Thank you again for such an amazing shooting day and for being such a cool and knowledgeable guy. I genuinely enjoyed getting to hang out for the afternoon. Oh, and thanks for being such a great sport about how often this shoot was on and then off and then on and then off 😂 It was a pleasure to get to meet you.
I have a confession, I love the Kia Forte. When I was 17 I bought a 2 year old Kia Forte with less than 40k miles for dirt cheap. That car gave me my love for working on cars. Everything was relatively easy to work on, I learned all of the basics. Now I'm a 25 year old mechanic working for Mercedes and theres a Kia Forte5 SX in my driveway. I know I've got trash taste, but man, my Forte's have both given me good memories.
No. That's awesome! Don't let anyone tell you that your love for your car is invalid. It gave you so many great memories. I still drive around my hail damaged Volt because of the memories I have with her, and because I don't have to buy gas often. It was your first car, and all that matters is that YOU love it. Who cares what others think?
"...the optics of chasing Taylor Swift off stage while wearing THAT arm band..." I about had a spit take on the imagery provided in this segment. Well, done!
I’d love to hear an RCR deep dive on CVTs and how the industry basically broke both their knees before they even started. CVTs are fine transmissions, but the auto makers screwed them over twice. One, CVTs are NOT “sealed transmissions,” they do still need to be serviced. Draining and replacing the fluid takes about as long as an oil change. So long as you change the fluid every 35k or so, they’ll keep on keeping on for hundreds of thousands of miles. Don’t change the fluid and you might be fortunate to get to 100k. Two, all CVTs have false gear changes because that’s what the customer is used to. But that’s not the proper efficient way to run one. The whole point of a CVT is that it’s self-optimizing for the best torque conversion at a given throttle. But that makes the engine “stick in gear” by staying at one rev speed, and people didn’t like that. So they made the CVT less efficient and less powerful just for the sound.
Not directly related to the industry but also something against them, the FIA banned them in F1 so they’d never get the levels of development money that other transmissions received.
I see the move to CVTs across many manufacturers as a purely cost-cutting move. No one seems to like or want them, but that’s what we’re getting more and more. The same is true in the motorcycling world with parallel twins. They’re cheaper to make, so more and more new bikes are getting them instead of inline 4s and v-twins. They make sense in some bikes, but they aren’t loved by most riders.
@@timothycoyne5874 "Nobody wants them" if you only go by RU-vid car channel comments. In the real world, most people are fine. It's always some 18 year-old keyboard warrior arueing with people online about how "they don't want to drive an appliance" and about "soul" etc etc etc. CVT's are like everything else Americans touch, they turned it into a needless and wasteful culture war thing.
@@timothycoyne5874I thought CVTs were a fuel efficiency thing and are actually more expensive than a normal auto. Personally I’m from Europe and I learned to drive with only manual transmissions and have only driven a handful of normal auto transmissions and I hated all of them - they always seems to change gears at the wrong time. I even managed to stall a Volvo S60 auto at a red light somehow?? But now I have a CVT family car and it’s fine. Yeah it’s not fast but I’m never annoyed by it. Press pedal and it goes
@@stormix5755 anything over a 3 year loan on a car is absurd to me. I’m seeing 72 month loans now and I couldn’t imagine having a payment still on a 5 year old vehicle
You're absolutely right. I guess the idea is that the type of person who'd want a Civic SI might not be dissuaded from it by a $5500 premium. But the more I think about it, the dumber that rationale is. Because unless you have parents with deep pockets who don't mind making those payments, I feel like even the most reckless twentysomethint would still be thrown off by $5500. It's one of those times where I wish I could have gone back and edited.
@@wan3416The problem are owners who cut corners by not maintaining them properly. I've seen quite a few blown Hyundai/Kia engines, and 9 times out of 10 the cause of death was improper maintenance, usually extended oil intervals. The only exception were the few remaining Theta engines with manufacturing defects, but even they are getting replaced or rebuilt, and seem to be US-specific.
