Used 2016 Kia Forte EX Hatchback Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2016 Kia Forte EX Hatchback.
Most helpful consumer reviews
Bye bye '12 Forte SX 5 door & hello '16 Forte5 EX
RonB, Fort Worth, TX, 09/26/2016
2016 Kia Forte EX 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
We shared the '12 for over 3 years and over 80,000 miles until I bought myself a 2015 Sonata Sport 2.0T Limited 6 months ago. Love that car and reviewed it on here also. Got a great deal. Now that we're back to two cars, mileage will accumulate a lot less. While I was getting the 12 serviced 2 weeks ago and "someone" took my car to work, I was asked "Do you think you can get me a deal on … trading my car like you did buying yours ?" So I walked the lot and found a Snow White Pearl Forte5 EX 2.0 GDI - loaded with Premium/Technology package and remote start with black leather with white stitching. I texted the pictures. "I really wasn't a fan of white until you got yours (Quartz White Pearl) but I really like it. See what you can do. If it works out, I'll come sign the papers". The 12 was in excellent condition except for the 82,000 miles they beat down the trade in value on, but with the rebate and financing, it was a good deal regardless. The 12 had leather and sunroof. Great little car. No complaints other than it could have used more sound insulation. Compared to the 12: The tech options are great. Stereo is better. Bluetooth streaming is a world better. It's quieter. Much better legroom - we're both 6ft tall. Headroom was never an issue even with the 12 - sunroof in both. The 2.0GDI doesn't have the off the line punch of the 2012s 2.4 port-injected engine but feels fine overall (same 173hp rating) and better fuel mileage makes it worthwhile. Neither are pocket rockets but we're not race car drivers lol. Has plenty of zip. Warranty can't be beat. This now makes 4 Hyundai / Kia products since 2008 and don't regret any of them. I'm a semi-retired mechanic and choose my/our cars wisely. The only 2 gripes with the 16: 1 - gone with the 2014+ 5 door redesign is the split-folding rear seat bottoms which was great when we needed to haul stuff around. A minor gripe really because the 16 is still plenty roomy with the seat backs folded down. 2 - For the 2016 Forte line up, HID headlights were deleted, even with the Tech package. I remedied that with the same brand HID kit I installed in the 2012. Also installed LED plate and reverse lights - nice difference with the back-up camera at night. Experience has us anticipating the same reliability. The 2008 Sonata we traded for the 2012 Forte is still on the road with nearly 250,000 miles on it. Traded with nearly 120,000 trouble-free miles and came across it recently.
UPDATE 3/27/2017
Six months and 7,500 miles now. Engine has loosened up. Feels puncher. Averaging 31-32mpg which is 7-8mog better than the 2012. Nothing other than an oil change and tire rotation.
UPDATE 9/28/17
15,000 miles. Just did the 3rd oil change and replaced the cabin filter - I change them once a year. Zero issues. More of a novelty but my other half loves the heated steering wheel on cold mornings.
UPDATE 3/28/18
A little over 25,000 miles now. Between work, grad school, and internship, the other half has racked up some miles. Nothing really to report. Still runs and looks great. Wiper blades replaced other than oil changes and tire rotation. The only gripe is the OE Nexen tires. While they certainly look like they will go another 15 or 20 ,000 miles, they have gotten a bit noisy. Probably just going to run them through the summer and replace them.
Unexpected Winner
Jay, Vermillion, MN, 03/13/2017
2016 Kia Forte EX 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
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.
Underrated vehicle with unexpected surprises
Demian, Rootstown, OH, 05/02/2019
2016 Kia Forte EX 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
I bought used 2016 forte5 ex after trading my old 2000 crv lx. Test drove elantra GT, honda fit, civic hatchback. (I didn't try focus hatchback because when I drove rental focus on german highway I wasn't impressed at all and also heard reliability score is low. I also didn't try Mazda 3 hatchback because of small space for backseat and cargo and very similar interior design to my … current CX5). I chose forte5 because a lot less money than civic hatchback (better driving experience but noisier), better interior design and body style than elantra, and more powerful than fit (felt like driving a toy car). I think I can comment on riding since I added around 1000 miles. Yes riding is a lot bumpier than my 2012 honda accord as other people mentioned. But I liked the direct feeling of road conditions on the steering wheel and enjoyed the riding every day. Unexpectedly powerful and smooth when I pressed acceleration pedal. I was constantly watching mpg number on the gauge for fun and managed to 37 mpg for commute (local driving with around 15 traffic stops and lights). Steering is quite responsive and nimble. One gripe if I have to say is I feel more rough movement when it starts than any cars I have driven. Probably it is designed that way since I don't feel any engine roughness while driving. At the beginning, sometimes I felt engine misfires. However, after I realized I have to hold the key in ignition position a little longer to start the engine, the symptom was gone. I just got used to engine start of all japanese cars I have owned the last 30 years. I never thought about owning a korean car but this purchase changed my mind. Though have to wait for its reliability, don't have any hesitation to give a huge kudos to 2016 kia forte5.
Forte5 EX or SX is the way to go
Bam, Chesapeake, VA, 11/02/2016
2016 Kia Forte EX 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
If you are interested in a Forte, get the hatchback. As far as looks, space,quickness in and out of traffic, and easy to work on, this is really the best hatch you can get. I thought I would never buy a Kia. Reminds me of Honda circa 1986. The only things I can nitpick on is handling is so so around curves, and stock speakers in the EX are horrible. Ride comfort is neither great or … terrible. I drove out of the dealership under $20k for everything. Very satisfied.
Edmunds Summary Review of the 2016 Kia Forte EX Hatchback
Pros & Cons
- Pro:Spacious interior for both sedan and coupe
- Pro:numerous standard and optional features are available
- Pro:quick acceleration from Forte EX and SX
- Pro:dashboard and infotainment controls are easy to use
- Pro:warranty coverage is better than most in the segment.
- Con:Some rivals offer better fuel economy
- Con:ride quality can get uncomfortable at times
- Con:IIHS frontal-impact safety scores are lower than most competitors.
Full Edmunds Review: 2016 Kia Forte Hatchback
Edmunds Insurance Estimator
The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a 2016 Kia Forte in Georgia is:
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