Used 2021 Kia Forte Consumer Reviews
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Incredible value ... I was so surprised
Brian, 01/05/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
60 of 60 people found this review helpful
After having my vehicle that I drive for work being totaled by some idiot I needed a vehicle. With the pretty hefty price increases of used vehicles I thought it might be better for something new. Did a lot of online searches looking for a solid vehicle. The GT with the Turbo 2 package just sounded like it could work. Test drove it and it was home with me in 3 hours. Technology for the price is crazy. Ventilated seats at this price is insane. Drives nice but not to be confused with a sports car. It is sporty though. Plenty of performance for around town or the highway. My other vehicle is a BMW X3 M40I so if I want to go 0-60 in 4.5 seconds I have that. The Kia is a lot of fun to drive and you will like it the more you drive it.
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2021 GT Manual - Impressed
Memo G., 12/17/2020
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
25 of 25 people found this review helpful
First of all... #savethemanuals. Now that that’s out of the way, this car has been amazing! The manual GT version comes with standard summer tires which is an incredible value at about $21K USD. Kia really impressed me with the quality, technology and safety it offers. Some vehicles above the $30k mark don’t even come with some of the features the Forte GT offers. Not to mention the best warranty in the business (10 year, 100k miles for powertrain) shows they really back their quality and reliability. The forte is also roomier than I imagined which was another pleasant surprise. Overall all smiles from the Forte! Highly recommend!
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2021 Kia Forte for sale near you
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- GT-Line SedanMSRP: $21,99884 mi away
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Value value value
doug, 12/09/2020
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
24 of 24 people found this review helpful
Impressive styling, roomy interior, incredible trunk space, and a nice large infotainment screen. Got a great low mileage lease price for my father to get around town in his retirement years. Lots of standard amenities for a car at this price point. First time my father had this type of backup camera and he loved it. He said the car had much more pep than he expected. In three years I imagine he will be leasing another one.
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Unbelievable value for the money
Steve, 05/30/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
I have a 2021 lxs model. The mileage ranges from over 40 around town to well over 45 on the highway and that's over mountains of North Carolina. I'm extremely impressed with this car. It drives very well corners very well has very good pickup. The continuous variable transmission takes a little getting used to but it's more than adequate. And of course the warranty is unreal. Out the door for around $20,000 this value cannot be beat.
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Very well executed
jsd, 12/14/2020
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
Much nicer interior than competition as well as stying cues on exterior. German feel and very good quality for the price point. Look and feels more expensive and is a great value compared to Honda SI or Volkswagen IMO
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Theft Magnet!
Buckeye Mom, 07/28/2022
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
We had no idea how easy it was to steal Kias & Hyundais when we leased this over a year ago. Yes, nice stylish car & affordable price. We thought we had found a new favorite. Then the car was stolen & we quickly discovered how easy it was. Pop off the cover & plug any USB plug into the USB port & the car turns on! I could probably do it in a few minutes with zero experience. No one tells you how easy it is & these vehicles should have been recalled. I'm sure the fix would be cheaper than sales going down. Even if people still buy these cars, the insurance is going to start getting too expensive.
Great quality for the price!
Seth, 01/28/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
34 of 38 people found this review helpful
I traded a 2017 Hemi truck for this car so that I could see family more often without breaking bank on fuel. My first 75 mile trip I was averaging 46.9MPG!! Now granted this was on 55mph Country roads. but I was tickled to death since the hemi maybe got me 19-21 highway. Sport mode makes the shift points and acceleration much tighter which is fun but I typically only use that in heavier traffic on highway. For a sub $24K car I'm thoroughly impressed. Not to mention KIA Store gave me an extended warranty of 7 yr/100k miles for EVERY thing (lights, touch screen, electronics etc.) bumper to bumper. and the standard 10 yr/100k mile powertrain. I miss the raw power of a V8 truck but you can't beat this cars ride quality and Fuel Econ for the price. Definitely would recommend this car. (The new K5 is sexy though)
Great Features
GB, 03/25/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
Great car for the price. I bought the Kia Forte because I needed a cheap reliable commuting car. I was happy to find a manual with a little more horsepower that cars at its price point. I have had it for 1k miles and it has been great. I am impressed with the ride quality and features this car has for the price point and you can't beat the warranty.
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kia 2021 forte 5 (transmission failed under 5k KM
Shally , 02/16/2022
updated 08/16/2022
2021 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
Took Kia 2021 forte 5 . Drove less then 5000 km and not first service done yet. Check engine light came on and car not running on 20 kmph. Service kia says Transmission is gone need to be replaced. Bad experience. More over Kia is refusing to cover for rental car. Trying to figure out with them. Kia is with the dealer.
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Outstanding fun!
FJR, 04/28/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
First week of ownership on 2021 Kia Forte GT 6 speed. This is my second Kia purchase which is my endorsement of the reliability of the brand in my experience. As for the Forte GT, I couldn't be more pleased so far. Its difficult for me to envision another sport manual that delivers this much driving fun per dollar!