I am in my mid 40's and have a good job. I can easily buy an entry-level luxury car and I still chose to buy a 2023 Forte Gt2 over the new Integra that I actually went out to buy. The reason I chose the Forte was because it really was not that much different in regards to performance than the Integra. I actually prefer the dual-clutch transmission over the CVT in the Integra, it had a better-sounding stereo than the Integra and it also had cooled seats. The interior of the Integra felt slightly better and it was also quieter, but I only drive a few miles to work each day and nothing on the highway, so I would rarely take advantage of that feature. The main thing that sold me was when I actually thought about it, it was $10,000 cheaper than a comparable Integra, but it did not feel like it was $10,000 less expensive. I will keep it for a few years and move on to something else, but after a year of ownership and 12,000 miles, I actually still love the car which is very unlike me. I usually get bored with them quickly. But this car reminds me of a time when cars were more fun with the torque steer and slight turbo lag. The drivetrain reminds me of a Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T when they were good and turbocharged in the late 90's. In comparison to the Civic Si, the Forte GT is the mid-40-year-old compared to the 20-something Civic. The interior of the Civic Si is so basic feeling, it only comes in a manual, only has red cloth seats that also do not match the black rear seats, no heated or ventilated seats, no highway driving assist, no remote start. There are just tradeoffs that aren't worth it in my opinion even if I think that it is more fun in certain situations.
Bro I'm with you I didn't like his review at all apparently he hasn't checked the car reviews lately here in the USA the Kia Forte GT has been the best car in its price the last 3 years compared against Honda civic, VW GTI and even Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla , not mentioning the Type Rs or the GRs those are different monster , also these Kia Forte GT are very easy to modify a lot of aftermarket parts in the market for this car , I own a 2023 Kia Forte GT2 😎🔥 and I have done a few modifications to my car and let me tell you it feels like a different car more responsive and faster than before I added more HP lower the suspension upgrade sway bars 🍻 oh boy what a machine 😊😊😊😊🎉🎉🎉 it's 🔥🔥🔥🔥
@@maoinc13 exactly. I see people raving over the new Chevy Trax and I’m just like, but if you aren’t going to get all wheel drive, a Forte is better than a Trax in every aspect and costs the same with way more equipment, way better performance, warranty, and interior build quality. It’s no comparison.
The price point was also a huge factor for me. I was cross shopping this and the Honda Civic Si and this just checked all the boxes for way less money and better % APR than the Si. Overall, it was $200 less per month, thousands less in OTD price, and just as reliable (with the manual transmission option, which I got as well). Easy to mod as well, I have a few videos on how to. Sure, its not as driver focused as the Si, but at the end of the day, I saved thousands of dollars on purchase price and APR. Overall, best bang for the buck.
@@maoinc13 I agree with you, his review was biased from the get go and not a real review. I own a 23 Forte GT and love the car. I owned a 2008 Hyundai Elantra that was used when I got it, and never had one problem with the car, that was my decision to look at the Kia when getting a new car, I also looked at Toyota, have owned 3 over the years, Nissan, Honda, but for the money, this car has every option available option and not one problem. Plus, you see so many Kia and Hyundai on the roads now, they must not be as bad as he claims the brand is.
1:47 "Is this what's hot in the streets?" Definitely not--I tested a 2022 BRZ once, they handed me the keys, said "don't go too far with it", and sent me on my way. By myself. A credit check for a test drive is nuts.
I test drove an 89 probe gt once a few yearsago, they made me leave my license with them as collateral. Which sucked because the car died a mile down the road and I had to walk across the bad part of town just to fetch my damn id.
Over the weekend I went to a rural Ford dealership and they just handed me the keys to a new Mustang GT with the 6 speed manual and just said go have fun, no papers signed or anything.
There is no way to engineer a cars mechanicals to last just past the warranty. That’s a myth created by people who don’t like to service their vehicles regularly. If you service the vehicle regularly the mechanicals should last beyond 100,000 miles. The proof is the cars that have lasted beyond that. The reality is the people who traditionally bought Kia products weren’t the type to regularly service their vehicles hence the warranty.
