The top-end EX sedan starts at roughly $22,500, while the new Forte Sedan S model starts at about $20,000. The Forte5 hatchback has a starting price of slightly more than $19,000 and may go up to about $27,000 for a loaded version of the powered-up SX.
In This Article...
How reliable is the Kia Forte 5?
Yes, the Kia Forte is an excellent small car. Its rear seats and trunk are surprisingly spacious. Both the cabin and the entertainment system are well-built and simple to use. The estimated fuel efficiency for this vehicle is outstanding.
Kia still produces the Forte 5?
Forte hatchback, which was discontinued in 2018 for the US market, could return as a hot-hatch in 2020. It will reportedly be offered in three grades. In comparison to the mid and top grades, GT and GT Limited, the base grade EX is anticipated to have a lower-end setup. Forte5 is anticipated to have starting costs of $22,000 for EX, $27,000 for GT, and $30,000 for GT Limited. The 2.0L MPI engine with 147 horsepower is more likely to power the EX. While a powerful and more economical 1.6L Gamma turbocharged GDI engine will power GT grades. Forte 5 will be longer and wider than its predecessor by 2020. In order to give it a sleek, coupe-like look, the roofline has also been dropped. It now offers more roomy luggage and cabin space than the Forte sedan thanks to the changes made to its dimensions. Daytime running lights, taillights, and turn signal lights are all included in the standard LED package, which adds to the updated look. Driving assistance and safety features are standard on every Kia Forte 5 model. It features lane keeping assistance, a rearview camera, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection, and forward collision avoidance assistance.
KIA Forte5 Interior & Features
After withdrawing from the US market for a year, Kia has significantly changed the interior and exterior of the Forte5. The cabin has been upgraded and outfitted with premium materials to provide a satisfying experience. The Forte5 is likely to sport an 8-inch infotainment display, heated and ventilated front seats, and other tech, connection, and infotainment options. The next Forte5 is anticipated to have the wireless charging feature as well. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable driver and front seats, and UVO services are a few of the verified standard features. Additionally, the rear seats feature a 60/40 split that allows you to increase the cargo capacity by up to 1335 liters.
Forte5 Exterior
The appearance of the 2020 Forte5 hatchback is more energetic and sporty. Without sacrificing the aerodynamics, every particular is brought to light perfectly. For improved on-road performance, the Forte5 now has revised dimensions with significantly expanded length and breadth. The coupe-like appearance is shaped by the lowered roofline. With these changes, the forthcoming Forte5 presents a nicer exterior finish than its competitors, such as the VW GTI and Honda Civic hatch. Notably, the Forte5’s rear fascia has undergone significant revisions and now appears fresh and dynamic. The LED taillights are now supplied as a separate component and are also affixed to the body. The lower edges of the rear bumper now house the reverse and turn indication lights.
KIA Forte5 Ride & Handling
Kia has impressively raised its stature to compete by improving the Forte5. The independent MacPherson strut suspension in the front is responsible for the ride quality. It aids in lowering the shock’s effect and maintaining the handling. Further, Kia has replaced the torsion beam rear suspension with a multilink configuration to improve handling and ride quality to GT grade standards. It implies that rear wheels can now move independently depending on the state of the road. Consequently, superior ride and handling are made possible.
Forte5 Engine & Fuel Consumption
Both a hatchback and a hot hatchback version of the Forte5 will be offered. The 2.0L MPI engine, which can generate a maximum of 147 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 132 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, is most likely to be paired with the entry-level EX trim. The 2.0L engine is coupled with the Intelligent Variable Transmission to offer quick power delivery. While the 1.6 L Gamma Turbo GDI engine is likely to power the top grades GT and GT Limited. This engine’s 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission allows it to produce a maximum of 201 horsepower at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 195 lb.-ft of torque between 1,500 and 4,500 revs per minute.
KIA Forte5 Braking & Safety
Built to be a capable and secure hatchback, the Forte5. It has four-wheel disc brakes that are ABS-channeled. Base grade brakes are set up little differently than top two classes. The front wheel of the EX grade has 11.0-inch vented disc brakes, and the back wheels have 10.3-inch solid disc brakes. While the front wheels of the GT and GT limited have larger 12.0-inch vented disc brakes, the rear wheels still have the EX’s brake setup. The electronic stability program, electronic brakeforce distribution, and advanced front collision avoidance system all improve the braking power of the Forte5. Driver attention alert, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, lane maintain assist system, and hill assistance control are some of the features that help with driving.
Forte5 Verdict
The Forte5 is now a sportier hatchback that is also longer, broader, and lower than the previous model, which was discontinued. The extra dimension complements the Forte5’s hot hatch nature. Compared to before, the driving position is more comfortable. While the extensively redesigned suspension system improves the ride quality and handling characteristics. However, the Forte5 lacks the standard of the Mazda 3 hatch and Honda Civic Si due to its conservative appearance.
What is the price of a brand-new Kia Forte?