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Owned a year now, good little car
MJG, 06/29/2021
updated 07/01/2022
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Have owned a year now. Still love it! I still don’t like the ride, it’s rough. But that can be fixed by some mods. So since it can be fixed, I wouldn’t let that be a deciding factor to not get this car. We get great gas mileage. Still a good amount of room for a family of 4. No mechanical issues(knock on wood). But I don’t really have any complaints overall. I’m really happy with it! Original review: Haven't owned it too long yet, but love it. The salesperson sold me on the GT Line, as a LXS and a GT had a baby. All the cool stuff from both except for the turbo. But to me, that wasn't worth the different in prices. Love the Fire Orange! Nice sporty car, that's surprisingly big. Already made a big trip to the grocery store and got it all in the trunk, and still had more room. Has nice get up and go. wish there were more auto features like seat adjustments, but it's ok. Like the seats are part fabric and leather, and the back of the seats are plastic, makes for easy to clean up.
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2021 Kia Forte GT2
Charlie, 06/06/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
First off well optioned my 26k GT2 comes with Heated/ventilated 10 way power leather seats Sunroof 320 watt sound system 201 hp 0-60 did 6.2 with the dct Dual exhaust Red grille Auto brights Cons Transmission can be a bit grabby when slowing down you’ll feel it shift Build quality isn’t that great but that’s an issue with most new cars Sporty drive but not a sports car and is more fun at lower speeds then high speeds Fwd Pros Pleasant exhaust snort at lower speeds The 7 speed dct is obvs faster then the manual and I’ve shaved .5 of a second off what Kia says is the 0-60 Runs on 87 octane just fine Great value for price Massive trunk ( probably the biggest in its class)
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Great Car! Great Value!
Josue, 01/23/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Just bought the car 2 months ago, and si far a great car and great driving experience, sport mode is perfect for highway, normal is the mode I use the most for normal driving, now the smart not much a fan but still great mpg. And go with the GT Line is greatly equiped and the monthly payment will not hurt that much.
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Fun 2 drive
Debbie, 01/17/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This car is fun to drive and it has power too. It's beautiful to look at and has more room than you would think and comfortable for passengers. The staff at Kia makes it so easy to buy. I give them a 10.
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Love Love
Jennifer Factor, 04/25/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Had all options I wanted plus more! Love the Forte and feels like luxury car without the price tag.
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Great Car
Dana, 06/22/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Smooth, quiet ride. Great gas mileage and power.
One year in ownership
Cam, 06/12/2022
2021 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
The Kia Forte purchase was a cost efficient and affordable purchase after a hit and run totaled out my van. I look at all the models and settled on the ex. Considered the GT but it only had the added spoiler where the one I landed on didn’t. It was the last one they had for the ex with in reasonable driving range from where I was stranded till I got new wheels. Now fast forward to one year. The handling is good not great and has room for adjustment or upgrades. The shifter is not for those who reverse and can shift to drive fast. Road noise isn’t great quality for cars but It doesn’t make the car bad. The fact that I like to feel the road when I drive is a personal preference of mine. Since I drove trucks and a van with high roof adjusting the seat as high as it can go I am constantly hitting my head at drive through and atm even though I’m only 5ft2. The seats are nice could still be better. The subscription is ok but the lite subscription could do more. Definitely needs a daytime runner shut of option. Tech inside the car is a work in progress if they are to complete with other auto companies. Love that it came with rims and not those cheap plastic covers. Also with key locking lug nuts.I’m giving it four star cause it is a rather nice car and drives great for the not so speed racer type. Definitely sluggish when taking off from red light or entering the highway for me but it is under $30,000 brand new. Not a bad buy for me, I wish I could talk to Kia about some of those design flaws I see and tech flaws and make this car better.
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Good price for nice sedan
Stephanie Irving, 03/12/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
The Kia Forte lx-s is a great compact sedan with good features and great MPG for the price
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Great Low Cost Sedan
Departo, 09/20/2022
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
For the price. this car can't be beat. Awesome standard features in the upgrade trim, great gas milage and a pleasure to drive. Plenty of power for most people, looks good and has huge trunk space plus lay down back seats so if needed you can haul 10Ft objects. Then there is that warrantee!
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New car
Rebecca, 12/08/2020
2021 Kia Forte FE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
5 of 8 people found this review helpful
I mean you have to know what you want. But this one came to me.
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My new ride!
Michelle T, 12/31/2020
2021 Kia Forte FE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
My new car is really comfortable and easy to drive.
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Sporty
Victor Jones, 07/15/2021
updated 01/17/2023
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
8 of 18 people found this review helpful
When u use AC Forte is not good on gas. It uses alot more than aspected for small car.
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Maneuverability suckd
Ron, 07/16/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
4 of 11 people found this review helpful
This car comes with lots of good features but when push comes to shove in a moment of crisis this car just doesn’t have it as I learned recent while attempting to avoid anothervehicle. The crash avoidance which goes off constantly failed to at this time. I am glad I no longer carry familly, get something with a bit more handling over looks and features
Great vehicle.