100% Their old logo was a copy of fords (in the sense that it’s the BRAND name inside an oval) and Hyundais was a copy of Hondas (again, not exact but close)
As a '23 Forte GT owner myself, I feel Roman's sentiment. I bought mine because I needed a dull, predictable, unexciting vehicle with which I could drive to work three days a week. My Roadmaster wagon and my Suzuki Burgman provide me with the automotive self-actualization they've mentioned before; the Forte is a plain white Van Heusen dress shirt. Also the first car I've ever owned that gets XM radio.
I have a 2011 Outback for that purpose. It's less a white Van Heusen and more, like, a purple one with the stainblocker treatment paired with a tie that has raccoons and garbage cans on it. Socially acceptable low-level quirkiness. Like a white girl secretly loving serial killer podcasts, but being really open about it because she knows all the other white girls also love serial killer podcasts. And they just pretend it's weird and quirky in spite of its relative normalcy and blandness. The veneer of kink and deviance is enough in most cases. But in the end of the day, alternative still implies its own kind of normalcy and adherence. If I have to get weird, I have the CB550 and the Tempest.
@@OffTrackProductions Base model Corolla's and Civics were getting "market adjustments" of $3-5k in my area despite the fact that buyers want trucks and SUV's, not sedans. I was unwilling to buy Nissan, Mitsubishi, or domestic. My state job and union also gave me $1,500.00 off the sales price for that particular dealership, plus the cash discount I already got. I don't keep my commuter cars for more than five years anyway - the long-term issues will be someone else's problem.
@@OffTrackProductions My 2 KIAs have been great. 300,000 miles between them without any trouble. My Toyota however, engine took a dirt nap at 70k miles. None are perfect. Even Toyota has had bad vehicles. I had one
I got the same model, just with a 6 speed manual transmission. Had it for about a year now and really hadn't have any issues with it so far. I personally like it. Good on gas, heated seats, good acceleration, and all the bells and whistles. Has about 8000 miles on it now. Wanting to keep it for about 5 years or so. Was debating between this or the Civic Si and decided to pull the trigger on this, thanks to the markups for the Si.
I bought a '22 Civic Si that I owned for a year before it was totaled and bought a '23 Forte GT now. The kia is the far better car. Way more features that honda just didn't include, and the infotainment is sooo much faster in the kia.
As an owner of a GT forte since 2020, I can say that this car has been a true friend to me. It’s a step up from the 2nd gen (owned a 2015 for about 5 years), the acceleration and sport mode is fun, and it has the room and tech that makes it comfortable. My only complaint is that cosmetically, it’s been a nightmare (paint and clear coat just can not survive). This car was a great introduction to the car world for me (mainly because of the turbo, never had one and it excited me) and I’m grateful for it. Lol I’m happy to see you guys finally review it and I wasn’t disappointed!
I'll just let everyone know...this Kia Forte is a reskinned/rebadged (KIA is Hyundai and Hyundai is KIA) 6th gen Hyundai Elantra Sport, its the same platform, drivetrain, everything...which is the same drivetrain out of the first generation Veloster Turbo...this drivetrain has been around for 10 years and this platform is 7 years old (first year being the model year 2017 for the ES). Its a great car, I have an 2018 Elantra Sport with a 6MT, tons of aftermarket support for upgrades and mods. The Elantra Sports are are still out on the road, so these will last just as long
No the 1.6T on the Forte is not the same 1.6T on the Elantra sport. This was something I believed for a long time but I got corrected real quick on the forums plus the forte gt is actually faster than the Elantra sport and the n line. Slightly not a lot but noticeable. At least at stock. But everyone is running jb4 on all those engines now
@@VerryJerry90 the N-Line does use a 1.6L Smartstream Turbo gdi engine but the wiki even says the Forte has a 1.6L Gamma II T-GDI that I know my AD generation Elantra Sport has...so whats the difference? Minor update to the internals/turbo?
@@Matkovic99 I think it’s the turbo that has slight changes. I know the smartstream is newer but the gamma ll is supposedly time and tested. Smartstream has port and direct injection and they’re a bit better at emissions and mpg. Gamma ll only has direct injection
@@VerryJerry90 ok for sure, that makes sense because even the turbo in my Elantra is diff in size and other stuff than both the first and 2nd gen veloster turbo. Ive seen pictures of the 3 together they're all definitely different lol. But yeah like you said the Gamma is pretty time and tested I dont think theyre gonna stop using the basic design of this engine for a while (hopefully)
My dad had a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Engine was ticking around 90k, dealership told him it was normal, nothing to worry about. Right after 100k (when the warranty ends) the engine blew...
