Used 2018 Kia Forte Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Forte, so we've included reviews for other years of the Forte since its last redesign.
Happy purchase
Jin, 10/09/2019
2018 Kia Forte S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Bought the Kia Forte S with tech package which is incredible value. The car drives well in dry, wet, and snow and is comfortable on drives around town. People have said the backseat is roomy and the front cabin is a good kind of snug. The size has been fantastic to parallel park and it is easy to drive around parking lots and in garages. As the other reviews have mentioned, the OEM tires are horrid so upgraded to Michelin Premier A/S. I also complain about the sliding rear end when making left turns, the car does not always feel the most grounded. My last gripe is long-term comfort on road trips and even sometimes siting in traffic, I think Civic and Mazda 3 do those two better but of course they are a few grand more when equally equipped. Highly recommend as a first-time vehicle or city driver. The S trim is great and the only thing you really lack are seat heaters and leather. Great job Kia!
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worst car I ever owned
susan c, 01/12/2018
updated 01/24/2022
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
7 of 16 people found this review helpful
terrible defroster. Turning it on actually fogs up the windshield sometimes. It takes forever to clear windshield. windshield washer solution often freezes on contact so driver cannot see. Large blind spots in front and back that totally hide a car or a person. Pulling out is dangerous; it has very slow pick-up, especially if starting on a hill or pulling out in traffic. Tires spin on wet roads, similar to a Honda. Headlights do not automatically turn off when engine turns off. The only indicator is a tiny light on the dashboard screen that can be hidden by the steering wheel (no beep). Dashboard lights up even when headlights are not turned on; one has to be careful to remember that headlights are not on at dusk, even though dash is lit up. I find this to have been a dangerous car for an older person to use. I dislike this car very much, but, of course, its resale value is so much less than purchase price. Update: The windshield freezing up might be due to RainX. Everything else is the same. The car so far is reliable and runs well. New more expensive tires helped with traction.
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2018 Kia Forte for sale near you
Showing 3 of 38 listings
- LX SedanMSRP: $8,9952 mi away
- LX SedanMSRP: $13,998In-stock online
- S SedanMSRP: $14,990In-stock online
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Great car
Maria batey, 08/20/2018
2018 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
7 of 16 people found this review helpful
Awesome safe car
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Great Car
JG, 02/24/2018
2017 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
2 of 4 people found this review helpful
Kia is reasonably priced and a great family vehicle. Not paying for bells and whistles, but not sacrificing quality or comfort
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AWESOME CAR
George, 11/07/2018
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
have had car for year and half haven't had a single problem with it.get 36mpg.great entry level car.i have always driven toyotas but incredibly impressed with this car.
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Great gas mileage
Dawnwoody, 12/13/2019
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Bought this brand new in Dec. 2016. I drive for a living and it gets 38 mpg. I have 66,000 miles on it and never had any problems. Very happy with my Kia Forte.
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Full of issues
EddyVal, 11/11/2021
2017 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Not sure why Kia ended up the reliable category. My 2017 Kia Forte is full of issues. The recall about ignition coil was covered by Kia, but at 40,000 miles the alternator went bad. Wind nose is very loud. I should have bought a Toyota Corolla instead. Maybe other Kia cars Ok, but based on my experience, I do not recommend Kia to others. If you want a peace of mind, Kia is not the brand you should be looking for.
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A Korean car made in Mexico!
Ron Wilson, 02/29/2024
2017 Kia Forte S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car it terrific! 32-34 MPG, good performance, and predates the CVT transmissions found in virtually all cars of this class. [including the current KIA Fortes] The six speed clutch-type transmission is very responsive and silky smooth. Smoother than the current CVTs with their disgusting fake shifts. Body fits BMW plus accurate. Now 7 years old and still like new. Perfect paint and interior.
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The AC system may be the weakest link.
Eddie, 11/11/2023
2018 Kia Forte S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The air conditioning stopped to work and I had to replace the AC Compressor for my KIA Forte 2018 at less than 30k miles of use, which is a very low mileage for such a problem to have. In fact I never experienced an AC failure happening to any of my previously owned cars, either foreign or domestic and some of them I used for 80-90k miles. The average cost of replacing the AC Compressor is around $1500 depending of the service facility and it is not covered by manufacturer’s extended warranty (after 12,000 miles or 1 year, whichever first).
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Nice car for a college student
Kmp, 11/08/2017
2017 Kia Forte S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
2 of 5 people found this review helpful
Low gas mileage, nice car overall
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GREAT CAR
GREAT CAR, 01/01/2018
updated 07/07/2020
2018 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
8 of 25 people found this review helpful
It's work the money compared to other vehicles in this same class.
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Love at first ride!
Evelyn England, 07/24/2023
updated 01/31/2025
2017 Kia Forte S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Great car - my favorite - still runs and looks like a new car.
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Speedy little devil
Davis, 04/14/2018
2017 Kia Forte SX 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
1 of 3 people found this review helpful
Love this car. Only had it a few weeks but can’t wait to drive it each and every time
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great car
ed, 10/04/2018
2018 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
2 of 11 people found this review helpful
I love it. better than any car I ever owned
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Not all it could be
Michael Johnson, 04/02/2018
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
2 of 15 people found this review helpful
Just a lil short
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I hate my car.
