2013 Kia Optima Sx W/limited Pkg on 2040-cars

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2014 Kia Forte Koup bows with new look, new engine

Third time's the charm. The final member of Kia's Forte trio has been revealed here at the New York Auto Show, and this new coupe Koup will join the sedan and five-door models when it goes on sale near the end of this year.
The two-door Forte looks sharp, and we like the way Kia's new design language for its compact car has translated onto this coupe model. LED running lights are found up front, matching the LED taillmaps at the rear. EX models will ride on 16-inch alloy wheels, while the upgraded SX model will use 18-inch rollers.
Two powertrains will be offered in the Forte Koup: a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four in the EX, producing 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission; and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four in the SX, rated at 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, available with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The five-door Forte also gets this turbocharged mill, and if its specs sound familiar, it's because this engine is also found under the hood of the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Junkyard Gem: 1991 Ford Festiva with 317K miles

Most cars that make it to astoundingly high mileage figures tend to fall into one of two categories: engineering masterpieces that ended up being hard to kill (and got a lifetime of at least the most important maintenance items) or machines that inspired unquestioning love from owners willing to keep opening their wallets for decades to keep them on the road. Today's Junkyard Gem falls into neither of those groups; it's a penny-pinching Ford Festiva, one of the cheapest cars available in its time … and yet it cracked the magical 300,000-mile mark before getting discarded. So, a total of 317,207.3 miles over its nearly 30 years on the road. We just saw a discarded 1989 Honda Civic with a mere 308,895 miles on the clock, and this Festiva comes close to topping this 1993 Honda Civic DX. The highest-mileage junkyard car I've ever found (keep in mind that most cars before the middle 1980s had 5-digit odometers, and most cars this century have unreadable-in-the-boneyard electronic odometers) is this 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E with an amazing 601,173 miles. This Mercedes-Benz 300D came close, with 535,971 miles. Detroit went to six-digit odometers late in the game, but this 1986 Olds Calais reached 363,033 miles, and this Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor reached the 412,013-mile figure thanks to a second career as a taxi. A Festiva surpassing the 300k mark, though, is not something I ever expected to see. These cars were sold as cheap, no-frills transportation, period. The MSRP on a base-level Festiva started at $6,620 in 1991, or about $12,610 in 2020 bucks. Not many cars could squeeze under that price at that time; the Subaru Justy could be purchased for $5,995, the Hyundai Excel 3-door hatch cost $6,275, and the Yugo GV (yes, it could still be obtained new as late as 1991) had a hilarious $4,435 price tag. Even the lowly Geo Metro, Pontiac LeMans, and Toyota Tercel EZ cost more than this Festiva. Still, this car came with snazzy pinstripes, now faded to near-invisibility by the Colorado sun. You can see the cover plate in the spot where the air-conditioning button would have gone, had the original buyer of this car been willing to squander precious dollars on such frivolity. Five-speed manual transmission, naturally. You could get an automatic in the Festiva, but anyone willing to spend that kind of money on extras would have been able to afford a much nicer Tercel EZ.

2021 Kia Sportage Review | Sporty-ish value

The 2021 Kia Sportage picks up right where last year's mid-cycle refresh left off, with some modest improvements to design and technological updates that make driving easier and safer. An often overlooked vehicle in the increasingly crowded compact crossover segment, the Sportage provides comfort and value on a budget, but doesn’t quite match the style, fuel economy or cargo space of its competitors, many of which have been recently revamped as all-new models. Still, with the features available for the price, itÂ’s worth a test drive if youÂ’re looking at vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape or Toyota RAV4. You just might find the Sportage to be the right fit for you and your budget, and with its roomy backseat — at the expense of cargo volume — it might be the right fit, literally, for you and your passengers. Finally, if you like the packaging of the Sportage, but are looking to save some money up front, as well as at the pump, it might be worth taking a look at the similarly sized Kia Seltos. YouÂ’d be giving up some power and nicer interior materials, but would be getting a more efficient and arguably more stylish Kia for about $2,000 less. What's new for 2021? The 2021 Kia Sportage builds upon the previous model yearÂ’s mid-cycle refresh with an update to S trim level offerings. The new Nightfall Edition and Nightfall Edition Premium appearance packages replace the S Sunroof and Premium Package, respectively. Nightfall gets unique 18-inch wheels with blacked-out center caps, and adds piano black trim on the front bumper, side sills, front and rear skid plates, and fog lights. It also gets unique Sportage badging on the liftgate. The LX, EX and SX Turbo trims remain unchanged. What's the Sportage interior and in-car technology like? The Sportage's interior styling is straightforward and functional. ThereÂ’s not much to visually break up the square footage of plastic, but the materials donÂ’t scream “cheap.” In fact, its superior materials quality to the Seltos is one area that justifies the Sportage's higher price. The leather seating in the SX Turbo trim looks and feels quite nice, especially when you consider those front seats are heated and, optionally, ventilated. The seating position is upright for a good view of the road, and the center stack tilts slightly toward the left to give a sense of ergonomic care to the driver.