[DJFourmoney]

My post tend to be wordy but I will try to keep this short.

I am a former owner of a Neon SRT-4 that is suffering from turbo withdrawal. I modified it up to Stage 3R with Toys but never got down the track with it in that configuration. With the stock turbo it ran [email protected] on 23" slicks (Stage 1 + Bolt-ons + Full 3" Exhaust with cat, 16psi). One of these days I will get another Neon SRT-4; I am also considering a Caliber SRT-4 as well.

I am in the market for a new or slightly used car.

One of the cars on my very short list is the Kia Forte 5 SX; no other version of the car will be considered. I found out about this forum from the other Kia Forte forum that tends to be less performance/modification oriented.

I was relieved to read the SX gets fairly decent gas mileage when driven in Eco mode. It still doesn't do quite as well as the Focus ST and is on par with the Caliber SRT-4 actually.

The price is competitive and within my budget.

It will really depend on how much car I end up getting qualified for.

A decision will be made fairly soon but I will remain a member because I do like the cars and support Kia/Hyundai's push into the sporty market.

I do have to say however that I am 44 years old and the days of having my entire hatch/trunk being taken up by a 1,000 watts of power and subwoofer is largely over. A single 10" sub or Bazooka tube is plenty for me. But I am still deeply interested in performance but still want better than average fuel economy for something that will easily match cars the next level up.

Look forward to sharing my overall knowledge and experience with turbo-charged cars.

 

[Kneegradamus]

Welcome to the forum!!
The Forte turbo has a lot to offer and is turning out to be a mod beast of its own category. The potential trapped inside is an endless powerhouse waiting to be unleashed. You are welcome here regardless of owning or not. But if you do decide to buy, feel free to ask as many questions as needed . I myself have a large build going on and am looking to hit some big power. Pm or tag me whenever you like
Again welcome !
Max


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Redturbo]

Welcome @djfourmoney to the forum! You're in the right place for any questions/knowledge seeking. I personally have the forte koup but the forte 5 is just as beautiful. I'm sure you'll be pleased with it! These cars are great on gas mileage, if thats what you're looking for. The cars are quick, not Ferrari fast hahah. But they are certainly quick cars that give any other car competitive in its price range a run for their money!

 

[rick021808]

You won't be disappointed with the Forte. Before I bought mine, I was considering a used wrx or neon srt4 and I just didnt want to have car payments and a car with quite a few miles and unknown reliability, I wanted something new, reliable and affordable and still fun to drive and can overtime mod.

 

[Korean Unicorn]

Well I just have a few words.. First stepping in to Korean performance market is a different beast.. than coming form a well supported domestic sport compact car.. the community is smaller and the Aftermarket support is still in the pioneer stage.. but on the plus side you are starting with a better engineered car than the old neon.. You know as well as I do that the suspension issues were legendary on that car..
If you are looking for a simple plug and play.. aftermarket performance like the neon.. we are a few years off.. but there is promise.. and one more thing there is no Eco button on the 6 speed manual cars.. your eco button is the throttle control.. most people are getting 24 to 27 mpg in traffic. higher on the open highways.. and a plus is that are cars run great on cheap 87 octane gas.. we don't get a boost from running higher octane fuel in stock tuning..
A few more things to consider.. one you will be a true outsider is you go to meets.. Like the AMC guys in the 60s but with out the street cred.. Most kia dealers will refuse warranty service on modded cars.. not like the inside nods and winks you got from mopar..
IF you want to be different with a completive car.... not just pretend different.. Like the Scion guys or the Subaru guys.. well you have found the last fox hole to dig in to and surprise people.. nothing makes a dude feel worse than losing to a Kia.. at a stoplight.. hope you will join or ranks

 

[honhon]

i wish my koup was a 5... but overal its a good car

 

[smalltowngirl13]

Welcome aboard and good luck with your decision...