's a shame, then, that Kia did not put more of the resources it spent on the sporty SX version of its new 2010 Forte compact sedan into getting the going right. 

To back up a bit, a Forte SX with the standard 6-speed manual began a week it's spending with the DC Car Examiner Thursday. The Forte replaces Kia's comfortable and quiet but dull-to-drive Spectra, and the SX version with 173 horsepower and an EPA rating of 32 miles per gallon on the highway seems like a good start. 

But alas, starting the Forte is not so good. Blame goes to a most unfortunate combination of an unforgiving clutch and an oversensitive throttle that will send the car either zooming forward or stalling out when it's time to move. The car refuses to be driven gently, which is a problem in rush hour traffic or even backing out of a parking space. The clutch keeps things jerky during shifts and the touchy accelerator resists efforts to do anything but quickly accelerate in low gears. Starting in second gear instead of first makes for smoother starts off the line, but dulls responses and can't be too great for gas mileage as you stomp your foot down on the accelerator to avoid a stall. 

This sort of behavior -- a problem which other reviewers have also observed -- is not only a disappointment in a car that's supposed to be the most fun to drive Kia, but a general impediment to the car's usability in daily use. And the car did not become any easier to drive over the course of 200 miles. 

Another unfortunate characteristic of gear changes in the Forte is the rubbery gearshift (shown), which lacks the impressive precision of Kia's own Soul, a car that also liked to zip forward but was much easier to control than this one. This at least doesn't make the Forte any more difficult to drive, but it detracts further from the fun column. 

There is a sixth gear, amending a frequent economy car problem that leaves the engine overworked at highway cruising. This sixth gear keeps things quiet and more fuel efficient when the cruise control is set. However, the spacing of these six gears leaves something to be desired; there's no gear where the car is comfortable to move gently through residential streets at 25 mph -- it either lugs in third gear or wants to accelerate in second -- and there seem to be almost no circumstances where one would use fifth gear instead of fourth or sixth. 

The Forte still has until Thursday to make up for its unpleasant clutch/throttle combination. Attractive styling and an observed 30.7 miles per gallon in mixed driving (not bad for 173 horsepower) may still be able to go quite a long way. 

Check back for more information on the Forte SX over the coming days, and please ask any questions you have about the car in the comments section below or by sending an e-mail to dc.car.examiner@gmail.com. And for more pictures of the Soul, check out its photo slideshow in the introduction article linked below. 

Day 1: Introduction
Day 3: Stop-and-go driving
Day 4: Highway driving

Vehicle tested: 2010 Kia Forte
Vehicle base price (MSRP): $13,965
Version tested: SX
Vehicle price as tested (MSRP): $19,490
Estimated transaction price as tested: $16,905
Odometer at beginning of test: 1,442 miles
Odometer as of this writing: 1,642 miles
Test vehicle provided by: Kia Motors America