Yeah Hyundai and kia are a lot better than they used to be that doesn't make them good unfortunately my friends Elantra n blew its engine at 25k recently
This is the best Roman review yet - it feels like he is really coming into his own with the goofier-styled reviews and getting more comfortable being himself. Keep it up!
Thank you! I do feel like I'm gradually getting my comfortable in developing my own style that is separate from Brian's while still being RCR. Oddly, while going over some old scripts in the archive, I forgot how many of the really twisted lines were mine. So maybe this presentation style always existed in me and I'm just finding a way to bring it out. 😅
My sister in law's 2022 Sorento has been in for warranty repairs 3 times now. It has not been reliable but the customer service has been decent. Kia even covered a couple of her payments.
I'm not sure why but the Sorento has been uniquely bad in the lineup. C&D struggled just as much with theirs. They really screwed something up with that car.
My wife's 2022 Sorento has been perfectly fine at least 3 trips 600 miles round trip, and a cross country trip totaling around 2000 miles, not a single thing wrong with it, drove great, and honestly haven't been impressed with a vehicle as much as that one
I've always liked Roman's reviews ever since he did the RCR story about Lee Iacocca. He's got a really smooth voice that makes the videos easy to listen to. Keep it up, man!
Thank you! I don't always like my voice (especially when I have to listen to it for hours on end while editing 😅), so it means a lot to read such kind words.
I think its a nice contrast to mr regular yelling about hot d*cks and all that. His jokes are hilarious, but it is nice to have a more calm episode every so often
I think the biggest thing is to some people it's confusing to read, to some it looks like a K and then a backwards N instead of KIA --so is the result of making the badge continuous to keep badge costs lower than making individual letters.
I actually think the new Kia logo is a big improvement. The old one was just about as boring as you could possibly get. The new one is very stylized but since it's just 3 letters, it isn't overdone. The thing is, unlike most brands (of any market, not just vehicles) that change their logo are trying to give the impression of "look how different we are!" to shake off old impressions, but Kia is legitimately actually different than they used to be, for better or worse.
yeah i like the logo. when i first saw a car with that badge it made me do a double-take - "what the hell kinda car is that?" i wondered. when i realized it was a KIA i was genuinely impressed, because the cars finally look _good_ , hell some are even _strikingly_ good looking, despite whatever may lie underneath.
In 2016 I wanted a fun economical car. Bought a Fiesta ST. Been an absolute blast to drive. Mines fbo and a good tune. Now 7 years later kinda looking at new things, went and drove one of these. If you took my Fiesta and left all the horsepower but somehow siphoned out all the fun, this car is what you would have. I will continue to love and drive the Fiesta until something makes me feel as good or better. Not holding my breath. lol
@@oraclemiata845 I have, definitely not bad definitely super in the right direction. Problem with them is your talkin to mid $30s for a turbo 4cyl.... I just can't make that make sense in my head. More than likely early next year and I'm going to put a larger turbo on my ST and keep it for quite a while
As the owner of a 23 6MT Forte GT, I genuinely love the car for what it is. I've owned it about 4 months, have put 5k miles on it, and it's been a great car so far. I originally looked at a new Civic SI but with the markups that every single ome of them had, I just couldn't justify the price. I managed to get the Forte for MSRP and OTD was right around $26.5k, which was $10k less than any Civic SI within the surrounding few states. I know its not the best performance car whatsoever, but for a little manual daily, its perfect for me🖤
Love this review. But I also love the Kia Forte GT manual transmission. It only has the manual option in the highest trim with the 201 horsepower. And it’s $25k Kia is the last car company making a performance car under $25k with a manual and lots of tech. Miss the Fiesta ST, but I’ll take the Kia The only problem I have with it is that it doesn’t come with one of the packages, so you don’t have ventilated seats (this is the cheapest new car with ventilated seats).