Mike C, 09/21/2021
2018 Kia Forte S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
1 of 8 people found this review helpful
The stock headlights are trash. It's about as powerful as candlelight. I can't drive at night as I can't see anything in front of me. I've got to use my high beams! The AC runs great but you've got to set the fan high. Hair is blowing in the wind even when car is not moving. Oh, can't get new headlights either because no one makes them. Fantastic. I should've paid for leather seats. These are cloth and are now gross. The car ticks. I wish I could drive it off a cliff.
Horrible Experience
Ashok Bakshi, 05/30/2018
2018 Kia Forte SX 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
8 of 167 people found this review helpful
This car overall not good
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2017 Kia Forte Review
Randy M, 02/18/2020
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I love the car, but the road noise from tires are loud. I ordered some sound deadening insulation, and am wanting to see how that is going to work out. Otherwise, I'm happy with the car.
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Best car
Dan, 05/28/2020
updated 06/04/2021
2017 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Got new 2017 forte. Driven 70k miles already not one single problem car is even fun to drive with 6 speed manual highly recommended
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Great car
Dan, 06/11/2020
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Car is bullet proof have 2017 70k Mike needs nothing still rides like new
Attractive Fuel Efficiency
SamiBeas, 07/21/2020
2017 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I purchased my 2017 Kia Forte EX sedan AFTER a divorce. I'm a Honda lover through and through, but Kia is what I could afford. The car looks sleek, the interior is nice with heated leather seats, power windows, great display system and superior fuel mileage. For the money, you'd think Kia would add a driver's side power seat and a sunroof. The get up and go is lack-luster and can be a dangerous deficit when passing or merging in fast-moving traffic. The solid rear suspension is HORRIBLE! I do wish Kia would use a wishbone suspension in their vehicles. My cars name is Bunny because any bump causes her to HOP around on the road. The trunk space will fit at least two grown men...just in case you need to know :D But seriously, the vehicle has ample leg room in the back and front. My better half is 6'5" and has no problem with leg room. We won't get into Kia technicians or Kia's warranty repair process. All is all, this is a good car and I would recommend it. It's affordable and solid.
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4 Years later and still solid as ever !
Dan, 08/06/2020
updated 08/09/2021
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Could not be happier with this car gets great gas mileage runs smooth looks good great warranty - 4 years after purchase and this car has really been solid performer - gas mileage is around 32 in town and 38 on a trip - and has really kept it's value
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The little blue streak Forte
Lavonne Mahan, 09/13/2020
2017 Kia Forte S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Kia dealer 's are the best they try to make everything so easy for you. LOVE MY CAR.
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Good car
Kim Ballard, 02/07/2021
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've moved to the country and need to sell my car, so I can get a truck. The Forte is a quick car. Good ride. Not much road noise. Comfortable. Great sound system. Very dependable.
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Stylish and practical
Rod Pavloski, 08/13/2021
2017 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Lacking in acceleration. TPMS is a bit overbaked. Otherwise it’s a great around the town vehicle. Once up to par with highway speeds it also holds its own.
Great Car
Ranman619 , 02/24/2021
2018 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
So many simple features and runs and drives great.
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Excellent Value
Corey99, 03/26/2023
updated 04/03/2025
2018 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bough my grey 2018 Forte 18 months ago. It was 3yrs old, had 50K kilometers at purchase. It was in pristine condition when I bought it. My general observations. It is fun to drive. Tight steering, handles well. Good acceleration for this class. Mileage is good for this class. Big trunk. Mine has the Apple car play, cruise control package. So, it has everything I need. I had to have the rear shocks replaced at 85K (covered under Kia's generous warranty). This seems kind of early for a 4.5 yr old car. Because I bought mine used, I do not know whether this was due to rough use by the previous owner or a defect in the parts. I would say this, having owned 3 Hyundai's (Elantra, Santa Fe, Tucson) before this Kia: the Korean manufacturers seem to prefer a firmer ride. It is one of the reasons my wife went with a Rav4 over a Santa Fe on her last car purchase. All that being said, I have no regrets abt this purchase. We needed a second car for me to drive to the (commuter) train station, wanted a small sedan, something comparable to a Civic or Corolla. Cars were hard to come by during the pandemic, and this Forte ticked off all the boxes. I expect to keep it for a long time. UPDATE: Its been 3.5 years since I bought the car, and we are up to 125,000KMs. So far, just regular maintenance, oil changes, etc. Car still drives like the day I bought it & has proven to be reliable. No major issues.
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Loved it until the Kia Boyz and Kias poor responce
Upset at Kia, 07/08/2023
2018 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Great car but it's very easy to hotwire and Kias fix does not work for this model. My car was stolen within days of upgrade. Kia was contacted repeatedly and would not respond. The local dealer suggested I purchase a Club. Bad customer service from a decent car maker.
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Absolutely Love my Forte!!!
Jeff Sandler , 10/16/2024
2018 Kia Forte LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my 2018 Kia forte Lx fully loaded aurora black pearl 63k miles great condition clean carfax 2 owner, not to long ago and it's perfect for what I wanted! It looks amazing and I absolutely love driving it! I'm a true believer in my Kia! I love that it has the highest safety rating there is. As long as you do the regular maintenance this car is beyond reliable and budget friendly! It's real fun to drive!!! My car is gorgeous inside and out and it's costing me next to nothing to enjoy it! Don't get me wrong I paid 14k for the car but I did my do diligence and I got the car I wanted. I also can't say enough about the trim on this car it blows away all cars in it's class with this trim!!! My car is fire I use Maguires products for everything inside and out.
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