2021 Kia Forte Review
Price Range: $10,590 - $21,998





+190
Good
7.9
out of 10
edmunds TESTED
The 2021 Forte is a grown-up small sedan that's a fantastic value for the money, with above-average utility. Other highlights include a comfortable, quiet interior and an extensive list of available features. However, it lags well behind top competitors in driving dynamics, ride quality and rear legroom.
2021 Kia Forte Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What's new
- Minor equipment changes throughout lineup
- Summer performance tires now standard on manual-equipped GT models
- Part of the third Forte generation introduced for 2019
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in Colorado
$124/mo for Forte FE
Forte FE
vs
$157/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
4 out of 5 stars4/5Excellent
#13 out of 46 among Compact Cars
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
$394/yr
vs. $416/yr
for Average Compact Car
for Average Compact Car
Frequency
0.96x/yr
vs. 1.01x/yr
for Average Compact Car
for Average Compact Car
Severity
10.3%
vs. 10.4%
for Average Compact Car
for Average Compact Car
powered by RepairPal
Kia Forte Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Incredible value ... I was so surprised
5 out of 5 starsBrian, 01/05/2021
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)
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.
2021 GT Manual - Impressed
5 out of 5 starsMemo G., 12/17/2020
2021 Kia Forte GT 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
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!
Value value value
5 out of 5 starsdoug, 12/09/2020
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
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.
Unbelievable value for the money
5 out of 5 starsSteve, 05/30/2021
2021 Kia Forte LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
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.
2021 Forte Highlights
FE
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $17,890 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 31 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $124/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 15.3 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
Safety
Our experts like the Forte models:
- Forward Collision Avoidance
- Applies the brakes automatically to avoid a collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle.
- Blind-Spot Collision Warning
- Alerts the driver to the presence of other vehicles in the car's blind spots.
- Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning
- Monitors for moving traffic behind the vehicle when in reverse.
NHTSA Overall Rating
4 out of 5 starsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverall4 / 5Driver4 / 5Passenger3 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverall5 / 5
- Side Barrier RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront Seat5 / 5Back Seat5 / 5
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of Rollover10.7%
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestGood
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedPoor
- Roof Strength TestGood
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintGood
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