I took a leap of faith in 2019 and bought a GT brand new with like 40 miles on it. Back before covid they couldn't move these things as fast as they wanted so they were selling them for 3-4000 off sticker. I'm not kidding. My Orange manual sunroof equipped GT with brand new michelin pilot sport 4 tires was 23000 sticker and my total loan was 19000 with 500 down. Was a great deal at the time, even came with some free oil changes. The reason I bought it was because I had previously owned the first gen Veloster turbo, and that car was quite fun in the twisties. The new Forte GT did not disappoint, at all really. Especially with the pilot sport 4s. I put 30000 miles on the car without a hiccup before covid hit and I lost my job at the time, ended up selling the car to carvana as they were wanting to pay me more than I owed on the car. Long sotry short, its a decent car if you get the manual. I dont think this review was very fair to kias first good eco box.
Twenty grand for Kia compact? ))) With no automatic transmission? It's not a good deal at all. You got ripped off. I wouldn't even pay sixteen for it. They just overpriced these cars to fool people like you into thinking you've got a good deal.
@@johndong752424K is a huge bargain, especially with premium features such as manual transmission. Or you can pay 40K for a Civic if you want the manual trans
As someone who grew up driving hoop-d's and spent my 20s in a series of cars declining in quality (honda Fit, hyundai elantra,to a chevy Cobalt, to a ford escape), my forte GT has been a revelation for me. I test drove a nissan, a honda, and a few others. Kia was my last choice. I live in milwaukee where owning a kia is like wearing cement shoes to a swim meet. But the interior, the sound of the car, the responsive handling, and the amount of bells and whistles you got for less than literally every other car in its class. The car itself isnt exceptional, its just "good", but its good for less than any other just "good" cars i saw available. I love it. Ive driven it 9000 miles since may '23 and i am still in love with the car.
I almost got a 2021 Kia Forte GT2 for like $25 I think. At the time CarPlay was a priority and I still enjoy how that generation looks! Cooled and heated seats sub $35k was pretty incredible too!
I think KIA should take advantage of the logo's resemblance to the Nine Inch Nails logo: _A customer in a KIA showroom is visibly impressed by the body lines and overall design of the car. He stands at the car's rear end and lets out a deep breath as he says, "I want to feel you from the inside." Cut to POV shot of the customer spiritedly driving through twisting roads._
The front fascia of the Forte looks like it’s fed up with seeing all the SUVs people are buying. I love it. Also, seeing the entire opening title crawl from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in that list was the icing on the cake.
As someone who is new to the workforce and is absolutely under their parent’s health insurance and owns a 2023 Kia Forte, i feel incredibly target. Side note, I love my Kia forte. I also have a 2012 Sorento with a 3.5 as well that has 220k miles on it.
How the resale market works for compacts: The person who crossed the Rio Grande 6 months prior asks friend what type of older used car to buy, gets told: "Toyota or Honda, and don't buy anything else". Everyone follows the advice which makes a 15yo 150k miles Civic/Corolla $10,000.
Nissan is the official vehicle of "why did you run? You were only going to get a ticket." And Kia is the official brand of "Ma'am you can't be high on prescription medication at your workplace."
Nissan slid way downhill to become like KIA in the last 20 years. I had a 97 Altima, then a 97 Maxima, and now I have a G35 Coupe, and all of them have been great, never did me wrong. Now with CVT issues and bad credit practices Altimas either blow up on some poor family or get driven at 90 with dings everywhere and the spare tire on.
My second car was a 2013 Kia Forte SX sedan. Gunmetal Gray, factory wing and aero package, was sad the sedan SXs were all ATs, but that car never gave me any trouble mechanically outside of the sway bar links wearing out but that was an easy fix. Kept up on my oil changes, flushes, plugs, brakes, and belt replacement, never a hiccup with it. At least until I got T-boned leaving my apartment and the car was totalled 😢 I'd likely still have it today if that dickhead hadn't run the intersection (power was out, no signals). Miss that car so much
I've got the 19 Veloster R-Spec with the last generation of the 1.6T Gamma before they went to the Gamma 2. Paired up with their 6 speed trans. 62k miles strong, hoping those two together go strong. It's build quality feels good, but it has rattles and creaks since new.
