Kia first appeared in the U.S. in the early-to-mid 1990s (Portland, Oregon’s Ron Tonkin Kia was the first Kia dealer in the U.S.), and was mostly thought of as an entry-level automaker offering inexpensive, and, well, basic transportation. Hey—we all have to start somewhere. However, Kia has kept its nose to the automotive grindstone, offering more refinement, more quality, and more models from year to year. The company is quickly making its way up through the ranks to become a brand people want to buy, and not just a low-cost option.

The all-new 2010 Kia Forte sedan (and two-door “Koupe”) are prime examples of Kia’s latest and greatest efforts to date. The Forte goes to battle in the highly populated C-segment, which includes behemoths such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, not to mention Mazda3, Ford Focus, or Volkswagen Jetta. Will Kia be able to woo buyers from more established brands? With its great pricing, expansive list of features, and great warranty, the Forte should definitely be on the the compact car shopper’s list.

Sophisticated Sheet Metal
It’s hard to deny Forte’s attractive exterior, especially in the SX trim. Clean, handsome lines, minimal front and rear overhangs, and attractive 17” wheels make this car look upscale (I think the Titanium paint looks great, too). I had several people tell me they thought it looked like an Acura or Honda, and it does sort of resemble the last-generation TSX, as well as the current Honda Civic.

Interior Attractiveness
Looks aren’t skin deep on the Forte SX. The leather-clad interior is very nice. The comfortable seats offer decent bolstering to hold you place and the headrest actually allows you to rest your head. The driving position has that just-right distance to grasp the chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel (which has both cruise- and audio controls). Ergonomics are also good: Everything feels like it’s where it should be. If fact, this actually feels like a driver’s car.

Impressively, all Forte trim levels get standard features, such as a USB and port, three months of satellite radio, and Bluetooth integration—all standard. Speaking of, Kia’s Bluetooth has to be one of the easiest, most straight-forward systems to use. A couple of callers said the clarity wasn’t the best, though. It could be my archaic phone, too.

Stepping up to the SX model nets you a nice-sounding six-speaker sound system, and the easy-to-read “Supervision” gauge cluster with multi-function trip computer that displays engine temperature, trip/odometer, fuel economy, range, and more. One thing that drew mixed criticism was the red illuminated ring surrounding the speedometer. Some thought it was annoying. I thought it looked cool.

Back seat room is adequate for two adults, and the rear seats fold down revealing a pass-through into an ample-sized trunk. Speaking of trunks, one thing that was a bit awkward: There was no way to open the trunk without using the keyless entry system or pulling the interior release. No exterior keyhole, no button to push.

Powerful engine, stiff ride, fun to drive
Make no mistake about it: The Forte is a lot of fun to drive. In fact, it’s probably one of the more fun-to-drive vehicles I’ve piloted in a while. Under the hood lies a powerful 173 horsepower 2.4-liter DOHC four cylinder with continuously variable valve timing making a respectable 168 ft. lbs. of torque. My review vehicle came with the five-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting capability; a six-speed manual transmission is also offered. EPA rating on the automatic SX is 23 city, 31 highway; I got almost exactly 23 mpg in mostly city driving. This is slightly better than the Toyota Corolla XRS, Honda Civic Si, and Mazda3 S Sport.

Forte has an independent front suspension and a torsion beam rear (the Civic and Mazda3 have a fully independent suspension; Corolla also uses the torsion rear). Suspension tuning is on the stiff side, which I like, although, it might be a bit stiff for some. The car handled very well and cornering was nice and flat. The meaty 215/45/17 tires had little problem putting the power to the ground. Braking is handled by front and rear disc brakes with ABS, brake assist, and EBD. The Forte also has traction control and stability control.

A truly competitive compact
There’s a lot to like about Kia’s Forte SX: Great driving characteristics, long list of available features, and attractive styling. This car offers similar performance to the Toyota Corolla XRS and Mazda3, but for thousands less. It’s still slower than the Civic Si sedan, but costs less and doesn’t require premium fuel. Plus there’s that warranty: 5 year/60,000 mile basic, 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain. You can’t get that standard on the Toyota, Mazda, or Honda.

