2022 Kia Forte vs 2022 Honda Civic

The 2022 Honda Civic was available in LX, Sport, EX, and Touring trims, with prices starting at $21,700 and going up to $28,300, excluding a $995 destination charge. A new five-door hatchback was also set to join the lineup, but the two-door coupe was discontinued. The Civic Touring model, priced at $29,690 with destination charges, featured the new Morning Mist Blue paint, adding $395 to the cost. Another model, the Civic Sport, came with Platinum White Pearl paint and the Honda Performance Development (HPD) appearance package, estimated at just under $25,880.

The redesigned 2022 Civic had a more conservative and plain appearance compared to its predecessor, resembling the larger Accord sedan. The interior aimed for simplicity, featuring a minimalistic control layout and a metal honeycomb mesh across the dashboard to hide air vents. The materials, especially in the Touring trim, reflected a maturity absent in previous models.

The 2022 Kia Forte offered four trims: FE, LXS, GT-Line, and GT. The Forte FE was the fuel-economy leader, rated at 41 mpg on the highway. The LXS provided essential features, while the GT-Line added a sporty look without performance enhancements. The GT trim, priced at $26,900 with destination charges, included the GT2 Package and other accessories. Base prices for the FE, LXS, and GT-Line ranged from $19,090 to $21,290, plus the destination charge.

The 2022 Forte received updates like a new grille, headlights, and bumpers. The GT-Line and GT trims featured sportier looks with red-accent detailing, a gloss black lip spoiler, and larger 18-inch wheels. The interior remained similar to the previous year, with a 4.2-inch driver information display, a revised center console, and improved infotainment systems. The GT's interior had a sporty look with analog gauges, round air vents, and a thick-rimmed steering wheel.

The 2022 Honda Civic offered two engines: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque for the LX and Sport trims, and a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque for the EX and Touring trims. Both engines paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Step Shift programming. The Sport and Touring trims included a Sport transmission mode for enhanced responsiveness. The Civic's improved structural rigidity, revised suspension tuning, and better steering feel made it fun to drive. However, the Civic Touring returned 30.4 mpg on a 95-mile loop, falling short of the EPA's 34 mpg estimate.

The 2022 Kia Forte carried over most of its mechanical components from the previous year. The FE, LXS, and GT-Line trims had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with a CVT. The Forte GT featured a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, available with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The GT trim also had a sport-tuned suspension, larger 18-inch wheels, and available Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires. The Forte GT's brakes struggled on demanding descents, and the car's engine noise was noticeable at highway speeds. The Forte GT averaged 25.8 mpg on a testing loop, below the EPA's 26 mpg estimate for the manual transmission and 30 mpg for the DCT.

The 2022 Honda Civic's redesigned front seats offered better support, especially in the leather-lined Touring trim with a power-adjustable driver's seat. The front passenger seat lacked a height adjuster but provided excellent thigh support. The Civic's low ground clearance made entry and exit challenging, but the back seat offered more legroom than most competitors. The Civic lacked rear air conditioning vents and heated rear cushions in the Touring trim. The new center console had less storage space but more accessible cupholders. Trunk volume was 14.8 cubic feet, or 14.4 cubic feet in the Touring trim due to the premium sound system components.

The 2022 Kia Forte GT, with the GT2 option package, included a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated and ventilated front seats, a power sunroof, and upgraded LED interior lighting. The Forte GT's height-adjustable front passenger seat was standard across all trims. The GT also had a dual-zone automatic climate control system and rear air conditioning vents. Rear seat room was generous, with a large bottom seat cushion for proper support. The Forte's trunk offered 15.3 cubic feet of cargo space, the largest in the segment, with a grab handle for easy closing and fold-down rear seats for expanded capacity.

The 2022 Honda Civic featured digital instrumentation, with a 10-inch display in the Touring trim offering greater customization and driving environment data. The Vehicle Activity display showed when the LED headlights, taillights, brake lights, and turn signals were on. The standard infotainment system had a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Touring trim included a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, HD radio, satellite radio, and a navigation system. The Touring trim also had a 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint 2 premium surround-sound audio system.

The 2022 Kia Forte offered new Technology option packages for the LXS, GT-Line, and GT trims, adding infotainment and safety systems. The FE and LXS trims had an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The GT-Line and GT trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen with SiriusXM satellite radio, voice recognition, Kia Connect services, and remote engine starting. The GT trim also had wireless smartphone charging and an available eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system. The Forte's infotainment system was user-friendly, but the voice recognition capabilities were hit-and-miss.

The 2022 Honda Civic's upgraded Honda Sensing suite included Traffic Jam Assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and Lane Keeping Assist. The Civic EX and Touring trims had a proper blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert, replacing the previous LaneWatch system. The Civic's new vehicle architecture provided better protection in collisions, and new front airbag designs offered improved head protection. The Civic also had rear side-impact airbags and a standard rear-seat reminder system.

The 2022 Kia Forte offered standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and a driver monitoring system. The GT-Line and GT trims added active blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safe Exit Warning. Optional safety features included cyclist detection, navigation-linked adaptive cruise control, and Highway Driving Assist (HDA). The IIHS gave the Forte high marks for crashworthiness and driving assist systems, while the NHTSA awarded it a four-star overall crash protection rating.