I'm on the Elantra sport facebook group and the 6 speed in those cars (same engine and powertrain as yours) have been reliable. Someone there got 140k miles and tuned theirs to 260 hp on stock internals
I went to a Honda dealership. The salesman tried to sell me a newer Hyundai. I said hard pass on the Hyundai, I told him I work in a shop and we've been having those things coming back a lot for failed oil pumps lately. Even same year as the one he tried to sell me. He laughed, indicating he was well aware. Later he again suggested the Hyundai to me.
Honestly i didnt had any mechanical problems with my 2012 hyundai sonata, the only problem was that it was stolen with a usb chord.🙃 Kia and Hyundai have a long way to rebuilt trust with consumers again, especially considering that a lot of insurance companies are refusing to insurance these cars anymore.
I had a 2016 Forte. It was a great little commuter. Did my usual maintenance and got to 56k miles without a single mechanical issue before an old lady rear ended me at a 4 way stop and totaled the thing. On the plus side the check I got from the insurance company was 4 grand more than what I paid for the car. Now I drive a 2.0t Stinger, currently at 74k miles on it and it's been bang on reliable outside of eating through rear tires quicker than expected.
You get a cheap car with an amazing warranty that are super cheap? My old man has had only one issue with his older Kia. It sat, and rodents ate the harness. $150 and an hour later with a new harness? Still flawless. If. You. Follow. Suggested. Service.
Those older Forte sedans have aged REALLY well. Compare the styling to the equivalent early-2010s Corolla and you'd think they were from different centuries.
I have a 23 silver gt 6 speed, interior is way better than civic, sport mode is fun, boost is almost instant, Harmon Kardon system is nice too with Sirius xm blasting, looks really good when the whole car is tinted, pilot sport tires are awesome, thing handles like it's on rails
I have a 2022 Kia Forte GT2, and although it is a cheap and affordable econobox, it is fun enough to drive for the most part. My biggest gripe with these cars is the extremely short life span of the DCT. I have 70k miles on mine, and the clutch pack has been replaced 3 times already under warranty. Its sbowing signs of slipping again already, and will be going in within the next couple weeks for another clutch pack replacement. Its a fun quick little car, and has good technology for the price point. It is a car you enjoy while you have a warranty, but you surely want to be getting rid of it before the warranty is up. Oh and lastly, i guess the rate at which these cars depreciate is kinda a bummer as well. My car was only a year old when i asked what the dealer would give me for it, and they offered me literally half of what i paid for the car!! In only one year and 30k later the price was in half.
I remember doing research research when i bought this for my wife and for the money i couldn't find anything close to it . And ended up geting the GT2 version . Only thing we done was added pilot sport all season 4s. But i will like to say a top line corolla in 2021 was more then this was.
The 1.6T is used across the KIA lineup and has had success for being reliable. The 7 speed DCT has had problems. Like you said, not unlike any pulley driven CVT. I'd personally choose the 6 speed manual because KIA/Hyundai absolutely refuses to use the much improved 8 speed wet clutch DCT inside the Forte GT.
When you mean the 7-speed dry DCT has had problems, do you mean like refinement issues (it being jerky) or that it has a tendency to fail at low mileage?
What an awesome review, I feel like my Buick century would be perfect for this race to the bottom, the only reason I own it is because of sentimental value
a buick century was a solid car in its day though, and quite reliable by American standards. those old GM v6's had a few well-known intake gasket issues but were otherwise incredibly long-lasting and dead reliable.
@@DeusTex-Mex oh I completely agree, but it’s bland exterior and anemic v6 make for a driving experience akin to recreational Dramamine abuse. Plus the lovely GM slush box is always the weak point on these vehicles, I’ve owned two and they both had transmission problems after awhile
My wife loves her black gt. Just change the oil every 5k miles or less, according to research and its ok. This is the 3rd Kia she has had and we haven't had any issues. Plan on driving it for 3 or 4 more years then sell before the warranty is up. I think it's a great deal though, it's fun to drive, you get way more features for way less money and IMO it just shows how much other brands overcharge for basic things.
