2019 Toyota Corolla vs 2019 Kia Forte

Vehicle Comparison: Which one of the two would you choose?

Until recently, Toyota vehicles have had few peers in the categories of initial quality, reliability, and overall customer satisfaction. Over the past decade, however, KIA Motors has challenged the established order and now surpass their rivals, across their entire product line, in most of these all-important categories. With Kia topping so many of the quality surveys, buyer's are now wondering "what else does Kia do better?" While different trim levels and available options make comparing two vehicles difficult, examining base models side by side often provides a reasonably clear picture. Here's a head-to-head comparison of the entertainment, technology, interior, safety, and performance features found on the Kia Forte LX MT vs. the Toyota Corolla CE 6M.

While the Forte and Corolla match up nicely in most categories, the Forte does seem to have an edge when it comes to standard features, as witnessed by the chart below.

The 2019 Kia Forte	Vs.	The 2019 Toyota Corolla
8-inch	Touchscreen Display	6.1-inch
Yes	Rear Camera	Yes
Yes	Heated Front Seats	No
Yes	Aux audio input port	Yes
Yes	SB audio and charging port	Yes
Yes	Bluetooth connectivity	Yes
Yes	AppleCarPlay Android Auto	Available but not Standard
Yes	Automatic climate control	No
Yes	Six airbags	Yes
6-Speed Manual or Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) w/ Sportmatic	Transmission	6-speed Manual Transmission and CTV
2.0 liter, DOHC, 16-valve I-4	Engine	1.8 Litre, DOHC, 16-Valve.
Torsion Beam, Coil Springs, Twin-tube Shock Absorbers	Rear Suspension	Torsion Beam
MacPherson Strut	Front Suspension	MacPherson Strut
15.3 cu. Ft.	Cargo Space	13 cu. Ft.
8.4/6.5/7.5	Fuel Economy	8.6 / 6.4
Yes	Headlight Escort function	No

While this year's Forte matches up favorably to the Corolla, no one matches South Trail Kia as the number one place to buy a 2019 Kia Forte in Calgary, or Canada, as well.

Let's take a deeper dive into the new Forte's features and performance and see how the match up to the new Corolla:

Entertainment and Technology

Both the 2019 Forte and 2019 Corolla start with fairly good entertainment systems that the average buyer will be more than happy with. Each comes with a six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA premium sound system, available SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling and music streaming, and colour touchscreen controls.

Interior

Considering that the Forte LX MT and the Corolla CE 6M are base trims, both offer a considerable amount of comfort and convenience. The Forte even comes standard with heated front seats and automatic climate control - two nice features that Kia has begun to include at no extra charge on almost all of their vehicles.

Safety

Standard safety features on the entry-level Corolla and Forte include six airbags, electronic stability control, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and hill-assist control.

Performance

For power, the base Forte comes with a 147-HP 2.0 litre I-4 while the entry-level Corolla is powered by a smaller 132-HP 1.8 Litre four-cylinder engine. Both the Forte and Corolla get good fuel economy. Forte does slightly better on the highway, and the Corolla a bit better in the city. A nod to the larger Forte engine for squeezing out comparable fuel economy with more power.