Then there’s the Forte SX’s price $18,195; $20,490 as tested (which included $1,000 leather, and $600 heated seats, $695 destination).

That’s a lot of car for the money. Refinement is still not quite as high as the Japanese, but it’s getting better and better. And although Kia still has a ways to go to bring long-time Honda and Toyota buyers to its side, with cars like the Forte SX, consumers should take note: this is a very viable competitor for your hard-earned dollars.

Courtesy of our content partner: Subcompact Culture

With 540 horses under the hood, there weren’t (and aren’t) too many vehicles on the market that will keep up with this thing – the last year’s Shelby GT500 model was an absolute beast. Staying true to the Shelby name, the 2010 Shelby GT500 became an instant unicorn to many Mustang lovers. But at times it was just that – a beast.

Earlier today, the fine engineers at Ford’s SVT (Special Vehicles Team) unveiled the 2011 Shelby GT500 with a host of improvements. The question is, why would Ford tinker with this beast in only the second model year?

Take for example, the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro. The Challenger was introduced in 2008, has there been any notable improvements to the car in 2009 or 2010? How about the Camaro? It debuted about the same time as the 2010 Ford Mustang. Yet, the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro is mostly a carryover from the 2010 model.

There lie the differences between the industry leaders and the followers. Chevrolet (GM) boys are busy arguing that they sold more Camaros than the Mustang in 2009, Dodge (Chrysler) guys are still struggling to transfer their papers to Fiat, and Ford… they’ve been busy listening to its customers and making improvements.

Ford has stiffened and lightened up the chassis, all across the Mustang line (not just for the Shelby GT500), the engines are all new for the Mustang platform (featuring some state-of-art technologies), and the SVT engineers went with the electric assisted power steering system (which saves gas and carry less mechanical parts). The SVT engineers are promising that the 2011 Shelby GT500 has world-class steering feedback, and more nimble handling feel to the car. The Mustang platform was already the most nimble “muscle car” from the Detroit 3 (Ford, GM, and Chrysler), so we don’t doubt them.

Other improvements to the car is as follows:

• 550HP (from 540HP in 2010)
• 510TQ (from 480TQ in 2010)
• Stiffer chassis for the convertible
• Improved suspension control
• Improved underbody aerodynamics
• 15 city/23 highway MPG (no longer gas guzzler taxed)

Of course, the car is not available for test drives, as of yet… and as soon as it is, we’ll try our best to get our hands on it.

-KF

There are a lot of Subarus in the Pacific Northwest. There is a lot of rain in the Pacific Northwest. Coincidence? I think not. All Subarus come with the company’s famous all-wheel drive—great for the area’s rain-slicked roads and snow-covered mountain passes.

The newly redesigned 2010 Legacy offers more interior room, more MPGs, and more features and options. The Legacy can be had with your choice of three engine, three trim levels, and three transmissions, and you can mix and match most of the features to get the car that you want. Choice is good, right?

My review subject was the 2.5i Limited. AKA, the 170 hp engine (the least powerful, highest mileage option) with the top-of-the line trim level. A good combination for someone looking for optimal MPGs, all the gadgets, and even a touch of luxury. Think of the 2.5i Limited as “frugality plus.” This isn’t the model for those looking for ultra-rapid transit; these people will want the turbocharged 2.5GT or 3.6R models. Rather, this is the version for those more concerned with thrift than thrust. The Legacy 2.5i Limited starts at $24,995; my test vehicle was about $29,000. I consider this to be a reasonable price for a sedan with so many tech features, a bit of luxury, and AWD.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION/DRIVETRAIN
The Legacy 2.5i’s non-turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four engine crates 170 hp and 170 ft./lbs. of torque. In my case, the engine was mated to Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). This combination returns a very respectable EPA MPG rating of 23 city/31 highway—quite an achievement for an AWD vehicle weighing 3,451 lbs. The CVT also includes steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters if the driver cares to manually select six speeds instead of putting the car in “D.”