Low for the class, the base 2021 Kia Forte FE starts at $17,890. Starting prices for the LXS, GT-Line, and EX trims are $19,390, $20,490, and $23,090, respectively. The GT trim’s starting price is $22,790. Visit your nearby Kia dealer and take advantage of our U.S. News Best Price Program for fantastic savings.
Which issues might a Kia Forte have?
What Issues Are Related to Owning a 2020 Kia Forte? Owners complain of broken door locks, failing airbags on the driver’s side, and gearbox issues like shift slippage and difficulty accelerating. The anti-theft system in the Kia Forte has received a lot of flak for its shortcomings.
How durable are Kia Fortes?
The Kia Forte may survive for many years and miles with routine oil changes and manufacturer maintenance. Currently, there are Forte models with more than 100,000 and even over 200,000 miles on them on the road! Take good care of your Kia vehicle to reap the benefits.
Drivers in Cleveland, Lorain, and Sheffield Lake, Ohio, may learn more about the Forte’s dependability by visiting Montrose Kia. Let’s get into the specifics now! Set up a test drive right away.
Are Kia Forte vehicles dependable?
With a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5, the Kia Forte is ranked sixth among 36 compact automobiles. Its great ownership costs are reflected in the $451 average yearly repair cost. The Forte is one of the more dependable automobiles on the road since repair needs are both more severe and less frequent than with other vehicles.
Cost
Compared to an average of $526 for compact vehicles and $652 for all vehicle types, the total yearly cost of repairs and maintenance for a Kia Forte is $451.
the typical annual sum for unplanned maintenance and repairs for all model years of a car. A vehicle’s greater average cost alone does not imply that it is less dependable. For instance, your car’s parts and labor may be pricey, especially if it’s a European luxury model, but if there are few serious problems and frequent service visits on average each year, that’s a sign of a dependable vehicle.
The typical annual frequency at which a vehicle is taken in for unplanned maintenance and repairs. This metric is produced by monitoring millions of distinctive automobiles over a number of years to ascertain the typical yearly visits for each make and model. Controls were included to prevent small, routine shop visits, such those for oil changes.
The severity element of dependability calculates the likelihood that a repair will cause a significant problem. The cost of a repair is assessed to be excessively expensive given the unscheduled nature of the repair if it is three times the average annual repair cost for all models. Due to their more expensive labor and component expenses, premium and luxury brands have a higher barrier.
Frequency
Compared to the average of 0.3 for compact cars and 0.4 for all vehicle models, Kia Forte owners bring their cars in for unplanned repairs 0.2 times less frequently each year.
Is a Kia Forte a secure vehicle?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, has awarded the Kia Forte exceptional safety ratings. In fact, the vehicle was just selected as a 2020 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK.
Are Kias trustworthy?
To obtain their overall reliability ratings, the RepairPal team considers a number of different variables. Simply put, your out-of-pocket ownership expenditures will be cheaper the more dependable your car is. The cost, frequency, and severity of repairs are some of these variables. In order to calculate an individual brand’s total RepairPal reliability rating, these categories are averaged.
In the RepairPal reliability rankings, Kia came in at number three, including second place when only non-luxury brands were included. The Kia Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, placing it third among all car brands out of 32. This evaluation is based on the average of 345 different models.
“Kia had three well-liked models, including the Soul, Rio, and Forte, in the top 30 with Excellent ratings. The Optima and Sorento, two of its most well-liked cars, kept their Excellent rankings within the top 100.
Kia Forte vs. Volkswagen Jetta
- The Forte’s expected lifespan is fewer than the 200,000 miles that the typical VW Jetta can travel.
- The Kia Forte receives a dependability rating from RepairPal of 4.5 out of 5, which is greater than the Jetta’s score of 4.
- The Forte’s annual maintenance expenditures are $451 compared to the Jetta’s $609 per year.
Choose the Kia Forte if you want a vehicle with more miles on the odometer and reduced maintenance expenditures.
Kia Forte vs. Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a solid choice if you want a vehicle that is both inexpensive and dependable.
Honda has a lot of experience with the platform because it has already undergone more than ten iterations.
When compared to the Kia Forte,
- The anticipated lifespan of the Honda Civic and Kia Forte is 250,00-300,000 kilometers.
- The Forte and the Civic both received 4.5 out of 5 stars from RepairPal for dependability.
- The average annual maintenance cost for the Honda Civic is $368.
When it comes to dependability, the venerable Honda Civic and the Kia Forte are almost neck and neck. But over time, it’s possible that the Civic will cost a bit less to maintain.
Kia Forte vs. Mazda 3
- Less than the Fords’ 250k300k miles, the Mazda 3 can endure between 200k250k miles.
- The Mazda 3 only received 4 ratings from RepairPal, whereas the Forte received 4.5 stars.
- The Forte costs $451 per year to maintain, compared to $433 for the Mazda 3.
When it comes to dependability and yearly maintenance, the Forte edges out the Mazda just a little.
A Kia Forte is a sporty car, right?
In recent years, the average price of a new automobile transaction has increased more than ever, making it more difficult than ever to purchase a brand-new vehicle that is also enjoyable to drive. Fortunately, Kia disproves that idea with the Forte GT, the company’s high-performance version of the tiny sedan.
