Used 2016 Kia Forte Consumer Reviews
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Good price for a reason. A beer can body.
I like my used 2016 6 speed Forte I purchased not too long ago, it was much less cost than the used Civic's I usually get. It rides smooth and looks great but a bit soft and sluggish in the handling compared to a Civic. Here's the deal, they do not hold there value like the Honda's and Toyota's do, for a reason. The metal is much thinner on them to the point that if you shut your door on the seat belt buckle, it can /will dent the inner door well or rocker panel. I drilled a hole into both Honda Civic and Forte for undercoating and the Honda produced nice curls of steel from the drill bit taking a while to get through but the Forte just instantly popped through producing a ripped hole, like drilling through a beer can. I also put both on my car lift to inspect the suspension. The Forte was lighter duty using cheap thin stampings but the Honda has full welded boxed in members and a bit heaver duty in general. Honda engines and trannys are also very very good and can take a lot of neglect and abuse. Not so sure about the Kia's. So buying new IMO, I would not try to save a little on a Kia, but buying used, getting a lot better price for a low mileage newer Kia maybe worth it.?? Time will tell for me.
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Getting my Money's Worth
Yes the car is very affordable and I was lucky enough to get a great deal but the features this car comes with are comparable with more expensive models. The interior is roomier and more comfortable than what you would expect with a compact model and I'm a big guy used to driving SUVs and pickups. The engine has adequate pep and power to navigate the daily urban commute. I have been averaging around 38MPG but I do alot of interstate driving. To nitpick, the steering is slugish compared to other compacts and a little more noise gets into the cabin from the road than I would like. Still I have been very happy with my Forte.
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- EX SedanMSRP: $10,99842 mi away
- LX 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $11,39510 mi away
- LX 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,25033 mi away
Unexpected Winner
We purchased this car, a Kia Forte 5 with the premium tech package, at Jeff Belzer Kia in Lakeville Mn. This is our second purchase from this dealership. Alex was great to work with, -no pressure, answered our questions and sent us on a test drive even though we mentioned we were going to another dealership to look at a different brand. We returned and purchased this car. Prior to purchasing, we test drove a VW Golf, a Mazda 3 Hatchback, several Hyundai Elantra GT Hatchbacks, and this Kia Forte 5 Hatchback. The VW and the Mazda were great driving cars but were somewhat cramped for passenger space by comparison. The Hyundai Elantra GT was roomier but didn't offer an upscale package we liked. Then we drove the Kia Forte 5. It was just a fun car to drive. It is a road handling car with plenty of power for everyday driving (2.0 liter, 173 h.p. and 154 ft. pounds of torque). Advertised mileage is 25 city, 33 hwy mpg. We are currently averaging about 30.5 mpg including cold starts with combined city-highway driving. My favorite feature is the heated steering wheel on these cold winter mornings. Second would be the four heated leather seats. We are getting accustomed to the smart key features with perimeter lighting at night, keyless entry, and push-button start. The technology package included navigation, a sunroof, and auto headlights, all nice features. Add to all this a 5-year basic warranty and a 10-year powertrain warranty and you have a winning package. Most enjoyable though is the way it drives. It is quick, but it is not a race car. It is firmly planted and corners nicely, perhaps due to the 215 45 R17 tires. This is a car with lots of features for the money and I would highly recommend it. Update: We have owned this car for eight months now and both my wife and I enjoy it. It is just a fun car to drive. It has a nice balance between feeling responsive and at the same time being a solid and stable road handling car. In mixed driving, we average between 33 to 35 mpg. (This includes about 20% city, 20% two lane highway, and 60% freeway driving.) EPA rating for this car is 25 city and 33 highway. We are very pleased with our purchase and would highly recommend this car. Second update; Sept. 21, 2018: We've now had this car for about one year and eight months and have 11,000 miles on it. We still feel the same about it now as we did before. Many people have commented about the sharp-looking style of the car. However, what we enjoy most is the way it drives. We've owned about 25 different cars, and this is one of our favorite cars to drive. We would still highly recommend it. Third update; Sept. 26, 2019: We're at two years and eight months of ownership, with 16,450 miles on the odometer. We still enjoy this car now as much as when we first bought it. With winter coming, we really appreciate the heated steering wheel and the four heated seats. (Very scarce features for a car in this price range.) It's too bad the heated steering wheel was dropped for the 2017 model year. It's still fun to drive and quite economical, a real plus. We'd still highly recommend it. 4th Update, April 1, 2020 We've had our Kia Forte hatchback for over three years now and still feel the same as in our previous updates. We still enjoy driving it and would highly recommend it. Fourth update, Oct 3, 2020. We've owned this car for over 4 years now and still feel the same.
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I'm in Love
I just purchased this car and I love everything about it!! There are three cons -(1) You cannot see the hood or front bumper despite how much you sit up or how close you sit to the steering wheel, and (2) you cannot see the back bumper, and (3) there is a small blind spot in the rear side views. That said, I love everything else about this car. I especially like the 6th gear and ability to downshift when needed. The audio could have been better, but I won't complain. The back seat is pretty spacious, and comfortable. The cup holders for the backseat are nice as well. If you have kids you will appreciate the plastic (instead of cloth or leather) on the backs of the front seats where their feet often touch/rest. This car has reinforced doors and PLENTY of airbags in case of collision.
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Best compact car for the price!
The price for the base model with popular package (+$1000) is well worth it. The #1 reason that I chose Kia is that they do not use the CVT transmission that all of the other brands in it's class does. The 1.8L engine has plenty of power even with the air conditioner on high and with passengers. The interior is very nice for a base model and the popular package gets you a lot, including backup camera, Bluetooth, etc. Trunk space is best in it's class. If you can get a 2016 with the PP for under $18K you will not regret it and remember the transmission! CVT 's wear out at around 70,000 miles and cost around $7000 to replace (they cannot be repaired) perhaps this is why Kia chooses to not to use them because of their 100,000 mile warranty, KIA uses the dual clutch transmission. The hand controls are very ergonomic which helps keep your eyes on the road. Kia does not deal with Takata Airbags (look up Takata Airbag Inflators) I cannot express enough about staying away from any auto that is equipped with the CVT transmission. Kia along with Mobis (a German engineering company) have engineered great autos.The Cons: I only have only 1 and that is when driving the Forte all you see is the road which is great for an experienced driver, but for a beginner they are bound to miss judge resulting in hitting curbs etc.
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