2024 Kia Forte

With tremendous appeal to the value-conscious, the Kia Forte is a well-equipped compact sedan that achieves enviable fuel economy. We believe its thriftiness is its most endearing quality. Relatively inexpensive to own with better-than-average resale value, the Forte is a bargain in its segment. A few rivals, like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, have higher profiles; however, the Forte stands out as a deal. Undoubtedly, this is one of the reasons Forte is Kia’s best-selling car.

Kia didn’t tinker much with the 2024 Forte. The GT-Line gets upgraded forward-collision avoidance with cyclist detection, and Highway Driver Assist with Navigation Smart Cruise Control. The improved Highway Driver Assist helps the driver steer, brake, and accelerate in certain situations and connects the adaptive cruise control to the Forte’s GPS system to anticipate curves. We expect the next-generation Kia Forte to arrive in 2025.

Within the Kia family, you can go even more affordable with Rio at $16,750 (discontinued for the 2024 model year) or more spacious with the K5 at $25,390. Before buying the Kia Forte, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should pay. The Kia Forte has a better-than-average track record for retaining its value.

Powering the Kia Forte’s lower trims (LX, LXS, and GT-Line) is a 147-horsepower 4-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission. So equipped, the Forte will run from zero to 60 mph in about 8 seconds, which is about typical for the segment. Under most conditions, the Forte’s ride quality is decent. We’d characterize Forte’s power, ride, and handling as average and good enough for most compact sedan owners.

If you want a bit more oomph, we direct you to the Forte GT. Its handling is a bit firmer, although not really sporty. Its engine is a 201-hp turbocharged 4-cylinder mated to either a 7-speed automatic transmission or, for a boost in the transaction price, a 6-speed manual.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact sedans, including the Kia Forte.

Fuel Economy

The government-estimated combined fuel economy with the base engine is 34 mpg (30 mpg city, 41 mpg highway). This is a little better than average for the segment. The Hyundai Elantra (37 mpg) tops the segment, while the AWD Subaru Impreza brings up the rear at 30 mpg. With the GT’s higher output turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, the combined mileage with the 7-speed automatic is 30 mpg (27 city, 35 highway). If you opt for the manual, it drops to 26 mpg (22 city, 31 highway). More Forte fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

Kia has taken inspiration from premium European cars for the 2024 Kia Forte’s cabin. It corrals all the switches and other controls into a tidy arrangement. And the quality of the materials is acceptable for this price bracket. Rear legroom of 35.7 inches beats the Toyota Corolla’s 34.8. The Mazda3 approaches the Forte with 35.1 inches. Trunk space of 15.3 cubic feet tops the segment, besting the Honda Civic at 14.8 cubic feet and the Toyota Corolla at 13.1 cubic feet.

Anyone taking a keen interest in Kia styling will have probably noticed that there’s a fresh set of pencils in the company’s design studio. The K5 midsize sedan and the latest Sportage compact SUV are at the forefront of this bold approach, which Kia also applied to the Forte compact sedan when it received an update for 2022. It all adds up to this thing looking sharper than the creases in Jeff Goldblum’s Oscar party pants. That zing is blunted a little by the base LX’s 15-inch steel wheels and plastic covers, but the alloy rims on the rest of the range do more than provide a place for the tires to go. The GT-Line and GT models have aerodynamic additions to underline their sportiness.

Available turbocharged engine
With the automatic transmission, this engine isn’t much thirstier than the 2.0-liter unit in the lower trims. And the way it livens up the driving experience will make some buyers feel it’s worth the extra money.

Available 10.25-inch touchscreen
This comes, along with navigation, beginning with the popular GT-Line trim level. It has clear graphics and looks more modern because the trend is bigger screens. The system itself is also user-friendly.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Cable-free smartphone integration is standard in the two lower trims. Irritatingly, it’s not available in the trims with the larger touchscreen. However, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is still included. Wireless or not, it allows your smartphone to interface with your Forte’s infotainment system.

Standard driver-assist tech
Several technologies are included to aid the driver, including automatic forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist.

Power accessories
Power windows, door locks, and outboard mirrors are included in every Forte trim.

Available advanced safety tech
Beginning with the LXS trim, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safe Exit that alerts rear-seat passengers of approaching traffic before opening their door are optional. These features are standard in the GT-Line and GT trims.

Not recognized for high-performance antics, the compact sedan segment is more about getting people where they need to go. Although we think it’s noticeably quicker, even the Forte GT isn’t going to overwhelm serious performance jockeys. The Forte and its fellow travelers are all about getting folks around economically. When saving money is a significant qualification, the less expressive 147-horsepower 4-cylinder is the right choice. If you can afford another five grand and want a bit more get-up-and-go, by all means, pick the GT with its 201 hp. You can’t go wrong with either.

Industry-Leading Warranty

The Kia limited bumper-to-bumper warranty protection is for five years or 60,000 miles. Its powertrain warranty, covering 10 years or 100,000 miles, is arguably the industry’s benchmark.

Safety Ratings

The 2023 Kia Forte received 4 out of 5 Stars in crash tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Elantra, Corolla, Jetta, and Civic received 5 Stars. In the four safety tests currently conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Forte scored the best rating of Good in two tests and the worst rating of Poor in the two newest tests. Every one of Forte’s competitors scored better.