Kia Forte is also known as K3 in South Korea. This mid-size sedan comes with lots of useful features but at an affordable price. It is also reliable with a modern and fantastic interior. But is the Kia Forte a good car?
Yes, the Kia Forte is an outstanding car for people searching for a fuel-efficient, reliable, safe, comfortable, practical, and affordable mid-size sedan. But it is not a good car for people who desire a high-performance, luxurious, and highly advanced car. Besides, its handling is not one of the best in its class.
History of the Kia Forte
The Kia Forte is made by the South Korean automaker Kia. This car has been in production from 2008 to the present. Besides, it replaced the Kia Spectra. The manufacturer offers this car in four-door sedan, two-door coupe, and five-door hatchback variants. As stated earlier, this car is known as the K3 in South Korea.
However, it is also referred to as K3 or Shuma in China and Cerato in South America, Russia, New Zealand, and Australia. It is also closely related to the Kia Ceed and Hyundai Elantra. Additionally, the manufacturer offers this car with different engine options, including 1.6-liter Gamma MPi I4, 2.4-liter Theta II MPi I4, and 1.6-liter U II CRDi I4 engines.
Features of the Kia Forte
Appearance
The Kia Forte looks spectacular and modern. Some of the exterior highlights of the car include 15-inch steel wheels, solar control glass, tail lights, body-colored door handles, light-tinted glass, a black grille with chrome surround, and clearcoat paint.
The interior of the Kia Forte also looks impressive with a minimalist design and high-quality and top-notch materials. Some of the interior features that stand out are the 8-inch touchscreen display, 4.2-inch instrument display, tilt & telescoping steering wheel, and woven cloth seat trim.
The Kia Forte has a wheelbase of 106.3-inches, a length of 182.7-inches, a width of 70.9-inches, and a height of 56.7-inches. Note that the dimension may vary depending on whether the car is a sedan, hatchback, or made in China.
Performance
If you’re looking for a high-performance mid-size car, the Kia Forte is not one of them. This is because its engine is not as powerful as most cars in its class. Nonetheless, the Kia Forte comes in different trim options, including the LX, LXS, GT-Line, and GT.
The base model is fitted with a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that delivers up to 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque.
Comfort and cargo space
The Kia Forte is a comfortable and practical car. It can carry up to five passengers and it offers ample legroom. Aside from having a spacious cabin, the Kia Forte also features a large cargo space that can fit up to seven carry-on bags. Thanks to the 15.3 cubic feet of space offered in the trunk.
Safety
Like most Kia models, the Kia Forte is very safe and boasts several standard safety features. Some of them include lane following assist, lane keeping assists, rear occupation alert, auto emergency braking technology, and driver attention warning.
Apart from featuring vital safety features, the Kia Forte also comes with an industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile warranty program.
Fuel-efficiency
The Kia Forte is among the most fuel-efficient car in its class. Thanks to its EPA rating of 31 mpg in the city, 41 mpg on the highway, and a combined 35 mpg. Some of its competitors such as the Volkswagen Jetta come with similar efficiency, but they are better than the Honda Civic, with a combined 40 mpg.
Price
The Kia Forte is very affordable and perfect for daily driving. Nonetheless, this car is also affordable and fun to drive. The base trim, which is the Kia Forte LX goes for $19,490 starting MSRP. However, high-end trims like the Kia Forte GT Manual go for $24,890 starting MSRP.
FAQ
Is the Kia Forte worth buying?
If you’re in the market for an affordable, comfortable, safe, reliable, efficient, and practical mid-size sedan, the Kia Forte is the perfect car for you. But if you’re looking for a luxurious, high-performance, and highly advanced mid-size sedan, then the Kia Forte is not worth investing in.
What are the common problems with the Kia Forte?
Kia Forte is a quality and comfortable ride to have. However, it also comes with several issues that interested buyers should be aware of. Common problems with the Kia Forte are engine issues, faulty lamp switch, fluid leakage, malfunctioning transmission, leaky interior, sound issues, and exterior lighting problems.
How fast is the Kia Forte?
The Kia Forte does not perform exceptionally well. This is because it doesn’t feature a very powerful engine. Instead, it is fitted with a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that delivers up to 201 hp and 137 lb-ft of torque. This car also has a top speed of 120 mph and it can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 6.8 seconds.
Is Kia Forte a good daily driver?
Yes, the Kia Forte is a good daily driver as it is very efficient, comfortable, spacious, practical, reliable, and affordable. And since it is a sedan, maneuvering this car around the city or in traffic is super easy. However, it is also worth noting that performance and handling are subpar.
What is the most reliable Kia Forte model year?
Kia has produced many exceptional Kia Forte models from 2008 to date. However, not all Kia Forte models are reliable as some are plagued with many issues. The title for the most reliable Kia Forte model goes to the 2016 model year. Nonetheless, the 2017 and 2018 model years are also very reliable.
Summary
Generally, the Kia Forte is one of the best-selling Kia sedans on the market. This mid-size car is spacious, practical, reliable, comfortable, safe, fuel-efficient, and affordable. On the contrary, the quality of its ride is questionable. Furthermore, this model does not perform exceptionally well as most of its rivals perform better.
As expected, the Kia Forte also comes with a few issues that users should be ready to handle. But with timely maintenance and repair, the Kia Forte is one of the best mainstream sedans to have.