Kia

"Power to surprise" is right.  Kia has a less-than-spectacular reputation.  Their cars are very cheap, and the general consensus is that you get what you pay for.  I wasn't expecting much from these Korean econo-boxes, but from a purely fat-friendly standpoint, they're the first maker I've found that has two legitimate options.


Rio
As I said in the intro, Kia has two legitimate options.  The Rio isn't one of them.  It's a tiny car made for tiny people.  Nothing about it was comfortable, and there wasn't nearly enough room for either of my legs.  Lets waste no more time on this one.  On to (slightly) bigger and (much) better things.


Soul
Oh, I get it!  Soul.  Seoul.  Korea.  Ha!

You magnificent, odd-looking bastard!

Dumb jokes aside, I really liked this car.  It has the same boxy, wagon-ish layout as the xB and Cube, though luckily not nearly as ugly as the Cube.  It's still no looker.  It's obviously trying very hard to be hip, without really being aware of what "hip" means.  This was a car designed by a committee of old men to appeal to young people in a very different culture.

You know what?  I don't care.  Not even a little.  The damn thing is just too well designed (intentionally or not) for someone like myself who is both tall and fat.    Just like the other boxes, you just step in and sit down with no contortions needed.  Getting out was equally simple.  There is loads of shoulder and ass room, and though there isn't a lot of head room (only about 1.5in above my dome), there is enough.  The seats feel very good, the armrests are at the right height, and there was enough room for both my legs to rest in a comfortable position.  The Soul will definitely be getting a test drive in the near future.


Forte
To look at it, you'd never guess the Forte was based on the same platform as the Hyundai Elantra.  I have tried (and loved) the Elantra, and the Forte shares its roomy door openings and drivers area dimensions.  For a sedan, ingress/egress is painless.  The cabin provided enough room in every direction so that I didn't feel cramped.  I could comfortably sit in this car for hours.

That is where the similarities end, though.  Where the Elantra looks interesting, the Forte is almost deliberately dull.  Both externally and internally, the Forte looks like they were aiming for the most generic car they could build.  I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in one, but I wouldn't be excited either.  Of course, what you get with the Forte is either more options for the same money as an Elantra, or the same options for less dough.  Cosmetic concerns aside, it's certainly comfortable and cheap enough to bear a test drive in the final evaluation round.