I found this combination to yield adequate acceleration; speed demons will want to opt for the turbocharged 2.5GT instead. However, my 2.5i did return 25 MPG in mixed driving.

One thing the Legacy—and all other Subarus have—is tenacious grip. The all-wheel-drive system coupled with 17-inch alloy wheels and Bridgestone Turanza tires made the car stick to the road, wet or dry. Traction was not an issue.

A DEFINING EXTERIOR DESIGN
The Legacy’s new shape maintains Subaru’s nonconformity. Although perhaps not revolutionary, the Legacy does not look like every other sedan on the streets. Its rounded off corners, accentuated wheel arches, and low-slung side skirts are defining, as are the upturning headlights.

The styling does seem polarizing: Some people I talked to thought it looked very upscale, almost Lexus like, while others thought it looked a bit bulbous. Unique? Yes. For everyone? Nope. Then again, Subaru’s styling has never been for everyone.

LOTS OF INTERIOR FEATURES
The Limited trim level makes for a very well-appointed Legacy. The heated front leather seats are very comfortable, and were great on my 200 mile road trip to and from The Dalles, Oregon. The back seat is also comfy, and offers good leg room. The trunk is huge, easily gulping my bulky paper towel and toilet paper purchase at Costco.

There are tech gadgets aplenty: Navigation, Bluetooth, automatic headlights, automatic climate control, electric parking brake, rear vision camera, and USB port with iPod integration. The Limited trim level also includes an outstanding nine speaker 440-watt harmon/kardon stereo. Plus, the system’s USB port offered one of the better iPod integrations I’ve used. (There’s also an auxiliary input.) Another great feature? The USB and auxiliary inputs are located in the center armrest, hidden away from potential thieves. Nice touch!

The stereo and navigation are combined into one touch screen, which does have a learning curve. There were a couple of very frustrating times where I could not get the GPS to shut it’s digital mouth. Frankly, it isn’t completely intuitive to use, so buyers will want to familiarize themselves with the unit before heading down the road. In addition, the automatic climate control requires a bit of time to become familiar with. However, both worked well once you got the hang of them.

One thing I didn’t get the hang of was the car’s Bluetooth system. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to get it to do what I wanted. Voice commands, calling features, you name it. Probably a bit steeper learning curve on this feature.

Two of my favorite features on this car were the rear vision camera, which was great for parking; and the electric parking brake. Simply press a rectangular to set the brake, and pull it from behind to disengage. Plus, the Legacy had a hill-holder mode. When you press the button to activate the feature (which can can leave on all the time), the car automatically puts the parking brake on when on an incline of more than 5% grade. When you press the accelerator, it disengages.

DRIVING
The Legacy 2.5i offers adequate acceleration, and passing was never a problem. The car rides nicely on both city streets and highways; it always felt solid and surefooted. The steering is taught and precise, with suspension towards the upper end of the soft spectrum—what you’d expect from the non-GT model, though. This makes Interstate cruising a comfortable endeavor, and lessens the blows from potholes around town. If I had to describe the ride in one word, I’d say: comfortable, yet firm, but not too firm, and not too soft. OK, so that’s 11 words.

Courtesy of our content partner: Subcompact Culture

Chrysler Communications Manager, Scott Brown, confirmed yesterday that a 170 horsepower Fiat 500 will show up on the U.S. market. I spoke with Brown while attending a media preview of the 2010 Portland Auto Show. He specifically stated the turbocharged 170 hp engine would not be part of the initial Fiat 500 launch, but would indeed follow. The initial launch engine will make 100 hp.

The Fiat 500 should arrive in late 2010 or early 2011.

Courtesy of our content partner: Subcompact Culture

Here we see the 1991 1.0-liter Geo Metro attempting to blend into its surroundings.

Luckily, we were able to capture it for further study.

Courtesy of our content partner: Subcompact Culture

The blog, Fiat 500 USA, is saying that the U.S. Market Fiat 500 will have 170 hp and 170 ft.lbs. of torque from its turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir engine. The blog also says there will be a normally aspirated engine making 100 hp and 95 ft./lbs. or twist, too.

