2023 Kia Forte vs 2023 Acura Integra

The 2023 Acura Integra was designed with a cohesive aesthetic that aligned with Acura's broader vehicle lineup, featuring a pentagonal grille, JewelEye headlights, and sharply creased character lines. This design allowed the Integra to fit seamlessly alongside the TLX sedan and the RDX and MDX crossovers. With the introduction of the Integra, Acura phased out the ILX compact sedan, recognizing the market's shift away from traditional sedans. The Integra distinguished itself with a five-door liftback design, a nod to its third-generation predecessor, and a wide track that gave it a solid, planted appearance. The interior shared some similarities with the Honda Civic, maintaining cost efficiency without feeling like a mere re-skin. The Integra offered a 9-inch color touchscreen, a thin steering wheel, and excellent exterior visibility, although rearward visibility was less impressive. The A-Spec trims featured microsuede upholstery, which, while effective in keeping the driver in place, lacked breathability. Despite its premium status, the Integra did not offer ventilated seats, and while it was well-constructed, it didn't match the bespoke refinement of its German competitors.

The 2023 Kia Forte retained some of Kia's older design cues from its 2019 redesign while incorporating newer styling elements. The double-tab grille and converging angled cutouts were characteristic of Kia's design language. The GT trims added bold red accents for a touch of excitement, though opinions on these varied. The Forte's side and rear design were typical for its class, but its overall shape was more graceful than some competitors. Inside, the Forte maintained an older layout with a touchscreen atop the center dash and traditional climate controls below. This setup, while not as high-tech as newer models, was user-friendly and easy to acclimate to. The Forte's interior materials were notably nicer than those of its contemporaries, with soft-touch surfaces and sturdy construction. The GT models featured convincing synthetic leather upholstery, and the rear seats, while more utilitarian, were designed to withstand wear and tear. Despite its age, the Forte's design remained competitive against newer sedans.

The 2023 Acura Integra marked the first time the model was offered with a turbocharged engine, a lively 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder producing 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a six-speed manual transmission in the A-Spec with Technology trim, while lower trims came with a continuously variable automatic transmission. The manual transmission featured short throws and automatic rev-matching technology, making gear changes smooth and engaging. The Integra's handling was impressive, with a firm suspension providing a sporty ride and a wide track and long wheelbase contributing to its planted feel. The variable-ratio electric power-steering system offered a natural feel on highways and sharp responsiveness in corners. The Integra also featured three drive modes—Comfort, Normal, and Sport—plus an individual mode, with Sport mode enhancing the car's sporty characteristics.

The 2023 Kia Forte offered two engine choices: a base 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, and a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the GT trim, producing 201 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The base engine was paired with a CVT, while the GT offered a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual transmission. The base engine provided adequate performance for most drivers, with a 0-60 mph time of 8.7 seconds, while the GT's turbocharged engine delivered a more exciting 6.5-second sprint. The GT's sport-tuned suspension enhanced handling, and the dual-clutch automatic transmission kept power readily available, though it could be jumpy at lower speeds. The manual transmission offered a light clutch effort and precise shifter, making it engaging to drive. The GT's handling was sporty, with precise steering, though it lacked feedback. Despite the sport-tuned suspension, the GT's ride quality remained comfortable, with road noise being the only notable intrusion.

The 2023 Acura Integra's liftback design highlighted its practicality, offering 24.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. However, the high lift-over height could be a challenge for shorter individuals or those with heavy luggage. The interior provided ample space and comfort for the driver and passengers, with a logical dashboard layout, smartly placed cupholders, and a decently sized center console cubby. Rear passengers had decent legroom, though headroom was limited due to the steeply sloped roofline. The rear seat cushions were notably soft, adding to passenger comfort.

The 2023 Kia Forte's front seats offered ample space for taller passengers and were comfortable for long drives, despite having basic adjustments. The dashboard and center console layout placed controls within easy reach, allowing for intuitive operation. A rubberized phone tray and available wireless charger added convenience, while cup holders, door pockets, and a center armrest bin provided additional storage. The rear seats accommodated average-sized adults comfortably, with ample headroom and legroom. Higher trims featured separate air conditioning vents and a USB charge port for rear passengers. The trunk offered 15.3 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly more than some competitors, with a notable height for loading bulkier items. Remote seatback releases made expanding the cargo area easy.

The 2023 Acura Integra came standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. The Technology package upgraded the standard 7-inch touchscreen to a 9-inch unit, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, and a head-up display. The A-Spec with Technology trim added a USB-C port for the front seats and two USB-A ports for the rear seats. The ELS Studio 3D premium audio system, with 16 speakers, provided exceptional sound quality, surpassing the standard 8-speaker system.

The 2023 Kia Forte featured an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen on lower trims, with the GT-Line and above receiving a 10.25-inch display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, with a wireless charging pad available on higher trims. The GT-Line added a navigation system and upgraded the audio system to six speakers, with an optional eight-speaker Harman Kardon system. The infotainment system offered sharp graphics, quick responses, and intuitive menu organization, with helpful shortcut buttons. While wireless phone integration was problematic in one test vehicle, it generally worked well in other models.

The 2023 Acura Integra set a high standard for safety equipment, offering a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) across all trim levels. Standard features included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane-keeping assist, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, a rear-seat reminder, hill-start assist, and automatic brake hold. The A-Spec with Technology trim added low-speed braking control, front and rear parking sensors, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The Integra received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The 2023 Kia Forte received four out of five stars from the NHTSA for overall, frontal, side, and rollover protection. Some base forward collision mitigation features did not meet the Administration's performance criteria, but available upgrades did. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the Forte its highest score of "Good" in most evaluations, except for the updated front moderate overlap and side impact tests, which received "Poor" ratings. Standard safety features included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and a driver attention monitor. Higher trims offered additional features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and rear parking sensors.