[kwriley22]

Well hello everyone I'm Kenny..and in 4 days I'll be the proud owner of a black Kia Forte Koup EX.

To make a long story short I was involved in a wreck, lady hydroplaned and lost control and fishtailed me head first into a concrete guardrail at 70mph..needless to say my car was totalled. Anyhow I made some mistakes credit wise when I was younger so I was screwed when it came time to get a new car, thankfully my aunt helped me out. Sadly she wouldn't let me go over $20,000..I've always loved the look for the Forte Koups and I knew it was what I wanted before I even test drove it..

With the $20k budget the EX was my only option..with that said..anyone here that has test drove both, is the power difference that significant? I really want to do some minor bolt on modding to get that HP up because I'm a fan of speed =) I just think that if I could have talked my aunt into $2 grand more it would have been well worth it but I couldn't...

So I guess my main question is, is the HP difference that big of a deal between the EX and SX? Would modding make up for it? I guess what I'm really looking for is some encouragement that getting the EX wasn't the wrong way to go..anyhow glad to be here to discuss with you all

Kenny

 

[[email protected]]

Kenny - the EX is just fine. You will be very happy with it. You bought a really sharp looking car - black is a great color. Just enjoy it.

 

[apecio]

Any version of the Forte, koupe/sedan... is a great deal and you are getting a lot for your money. Congrats on the purchase and enjoy it!

IMO the horsepower difference between the EX and SX is somewhat substantial... i say that because you are getting a bigger engine, displacement wise, and a totally different tranny. Is it worth the cost... it was for me... but if I was on a tight budget... the EX would have been my choice. As i'm sure you did your homework... here are the spec differences in the powertrain area..

Type2.0 L Inline 4 cylinder, aluminum block and head2.4 L Inline 4 cylinder, aluminum block and headValve TrainDOHC, 16 valve, Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT)DOHC, 16 valve, Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT)Horsepower156 hp @ 6,200 rpm173 hp @ 6,000 rpmTorque144 lb.-ft. @ 4,300 rpm168 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpmCompression ratio10.5:110.1:1IntakeElectronic Throttle Control (ETC)Variable Intake System (VIS), Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)Emission ratingUltra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV)Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV)Transmission5-speed manual transmission Available 4-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, electronically controlled 6-speed manual transmission Available 5-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, Electronically controlled Type2.0 L Inline 4 cylinder, aluminum block and head2.4 L Inline 4 cylinder, aluminum block and headValve TrainDOHC, 16 valve, Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT)DOHC, 16 valve, Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT)Horsepower156 hp @ 6,200 rpm173 hp @ 6,000 rpmTorque144 lb.-ft. @ 4,300 rpm168 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpmCompression ratio10.5:110.1:1IntakeElectronic Throttle Control (ETC)Variable Intake System (VIS), Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)Emission ratingUltra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV)Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV)Transmission5-speed manual transmission Available 4-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, electronically controlled 6-speed manual transmission Available 5-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, Electronically controlled


In terms of mods... there aren't many out there... other than your standard air filter options... but give it a few months and there will be many more options to offset the 17hp difference.

Again... congrats, enjoy