I was not able to verify this on Chrysler’s media site, but hopefully the blog is right. A 170 hp Fiat 500 would be a rip-roarin’ hoot to drive, especially with the car’s low curb weight (under 2,300 lbs.). This would give the car power-to-weight ratio of 13.5 lb/hp.; better than a MINI Cooper S (15.6 lb/hp), but not quite as good as the John Cooper Works MINI (12.9 lb/hp).

There’s a good discussion regarding the 500 on FocalJet.com, too. Check it out!

Courtesy of our content partner: Subcompact Culture

There has been a possible leak of photos of the fourthcoming MINI Countryman (also possibly known as the Crossman). You can see, it has four doors, a raised ride height, and some other styling cues that set it apart from a Cooper. Allegedly, it will have an AWD system, too. Perhaps the Suzuki SX4 will have some competition in the subcompact AWD market.

To me, this vehicle looks like an afterthought. I think the styling missed its mark. Then again, perhaps that’s because I’m accustom to seeing a MINI Cooper and thinking that’s what a MINI should look like. The miniature rear side windows remind me of the old Toyota Corolla All Trac wagons. Their rear side glass was smaller than the other side glass, too. I am, however, glad to see another subcompact AWD vehicle possibly going on sale in the U.S. … maybe?

[SOURCE] (Jalopnik)

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The little Lanos was powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC engine making 106 hp through either a five-speed manual or a four-speed auto. Most automotive journalists said the Lanos was slow and unrefined, and drove like a car that was already several years old. However, handling was better than average. Fuel economy was 22 city, 32 highway. Daewoos also got roadside assistance. There were a few different models throughout the years including S, SE, SX, then later, Sport trims. Options included ABS, A/C, power windows, tachometer, alloy wheels, and more. Overall, the vehicle was not well liked by the automotive press.

When gussied up with Sport trim, the Lanos didn’t look too bad, in my opinion; I actually kind of liked it. You could get attractive five-spoke alloys, a sporty front end, rear spoiler, and even red leather seats and trim. Super Street magazine did a feature on a supercharged Lanos from Australia, and titled it the “Howler from Down Under.” It had 17″ wheels, lowering springs, and a host of other upgrades. However, the Lanos never got much of the tuner treatment in the U.S.

Compton, CA-based Daewoo Motors America initially went with a nontraditional method of roping in buyers. Instead of an extensive dealership network, the company recruited college students to promote the vehicles. However, eventually, dealerships started to pop up, and Daewoo dropped the student promoters. In 2000, Daewoo declared itself “the fastest growing car company in America,” with a sales increase of 123% over 1999 sales (source). In 2001, Daewoo sold 15,619 Lanos models (source).

But even as Daewoo—the second largest Korean conglomerate behind Hyundai—entered the U.S. market, the company was in a messy financial situation, and declared bankruptcy in 2000. (Daewoo’s collapse remains the largest corporate failure in Korean history.) In 2002, General Motors bought a large part of Daewoo Motors, but not Daewoo Motors America, and thus DMA declared bankruptcy. This left the dealerships in limbo, and owners wondering what will happen with parts and service.

The Lanos was essentially succeeded by the introduction of the 2003 Chevrolet Aveo, which was (and still is) built by GM Daewoo in South Korea. American Suzuki was also saddled with GM Daewoo-built vehicles (Forenza, Reno, Verona) until 2008. And although the Aveo has gotten better over time, once again, there is only one Daewoo on the U.S. market, and it is again sold under a GM brand—just like the Pontiac LeMans.

Daewoo owners can still find parts by visiting www.daewoous.com.

Courtesy of our content partner: Subcompact Culture

I really like the Nissan Cube. We’re now starting to see some custom gen-three Cubes come out of both Japan and the U.S. One of the best looking kitted out examples I’ve found I ran across on Nissan Cube Life. This Cube wears a host of Exclusive Zeus aero parts from Japan, including (I believe) the company’s wheels. So simple, so clean. I like.

Courtesy of our content partner: Subcompact Culture