How Good Is the Kia Forte? 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.
In This Article...
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.
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.
A Kia Forte is larger than an Elantra, right?
Being able to get in and out of the Hyundai Elantra in a busy parking lot may be a little more difficult due to its somewhat broader body than the Kia Forte. The Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra occupy almost the same amount of space in your garage when comparing overall lengths.
Are Kias full-size vehicles?
Along with Genesis, Kia is a Korean automaker that is a branch of parent company Hyundai. Sporty vehicles like the Stinger and large sedans like the K5 are produced by Kia. The tiny Seltos, the small Sportage, the medium-sized Sorento, and the large Telluride are just a few of the small to large SUVs made by Kia.
Better: Elantra or Forte?
Although the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte are known for being affordable small sedans, they have more to offer than simply affordability. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra has recently undergone a facelift and sports striking looks and new engines. With the aid of an upgrade for this model year, the 2022 Kia Forte perseveres and gains a sharp new appearance and improved driver assistance technologies. Which should you purchase, then? Learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of each car by continuing to read.
Hyundai Elantra Advantage: Fuel Economy
The 2022 Elantra has decent fuel economy. With the original 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, it achieves 31-33/41-43 mpg in the city and highway, while the improved 1.6-liter turbo-four achieves 25-28/34-36 mpg. The Elantra Hybrid, which was introduced for 2021, would likely be your choice if you tend to be a little bit of a fuel miser. Depending on the trim, this car gets 49-53/52-56 mpg on the city/highway.
The Kia Forte’s numbers are significantly lower. Depending on the model, the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine achieves 29-31/39-41 mpg. If you choose the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, your mileage will increase to 22-27/31-35 mpg. There isn’t a hybrid option offered.
Hyundai Elantra Advantage: Technology
The interior of the Forte is stylish and practical, and has recently undergone improvement. It has new optional SynTex faux leather seats, standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen. A 10.3-inch touchscreen is an optional feature on both variants. However, the Elantra’s interior appears fresher and more modern. Hyundai also offers a small sedan with a digital key function that enables Android smartphones or NFC key cards to be used to unlock the car.
Hyundai Elantra Advantage: CVT Tuning
We have criticized the Forte’s optional CVT transmission in previous evaluations. The CVT “sucks the vitality out of the powerplant,” to put it frankly. Thankfully, the CVT in the Elantra avoids the same fate. As we highlighted in our First Drive review, it is quiet and responsive.
Kia Forte Advantage: Starting Price
Choose the Forte over the Elantra if you want a compact sedan at the lowest feasible price. The base Kia is less expensive than the base Elantra, which costs $20,875, starting at little over $20,085. When fitted with a dual-clutch automatic transmission, the sporty Forte GT is also significantly less expensive than the Elantra equivalent. In comparison to the Elantra N Line, which costs $26,375, prices for the 201-hp Forte GT start at $24,485.
Hyundai Elantra: Manual Transmission Availability
Both the Kia Forte GT and the Hyundai Elantra N Line grades come with a six-speed manual transmission. Except for when both vehicles are in their sporty 201-hp configurations, the Forte is more cheap than the Elantra in practically every trim level. Compared to the somewhat more cheap six-speed Elantra N Line, which costs $25,275, the Forte GT is more expensive with a manual transmission ($25,485). Due to the regular six-speed gearbox’s discontinuation after the 2021 model year, buyers who choose the base Forte FE trim are no longer able to manually shift the vehicle’s gears.
Kia Forte Advantage: Cargo Space
With 15.3 feet of cubic space as opposed to 14.2 feet for the Elantra, the Forte provides a little bit more cargo area. The Elantra, though, has the edge when it comes to back legroom, another important factor. In comparison to the Forte’s 35.7 inches, the rear passengers have 38.0 inches to spread out.
The Verdict
The smoother ride and more contemporary interior offered by the Hyundai Elantra, in our opinion, will appeal to the majority of purchasers. However, the Forte is a good option if you’re seeking for a new car that’s reasonably priced and equipped with a wide range of safety technology.
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.
Honda Civic versus Kia Forte: Which vehicle is superior?
Both the Honda Civic and the Kia Forte are small automobiles. All of them have front-wheel drive. The Civic is offered as a four-door sedan, a two-door coupe, and a five-door hatchback, whilst the Forte is only offered as a four-door sedan.
The Forte’s standard 147-horsepower engine is less powerful than the Civic’s standard 158-horsepower engine. However, the Civic’s top 180-horsepower choice is outclassed by the 201-horsepower engine that is an option on the Forte.
In terms of interior space, the Kia Forte and Honda Civic rank extremely closely. The interior volume of the Forte sedan is 96.2 cubic feet, however the Civic sedan has 97.8 cubic feet more. The Civic’s trunk offers 15.1 cubic feet of room, narrowly beating out the Forte’s 14.9 cubic feet. Not much of a difference. Consider the Civic hatchback if you require the most load carrying ability; when the rear seats are folded, there is 46.2 cubic feet of room available.
The Civic provides universal availability of the most recent driver assistance systems, which the Forte does not. On every Civic with an automatic transmission, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, collision mitigation braking, and road departure mitigation are available as options. Top trims also come standard with these features.
What kind of space does a Kia Forte have?
Front/Rear Shoulder Room: 56.1/55.3 inches. 53.0/51.1 inches of hip room in the front and back. Front/rear legroom is 42.2/35.7 inches. 96.0 cubic feet of interior space.
Key Points
- The Kia Forte is a reasonably priced compact car with a lot of amenities that add value and a high level of dependability over the majority of its model years.
- 2014 is the Kia Forte’s worst year. With over 300 consumer complaints concerning turning signals that don’t work, airbags that don’t activate during collisions, and brake and taillight bulbs that keep blowing out.
- The 2014 Forte model is the subject of one investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into engine fires that can occur in a variety of non-crash-related situations.
- From 2011 to 2014, the Forte was the subject of seven investigations and several complaints concerning airbags that failed to deploy during collisions.
- The 2016 Kia Forte is the best model; for the first time in five years, there was just one inquiry and one recall due to a potential trunk emergency release issue. Additionally, the 2016 model had 74 complaints as opposed to 159 the year before.
- The Forte has excellent dependability ratings and an anticipated lifespan of well over 250,000 kilometers.
How long is the Kia Forte’s lifespan?
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.