It's not that they build it to fail, it's that they know when things wear out and fail then time the warranty to run out. The new tech they cram in cars for fuel economy makes them unreliable: CVT's just aren't good, direct injection leads to carbon build up, start/stop tech is hard on engines, etc.
@@TheRealCatof Bullshit, you're telling me you've never seen an 80's Camaro or Mustang rolling around that's clearly been beat on but's still going, or a Crown Victoria yellow cab with 300,000 miles? Name a specific American car from the last 20 years known not to last 100,000 miles. Hyundai and KIA's reputation for failing is well documented, especially cars with direct injection or CVTs. The owner of my company had an Equus, Hyundai's flagship model at the time, and he was about ready to burn down the dealership.
The Hyundai 1.6T and 6-speed manual is great in every car they ever put it in. Seriously fun and underrated drivetrain that's tried and true for over a decade now. About as much fun as you can have in an ordinary everyday "cheap" car.
my best love was my Veloster N. the Veloster reminded everyone what affordable performance was, did everything right, AND premiered the engine that both fixed hyundai’s grenade issues and laid the foundation for every ounce of hyundai/kia’s performance pedigree… and enthusiasts hated it. it got taken out and quietly shot behind the shed.
Kia/Hyundai have gotten better over the last 10 years or so to the point where if you can't afford Japanese, then Korea's probably your next safest bet (Just do your research). Also, good luck finding a Civic Si at MSRP, lmao
Man, Honda offered the 1.5t as standard in all the non-type R hatchbacks. For a $22-$24k you could get a hatchback with a manual and a $400 tuner to get you a poor boy's SI.
Those engines are turning out to be blowing head gaskets whenever you have any kind of spirited driving and ESPECIALLY if tuned. You can't just throw extra boost on any engine and expect reliable power from it, the 2JZ and ej22 famous for a reason.
Hmmmmm... I own a 2009 V6 KIA Sportage that I bought new....since then I have replaced the A/C compressor ( I live in FL) and Master Cylinder along with periodic maintenance, tires etc. It has 125K on the Odo and still runs and looks great. I don't see many on the road these days but I fully expect to drive my KIA for at least another 50-75K trouble-free. The NEW CAR market is absurdly OVERPRICED and the used car Market won't yield another SUV that my KIA can't beat on the Price/Performance curve
Kia/Hyundai is incredibly well built...depending on the metric being measured. If you measure it on resale value, fuel economy, overall reliability, performance...then no its not well built. But if you measure it by looking at old Hyundais, then yes, because against all odds, alot of these cars have outlived far better built and more reliable cars. My 2006 Tucson here in Canada shares the road with very few other 2006 cars. Thats 16 winters worth of Penn grade rusting, and its headed for another with 151k miles(243k kms). No valve knocking. A/C still works, still on the factory clutch with no slipping. I bought it from a scrapyard "for parts" and put it back on the road in 2021. Previous to me, based on the glove compartment overflowing of garage visit bills, it had been "partial flood damaged", VGA repaired(unibody damage cut away and parts of donor Tuscon welded onto it), and in a different collision where an airbag went off and that was the only damage. Its catalytic converter had also been stolen twice, with the second time likely being the final straw, as i received it with a still shiny slinky tube on the exhaust line where the catalytic would otherwise be. First thing i did was pull out the timing belt. It was the original factory one worn to the threads. Then i unclogged the oil sump. New ball joints, brakes, ect. The scrapyard only had Santa Fe's in the pull-your-parts- area, so i bought a used Santa Fe exhaust line. Cut, weld, put the box on sideways. And thats it, its been running since. The interior is cheap and dreary, it rattles and vibrates, Airbag/ABS/Trac/Check lights are permanently on, gas tank as a hole in it at half-tank, it rocks back and forth so much in the wind that i named it "Wobbling Wallce". On one hand, undeniably appalling build quality. On the other, that such junk beat the odds and survived so much for so long is its own form of impressive.
Love the Mondays when it's a legit regular car. Like econoboxes and that's it. It's the stuff I see the most of and probably all I'll ever aspire to buy since a depreciating asset just does not justify itself for me. And I love cars. But the juice is not worth the squeeze when I'll be in traffic all the time. Love the review roman!! You're a baller, just excellent