Norman, 04/24/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The KIA tote is quiet and rides very smoothly.
New Ride
Matt, 06/12/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Great car for the price
Awesome
Jimmie Roller, 07/28/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
That this car with gas prices all over the place you can't lose 😊
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Great ride
Kevin Chavis, 01/29/2023
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This cars is amazing. For all the features that it has for a newer sportier car you won’t complain much about this. The newer models are nice too but this one won’t disappoint you at all. With the DCT, slowing down you’ll feel the shifts and they’re rather rough feeling slowing down. Nothing terrible, nothing too crazy fast or anything but if you’re looking to upgrade just have a have more of a sporty ride, definitely recommend this. And the cold starts are the absolute best feature:) *give it a little gas under 2000 rpm and she’ll give you a nice pop when she’s cold!
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Nice car
Neener, 04/09/2023
updated 04/11/2024
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Use mostly as commuter car and gets excellent mileage. Easy to drive, fun to drive, love the GT trim. Cabin can be loud on freeway. I still love this car.
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Sales folks don't inform you about lack of spare!!
jmoriart617, 01/21/2022
updated 07/31/2023
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
3 of 9 people found this review helpful
Learned at pickup that the vehicle doesn't even come with a (spare/donut) tire. Ridiculous. The documention handbook for the vehicle references that spare and Jack kit are in the trunk but no such thing. IMO a Spare kit is a SAFETY feature and consumers should be informed if this is now excluded from the PRODUCT so they can choose whether or not to mitigate the risk( order or negotiate the spares/kit). After 400 miles my son hit a curb while parking and it punctured the side wall( FLAT). What a nightmare it became to resolve this issue- had to purchase a jack, a new matching tire and then take the New tire and flat/rim to as Service station( leaving the car up on the jack ( alternative was to tow it (flat truck as there is no rear tow points) and it was the rear tire? but that too would have been a nightmare and more then likely much more expensive to solve . At any rate having a donut spare and jack kit n the car made the experience much less stressful.
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Standard Equipment
New Owner, 11/24/2020
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
5 of 16 people found this review helpful
Remote Start should be standard equip. What if the doors are frozen shut? My GT-Line also does not have key start yet the remote has a hidden key inside.
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Great car for a great price
Tom Dromgoole, 10/25/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We love this car and all the features
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Great car
David Santiago , 09/13/2022
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Happy with my choice
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I love the orange dolphins color
Danny Brockman, 02/05/2023
2021 Kia Forte FE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I love my car so much! I love the orange finish on the outside and the interior is so nice I love the beautiful touch LCD screen inside! It right so smooth and I love the black rims on the outside! It is a perfect car. I recommend anybody for it.
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Love it
Al, 04/15/2023
2021 Kia Forte FE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Nice drive and incredible experience.
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Sporty catch
Mandy77, 08/02/2023
2021 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Very nice driving car. Quite
Great car
Wendy, 09/27/2023
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car has always been a great running car!
I LOVE THIS CAR!!
Sharon Leonard, 11/19/2024
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I had previously owned a 2015 Forte, and before I retired, it had racked up >45K in commuting miles. I decided to lease a 2021 Forte GT-Line, as it had many more safety features than my first Forte, and a host of new improvements; the biggest one for me being the MPG. This car sips gas like granny sips tea! I do very few long distance trips now, but I am averaging ~ 35MPG in town driving, and ~45 MPG in highway while driving with auto cruise. The GT line included a number of features that the previous Forte didn't have, including a larger screen, better audio & phone options, tire inflation warning, and a lot of on screen functions that monitored gas usage, mileage, service alerts, weather alerts. The cabin noise was way less than the older Forte, and the design extras made it look like a much more expensive car. So, when the "end of lease" date approached I decided to buy it! It only had a bit over 11,000 miles on it after 3 years, and was in pristine condition. When I looked at the Kelly Blue Book for the car's value, the deal was sealed! The lease buy-out was far less! I'm almost 79, so this will likely be my last car. It's also the BEST car I've ever owned. I'd be an old fool to turn it in now, so we're going to enjoy the golden years together, and I'll baby it to the finish!
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Has more features than expected
Another satisfied Kia driver, 04/29/2025
2021 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my 2021 Kia Forte EX new. It was a good price for all the features that it included. Despite Edmunds stating that this model doesn't have satellite radio or a sunroof option, that you had to get the GT model, mine has these features along with all the other features that Kia provides for so much less than other car manufacturers. Kia did have to replace the transmission in it at less than 10,000 miles, however my former 2006 Honda Civic had to have its transmission also replaced (under warranty) although it was at around 25,000 miles, still it should've lasted a lot longer than that. My only real complaints are that the miles per gallon that the computer tells me I'm getting is over by about 15-20% every time and the speedometer reads higher than the speed I'm driving. This is based on the radar detectors that display how fast you're going on the various roads that I drive on. It doesn't matter the speed, it's always higher than the actual speed being driven. I've tried to get Kia to fix it, but they won't. Even when stopped, the speedometer isn't at zero.
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