Comparison review: five compact sporty sedans (Introduction)

September 20, 11:34 AMAutos ExaminerBrady Holt

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  How does the 2010 Kia Forte SX stack up against four similar cars?
  Find out over the next week. Today, see photos and introductory 
  information on each of the five cars in this slideshow. 

In the week it spent with the DC Car Examiner, the sporty SX version of the new 2010 Kia Forte compact sedan simply didn’t come off as very sporty. It’s powerful and reasonably agile, but it didn’t demonstrate the sharp steering of a truly fun-to-drive car, and a touchy throttle combined with an abrupt clutch to make it frustrating to drive, particularly launching it from a stop. 

But is there anything else that does better, or does this criticism simply hold the Forte SX to a higher standard than any reasonably priced, reasonably practical, and reasonably fuel-efficient car ought to be? 

To get that broader perspective, test drives of similar vehicles were in order: other compact economy sedans that offer more performance than the norm without going overboard on the price.

The specific limitations included a minimum of 170 horsepower and a maximum price of around $23,000 out-the-door nicely equipped but with a manual transmission. These on-paper guidelines are seeking to bring in compact cars that are more than just basic transportation, or even comfortable and pleasant basic transportation. They may not be inexpensive, but the best among them will offer a higher caliber of driving dynamics and an overall experience that's upscale of the seven economical sedans from last year's comparison. 

The diverse collection of cars that met this criteria ranges from the high-revving sport-tuned Honda Civic Si to the sturdy competence of a basic Subaru Impreza, but all were each at least somewhat similar to the Forte, even as some were quite dissimilar to each other.

Also of note: while there seems to be no specific agreed-upon percent, it is certainly accurately said that a lot of winning is just showing up. This comparison of just five cars would have been quite a bit larger had every automaker stocked its dealerships with vehicles it at least theoretically offers.

The XRS version of the Toyota Corolla, the SE-R version of the Nissan Sentra, and the GTS version of the Mitsubishi Lancer would have been some of the Forte SX’s most direct competitors if any had been available to test drive in the greater Washington, D.C., area over the course of the Forte’s week with the DC Car Examiner. None were. The market seems to have already spoken on these cars. 

But over the next week, you’ll find reviews of the five cars that were available, describing the blend of driving enjoyment and daily-use comfort and practicality that each offers for the money. You’ll see those five cars ranked from worst to best, and you'll see local real-world pricing, not just sticker prices. [See note on pricing and options below*]

Check back each day to see the ranking emerge, and have a look at some introductory information on the five cars below in today's slideshow. 

Coming up tomorrow: FIFTH PLACE

*Note on pricing: when possible, the vehicles tested for this review were equipped comparably to the tested Forte SX, with leather interiors, sunroofs, and manual transmissions. It wasn't always possible. The five vehicles in this comparison are offered with most of the same features in the required price range, but the specific cars available to drive for this comparison ranged from base models with no options to fully optioned vehicles. These discrepancies will be noted in each review and corrected for as much as possible.