2022 Kia Forte vs 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback

The 2022 Kia Forte offered four trim levels: FE, LXS, GT-Line, and GT. The Forte GT, evaluated for this review, came with Steel Gray paint, the GT2 Package, and a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $26,900, including a destination charge of $1,055. This trim level featured a new grille, headlights, and bumpers, along with fresh wheel designs for the LXS and GT-Line. The GT-Line and GT received new fog lights and taillights, with the GT boasting brighter LED headlights. The GT also had red-accent detailing, a gloss black lip spoiler, and larger 18-inch wheels with a machined finish, giving it the best looks in the family.

Inside, the Forte GT’s interior was nearly identical to the previous year’s model, featuring a standard 4.2-inch driver information display, a revised center console with an electronic parking brake and Auto Hold feature, and improved infotainment systems. The GT-Line and GT used a different kind of simulated leather. The GT’s interior had a sporty look with traditional analog gauges, round outer air vents, and a thick-rimmed steering wheel with a flat-bottom design and thumb rests. Seat perforations, patterns, piping, and stitching had a Germanic appearance, and polished metal interior accents dressed up the otherwise simple cabin.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback aimed to capture a significant market share for hatchbacks, rolling out of an Indiana factory. Honda offered the Civic hatch in LX, Sport, EX-L, and Sport Touring trim levels, with prices ranging from $22,900 to $29,400 (plus a $1,015 destination charge). The new hatchback looked like the Civic sedan from the front doors forward, except for a different grille pattern and unique wheel designs. From the front doors to the rear, it was a different vehicle. The Civic hatchback’s design solved the tendency for small hatchbacks to carry all their visual weight over the front wheels, although it still suffered from stubby butt syndrome when viewed from certain angles.

Inside, the Civic hatch looked just like the Civic sedan. The Sport Touring trim added more sophisticated digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, giving it a more modern appearance. All trims included handsome metal honeycomb dashboard detailing that hid the air vents and expertly rendered controls that looked and felt high-quality. The slightly janky CVT shifter operation was the only detractor from the overall sense of sophistication.

The 2022 Kia Forte’s mechanical components carried over from the previous year. All trims except the GT had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) powering the front wheels. The fuel economy rating for this engine was 35 mpg in combined driving for the FE trim and 33 mpg for the LXS and GT-Line.

The Forte GT offered a more exciting driving experience with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, available from 1,500 rpm to 4,500 rpm. This engine paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) with paddle shifters. Drivers could choose Smart, Normal, or Sport driving modes, adjusting throttle response, transmission behavior, and steering feel. The GT trim also featured a sport-tuned suspension with an independent rear design, a sport-tuned exhaust, larger 18-inch alloy wheels, and available Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer performance tires.

The Forte GT delivered effortless acceleration and plenty of driving enjoyment, with a good blend of ride and handling characteristics. However, the brakes were not up to the task of a demanding mountain descent, and the engine noise at 75 mph on the freeway added to the cabin noise. The Forte GT did not meet the EPA’s fuel economy promises, averaging 25.8 mpg on the testing loop and 32.8 mpg during a week-long loan.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback offered a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque in the LX and Sport trims. The LX came only with the CVT, while the Sport offered a choice between the CVT and a six-speed manual transmission. The EX-L and Sport Touring trims featured a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, with peak torque available from 1,700 rpm to 4,500 rpm. The EX-L came only with the CVT, while the Sport Touring offered both transmission types.

Every Civic hatchback was front-wheel drive, with a variable-ratio electric steering system and ventilated front and solid rear disc brakes. The suspension used MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link independent design in back. The Sport and Sport Touring versions rode on 18-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in 235/40 Continental all-season tires. The CVT worked well with the turbocharged engine, and the paddle shifters on the Sport and Sport Touring models were useful. The six-speed manual transmission in the Sport Touring was a real sweetheart, featuring short throws, fluid gear engagement, and excellent clutch modulation.

The Civic hatchback whooshed to speed quickly and effortlessly, with firm and satisfying suspension tuning around town. The steering felt good, and the brakes felt good underfoot. However, the all-season Continentals got squishy when tossing the Civic Sport Touring around, and the brakes were not up to repeated hard use. Despite these issues, the Civic hatchback was thoroughly enjoyable to drive and did well on fuel economy, nearly matching the official EPA estimates.

The 2022 Kia Forte GT, with the GT2 option package, added numerous worthwhile features, including a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats, a power sunroof, upgraded LED interior lighting, and full SynTex simulated leather seats. The Forte GT proved comfortable for long road trips, with a height-adjustable front passenger’s seat and ventilated front seats. The rear seat room was remarkably good for a compact car, with a large and angled bottom seat cushion for proper support. The Forte’s trunk was large, with 15.3 cubic feet of cargo space, making it the biggest in the segment.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback offered a generous 24.5 cubic feet of trunk space, with a 60/40-split folding back seat. All seating positions were comfortable, but the Sport Touring’s front passenger’s seat lacked a seat-height adjuster. The Civic hatchback did not have rear air conditioning vents, which was a drawback on hot days. The driver’s seat had eight-way power adjustment, and both front seats were heated. The Civic hatchback featured black fabric seats in LX and Sport trims, while the EX-L and Sport Touring had black leather upholstery. Automatic climate control was standard, with a dual-zone system in EX-L and Sport Touring versions.

For 2022, Kia offered new Technology option packages for the LXS, GT-Line, and GT models, adding infotainment and safety systems. The FE and LXS trims had an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The GT-Line and GT had a 10.25-inch touchscreen display with more features and functions, but required a cable for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The GT had standard wireless smartphone charging and an available eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system. The Forte’s infotainment system was easy to use, but the voice recognition capabilities were hit-and-miss.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback had a new infotainment system, with a 7-inch touchscreen display in LX, Sport, and EX-L trims, and a 9-inch touchscreen display in the Sport Touring trim. The Sport Touring trim also featured wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint 2 surround-sound audio system. The Civic’s infotainment system was superior to the previous generation, with a voice recognition system that worked beautifully. The Sport Touring included a 10.2-inch digital instrumentation display, while other trims had a 7-inch screen with a traditional analog speedometer.

The 2022 Kia Forte came with standard Kia Drive Wise technology, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, 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 an active blind-spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert with rear automatic braking, and a Safe Exit Warning system. Depending on the trim level, safety-related upgrades included cyclist detection, navigation-linked adaptive cruise control, and Highway Driving Assist (HDA). The Forte received high marks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) but had a four-star overall crash protection rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback was equipped with Honda Sensing, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist. New standard features included low-speed following capability and Traffic Jam Assist. The EX-L and Sport Touring trims had a blind-spot warning system, and the Sport Touring with a CVT also had Low-Speed Braking Control. All Civics included a rear-seat reminder system, rear seatbelt reminder, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Civic hatchback earned a “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS.