We have had nothing but a walk in the park -- or rather a ride on the street -- with our KIA Forte. We bought the car new in 2010 and it has held up to multiple road trips, including two cross country excursions. We are outgrowing our car with our ever expanding family, so we will have to part ways soon, but we would buy another Forte in a heartbeat. We have never had any issues with it; granted, we are very on top of our scheduled maintenance and general upkeep, but anyone who's investing thousands of dollars into their auto should be as diligent. We initially were considering a Toyota, but after test driving the KIA, doing our research on the safety ratings, and a lot of questions asked of the sales manager, we knew this was going to be the car for us. I would rate it a 5 if it were a bit roomier in the backseat. With three kids, they are practically on top of each other. But the trunk space is roomy, the ride is smooth, and the engine is quiet. We had our windows tinted, which kept our car relatively cool in the hot Florida sun and it’s working just as well in California. For an affordable car for a family on a budget, the KIA Forte is an excellent option.

It performs very well on highways, which is what I use it most for. I went from Florida to NY with no issues, came back, still no issues.