| 2010 Kia Forte Koup vs 2010 Scion tC | December 31, 2009 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
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| The Kia Forte is getting a lot of attention lately, particularly the Forte Koup (that's Kia talk for coupe). Kia has designed a stunner and people have begun to notice. It competes in a relatively small field of compact coupes such as the Honda Civic and Scion tC. The first generation tC enters its sixth model year which makes it old enough to vote in automobile years. A few concepts have been seen that might replace it but until then, we'll have to make due with what we got. | ||
| 2010 Kia Forte Koup | vs | 2010 Scion tC |
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| The Forte has a much more aggressive demeanor with sharper lines in the grille, bumper, and swept-back headlights. The gloss black cladding on the bumper doesn't look as good as the sedan version but is more sculpted to look more dynamic. The tC was fitted with a new mesh grille and headlights for the 2008 model but remains unchanged since then. The rest of the front fascia is identical to the original 2005 model. | ||
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| The rounded shape of the tC gives it a much softer appearance than the Forte. It still looks good and has appealed to young male and female drivers everywhere as it remains Scion's best selling model. The Forte has crisper body panels though such as the sculpted fenders and hood. | ||
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| The tC is actually a hatchback but styled to look more like a coupe. The hatchback gives more versatility when loading the rear but looks better when styled as a fastback coupe. The sculpted side of the Forte gives it more character than the tC which looks clean but is leaning toward blandness after such a long time. The Forte's beltline sweeps upward toward the A-pillar while another character line is placed below sweeping upward toward the rear wheel flare. | ||
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| The tC's tail lights were the only other thing restyled in it's mid-cycle redesign. They took a turn for the worse though as the new triple circular design are fitted in black trim which doesn't look good in all body colors. The Forte's tail lights have a simpler design which look better in a slimmer shape. The Forte gets fitted with dual-outlet exhaust and a rear diffuser which is something rarely seen in this segment. | ||
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| The one area that the Forte and tC
shine are interior features. They both come feature packed
compared to their competitors. The Forte includes the usual
standards such as power windows and locks, remote keyless entry,
and cruise control while the SX trim adds red-stitched sport
cloth seats, tilt and telescoping steering column,
leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and metal finish
trim. A six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with satellite
radio is also standard and comes with three months of SIRIUS
Satellite service. Steering wheel-mounted controls are also
standard as well as USB connectivity, auxiliary input,
Bluetooth, and full iPod integration. A moonroof is also
optional. The tC's standard feature set is also exceptional and features the only panorama moonroof in this segment. iPod connectivity also comes standard and the tC features exceptional iPod integration. A 160-watt Pioneer audio system is the standard audio equipment fitted with a flip cover that slides into the dashboard. The other usual goodies are also included such as air conditioning, power door locks and mirrors, and cruise control. Two other features usually only seen in more expensive vehicles are auto-off headlights and auto up/down power windows for both the driver and passenger. |
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PROS +Sharp, aggressive design +Unique styling cues such as the beltline and front fenders +Feature loaded CONS -Gloss black cladding on the front bumper -C-pillar is a little too wide |
PROS +Clean cut design +Feature loaded +Panorama moonroof CONS -It's old -A little bubbly in the shape -New tail lights don't look as good as before |
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| Video Source: Cars.com via YouTube | Video Source: MyRide.com via YouTube |
| NOTES |
| Kia Forte Koup vs Honda Civic Coupe Comparison |
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