The Forte GT is a member of Kia’s lineup of GT vehicles, which are the company’s sportiest automobiles. With 18-inch alloy wheels, a firmer sport suspension, a performance exhaust system, and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 201 and 195 lb-ft of torque, Kia equips the Forte GT. When cold started, the dual-exit arrangement is shockingly loud, which we predict will appeal to buyers searching for a compact with more personality than the standard Forte. The vehicle we drove had a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, but for $1,000 more, Kia also sells a GT Manual grade that includes a six-speed manual gearbox as standard equipment and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires.
How Does It Drive?
The Forte GT feels feisty off the line when you gun the pedal because there is a lot of torque steer available. It will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, which is precisely the time required for its segment. Even when every seat is occupied by grownups on the motorway, there is still an abundance of power available when needed. The transmission offers crisp, quick shifts when the power is applied steadily. The dual clutch gearbox’s flaws are, however, exposed in slow moving traffic or on streets with frequent stop signs. Following an acceleration, it has a propensity to buck under braking and has a tendency to hesitate in reverse.
The transmission was at its best when we tested the Forte GT in the canyons. It revs out to redline with smooth throttle inputs and makes sharp upshifts. Under braking, it switches down anticipatorily. By using the paddle shifters, the driver is more actively involved and has more influence over the dual-clutch transmission’s operation.
The Forte GT is able to play well when cornering enthusiastically. The small vehicle maintains its grip in the corners despite having all-season tires. This was corroborated by our instrumented testing, which showed that the Forte GT performed better than average for compact cars fitted with equivalent tires, pulling an average of 0.87 g on our skidpad.
Three drive mode options are available for the Forte GT: Comfort, Smart, and Sport. While switching to Sport increases steering weight and awakens the motor, Comfort provides the most comfortable steering feel and throttle responsiveness. The Forte GT, according to Road Test Editor Chris Walton, offers “talkative handling and good balance on the skidpad.” The transmission isn’t nearly sophisticated enough to downshift and retain a gear on the skidpad even in Sport mode, he added in a separate comment.
The Kia Forte GT stopped steadily from 60 to 0 mph in 122 feet during our instrumented testing. It provides a good bite and feel to the brake pedal, enabling the driver to modulate the brake pedal smoothly. The Kia Forte GT’s tail end showed a tendency to skid out under severe braking into a corner at the track, but this adds to its eagerness and liveliness on twisting roads. Because of the sedan’s open communication style, it’s simple to get into a routine and navigate tricky terrain with confidence.
The Forte GT performs well on winding roads and poorly in heavy traffic. In stop-and-go traffic, the dual-clutch transmission struggles, and the harsh suspension shakes passengers as the vehicle crosses bumpy or uneven terrain. When purchasing a Forte GT, prospective purchasers should keep this in mind because most people probably won’t want to put up with its non-adaptive sport-tuned suspension arrangement.
Are Features the Forte’s Forte?
Metal pedal covers, contrast stitching, and a comfortable-to-hold leather-wrapped steering wheel are all advantages of the Forte GT. Even though the current generation of the Forte GT was introduced for the 2018 model year, its inside has already begun to seem obsolete. The majority of the surfaces are made of hard plastic, however the door cards and armrests have soft padding. With cleaner, more attractive cabins, a large portion of the competitors has surpassed the Forte’s interior design.
The GT2 package from Kia costs $2,200 and adds a number of practical, aesthetically pleasing, and comfortable improvements that significantly improve the cabin’s appearance. In addition to having an electric parking brake, auto-hold brakes, heated and ventilated front seats, LED interior lighting, rear parking sensors, a power sunroof, a premium Harman Kardon eight-speaker audio system, synthetic leather seats with GT logos, highway driving assistance, and forward collision avoidance assist with cyclist detection, our GT2-equipped test car also had these features. It’s important to note that this item cannot be added to the Forte GT Manual model.
A 10.3-inch touchscreen with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, keyless entry and push-button ignition, dual climate control, and fully LED exterior lighting are standard on every Forte GT. We particularly liked using the remote start function on the Forte GT to hear the exhaust start up from the outside. It has a lot of features, especially when compared to its compact sedan class rivals with less sporty starting prices of $24,515.
Is the Forte GT Right for Me?
The 2022 Kia Forte GT’s base price is $26,870, which is around $1,500 less than its closest competition, the 2022 Honda Civic Si (manual only). As a result, the Kia presents a compelling case for itself with a wealth of feature options and enough sportiness to excite on winding roads. However, paying more for the Honda might be worthwhile for those who intend to use their vehicle primarily for recreational purposes, particularly since the Civic Si makes use of a standard limited-slip front differential.
The Forte GT isn’t the most extreme sports sedan, but it can be fun to drive enthusiastically and is loaded with enough technology to function as a well-equipped daily driver. However, given its cheap beginning price and continued affordability even after adding the GT2 package with its wealth of features, car lovers with a desire for more are free to purchase their own summer tires if they wish to make their vehicle even more capable. Kudos to Kia for preserving the dream of an inexpensive sport sedan.