2020 Honda Civic vs 2019 Kia Forte

The 2019 Kia Forte might have appeared to be a mere facelift at first glance, but it was actually an all-new generation. It retained its jellybean-like shape and plucky front-end design, with a subtle swoop along the side. The taillight band connecting each side above the license plate was a design element that seemed cheap and tacked-on. However, the overall design was more mature compared to past generations. The new Forte also featured additional small rear quarter windows framing the rear doors and flatter, lower windowsills. Styling cues from the sporty Kia Stinger were evident in the grille's powerful shape, futuristic headlights, and aggressive lower-grille design.

Inside, the Forte’s cabin was contemporary and high-tech, with a simple layout influenced by the Stinger. It featured a sport steering wheel and a floating touchscreen, while the big circular HVAC vents were pushed to the corners. The instrument panel's crisp look and general layout had hints of Audi’s small car, thanks to Peter Schreyer, the head of design at Hyundai and Kia, who previously worked at Audi. The Forte came in trims FE, LXS, S, and EX, with the base FE trim offering plenty of standard features like electric power side mirrors, remote keyless entry, forward-collision avoidance, and lane-keeping assist. Higher trims added more features, with the range-topping EX offering power heated side mirrors, leatherette upholstery, and a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat.

The 2020 Honda Civic was the crown jewel in Honda's lineup, offering a bounty of choices and engineering excellence typically found in more expensive cars. It came in three body styles—sedan, coupe, and 4-door hatchback—each with a sharp design that accentuated its low and wide stance. The sedan had a svelte roofline, while the hatchback's tall rump was a tad quirky. The 2019 model year brought upgrades to the grilles, bumpers, and wheels, which carried over to 2020. The Civic Si sedan featured new matte-black 18-inch wheels, LED fog lights, standard LED headlights, an updated grille, and a new rear bumper. The hatchback also received new bumper and light changes, plus new wheels in gray or black.

Inside, the Civic's simple interior featured a narrow center stack and minimal instrumentation, built with soft-touch rubbers and high-quality switchgear. The 2020 model year brought three new dash accents on the hatchback and a thin red line accenting the instrument panel on the Si. The Si also got revised sport seats with red bands woven into the fabric. The interior was pleasing to the eye, with more gloss-black trim on the steering wheel and dash, a metal shift knob, and a pulsing red glow of the start button. The center console had a deep storage bin with item trays and cupholders that could be configured to the user's preference.

The 2019 Kia Forte came with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive (FWD) across all trims. This engine produced 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with either a 6-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The FE trim came standard with the manual but was available with the CVT, while all other trims came standard with the CVT. Kia's CVT, called an iVT, managed power well and provided an immediate response when accelerating. The Forte was quick off the line and had ample power for highway passing. Its handling was impressive, with minimal body roll and precise steering.

The Forte also featured a Drive Mode Selector with Normal, Sport, and Smart modes. Normal mode focused on comfort and efficiency, Sport mode kept the revs higher for quicker acceleration, and Smart mode adjusted throttle and CVT responses based on driving behavior. Fuel economy with the CVT was 30 mpg city, 40 highway, and 34 combined, while the 6-speed manual FE trim achieved 27/37/31. The most efficient configuration was the FE with the CVT, returning 31/41/35 combined. In a week of combined city and highway driving, the EX trim observed a fuel economy of 29.7 mpg.

The 2020 Honda Civic offered four engines and two transmissions across its lineup, all FWD. The base LX and Sport trims had a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission was standard on both sedans, while the coupe and hatchback paired the manual with the Sport trim. The CVT was standard on the base LX and an extra-cost option for manual trims. EX and above trims came with a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 making 174 hp and 162 lb-ft, while the hatchbacks in Sport or Sport Touring trims made 180 hp. The manual was standard on the loaded Sport Touring trim.

The 1.5-liter engine was preferred for its greater mid-range acceleration and responsiveness. The Civic Si featured a boosted 1.5-liter engine with 205 hp and 192 lb-ft, while the Type R had 306 hp and 295 lb-ft. Both the Civic Si and Type R came exclusively with a stick-shift. The Si's adaptive dampers removed body roll, though it rode stiffer than the regular Civic. The Si was balanced, direct, and always willing to play, with a great suspension, precise steering, and a torque-rich engine. The EPA rated the Si at 26 mpg city, 36 highway, and 30 combined, while most Civic models with the CVT achieved at least 30 mpg city and up to 42 mpg highway.

The 2019 Kia Forte's exterior length grew by 3.2 inches, and it was just under an inch wider, resulting in a noticeably larger interior. The front seat had plenty of legroom, though headroom was tight for occupants over 6 feet tall. The backseat had adequate headroom, and taller occupants would be comfortable for longer drives as long as the front seats were not all the way back. The Forte had 15.3 cubic feet of trunk space, making it one of the largest in its class. The EX trim featured Kia’s smart trunk system, which automatically deployed the trunk when you stood behind the car for a few seconds.

The 2020 Honda Civic's interior featured a three-spoke steering wheel with controls for the central display and instrument panel. The center console had a deep storage bin with item trays and cupholders that could be configured to the user's preference. The Civic felt roomy for rear passengers in all directions, though it lacked rear air vents. The trunk's cargo space was 15 cubic feet in all sedan trims, while the coupes had 12 cubic feet. The hatchback offered 26 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 46 cubic feet with them folded down.

The 2019 Kia Forte came standard with an 8-inch UVO touchscreen, featuring a vivid and intuitive layout. The combination of colors and fonts made for crisp visuals, and the logical menu layout kept the experience straightforward. Physical buttons lined the bottom of the screen, and conventional tuning and volume dials were retained. The test model also featured Kia’s UVO e-services, providing enhanced roadside assistance, in-depth vehicle diagnostics, and a smartphone app to remind you where you parked.

The 2020 Honda Civic's infotainment system was outdated, running slower and looking graphically dated compared to newer systems in other Honda models. The 7-inch touchscreen, standard on all models except the base LX, came with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The navigation on top-end trims was Garmin-based, fast, and had accurate voice recognition. The Civic Si featured Active Sound Control, push-button start, keyless entry, power moonroof, and heated front seats. LaneWatch, a camera mounted on the right-side mirror, provided a live feed of the blind spot when the right-hand turn signal was activated. Automatic climate control was standard on all models, and Honda Sensing was included on Si models, featuring active lane centering, adaptive cruise control, and auto high beams.

The 2019 Kia Forte offered standard forward-collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and driver-attention warning. It also included a reversing camera, traction control, and front- and side-impact airbags. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control. The lane-keeping assist system was highly active, providing minor steering inputs to keep the car centered in the lane.

The 2020 Honda Civic came with Honda Sensing, which included forward collision warning, emergency forward braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Improvements to the optional LED headlights helped the Civic earn the Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for all body styles except the Type R. The Civic earned the top "Good" rating in all six crash tests. The NHTSA rated the 2020 Civic five stars in all categories, except for four stars in the passenger frontal crash rating on the coupe.