2010 Toyota Corolla vs 2010 Kia Forte

irritatrix

I apologize for contributing to the off-topic nature of the thread. I was simply trying to rebut the earlier assertion that KIAs are crappy cars compared to Toyotas. I rented a Corolla recently on a trip and my passenger even complained about how tinny it was and how much road noise he heard. I say this as the former owner of a new 1975 Corolla wagon that was an awesome car - for its time. I just don't think the model has held up that well, and very few professional auto reviewers seem to think so, either. I am planning to look at a Forte soon because we need a small, fuel efficient sedan, and have been very impressed with the KIA Sedona that we own. I will also be checking out the Hyundai Elantras. Hyundai ranked above Honda and Toyota in 2009 in the JD Powers rankings for initial quality. I haven't driven one, so I have no idea if I'll like it, but from what I read, it's a decent car.

hawkman2010

I test drove both vehicles for half a day and both drove very smoothly. I would have to say that both the interior and exterior design of the Kia Forte was better than the Corolla and it had more extras, bells and whistles, etc. The Kia has the more powerful 2 liter compared to the Corolla 1.8 but I have to drive an hour to work each day so I wanted the better gas mileage. The Kia Soul was ever worse on mileage than the Forte. I also worry about the resale value on the KIa and if this model will hold up in quality over the years like the Toyotas usually do. Supposedly my brand new Corolla does not have the recall problems and when I enter my VIN # on the Toyota site, it does not show any problems. I do think the Koreans are making better cars and the Japanese need to watch their backs. If it was just on style points alone, I would have bought the Forte but after doing a lot of research I picked the Corolla. After my wife traded in her older car on a 2006 Toyota Sienna with all the bells and whistles, the deal was done for sure since we got a great deal on both cars

jimpimms

I think you may have been confused about the fuel economy of the Forte vs. Corolla. Despite the difference in engine size, power, and torque, the two cars have virtually identical mileage figures: Corolla 1.8L LE 26/34, Forte 2.0L EX 25/34, Forte 2.0L EX with Fuel Economy Pkg. 27/36. And the Forte has 24 more hp and 16 lb.-ft. more torque (22 hp and 10 lb.-ft. in SULEV form). I know from my own experience with a Forte EX that the highway mileage is easily attainable, even at 70-75 mph. All 2011 Fortes, with either 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions, should be able to match or better the figures for the 2010 Fuel Economy Pkg. model.

terceltom

You made an excellent decission, good luck with the new Corolla. I love my 2009 XLE. No problems whatsoever to date. Of course I still have a 2001 Corolla I bought brand new and have never had a problem with that either.