2022 Kia Forte

The Kia Forte got a complete redesign for 2019, and for 2022 gets refreshed front and rear styling, and some new features and trim packages. At a length of 182.7 inches, it competes against tough opposition in the compact sedan segment, including the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla.

The FE, LXS and GT-Line come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 147 horsepower and is mated to an automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT). The GT upgrades to a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder making 201 horsepower. The turbo comes with either a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which shifts faster than a conventional automatic.

The 2.0-liter’s acceleration can be leisurely but it’s still enough for most daily commutes. Those who want more power will move up to the turbocharged version, which includes a sport-tuned suspension. Kia seems to understand that it’s enthusiasts who want manual transmissions, and rather than offer a manual transmission as a budget-priced alternative, Kia charges more for the stick shift. It’s bundled with items that are add-on options with the automatic, such as a premium stereo and sunroof.

The 2.0 lacks the turbo’s power, but all Forte models are surprisingly agile and responsive, and fun to drive. The sedan is well-balanced and smooth on curves, and the brakes stop confidently. They get only average gas mileage for this class, however. 2.0 models get between 33 and 35 mpg combined, while the turbocharged GT gets 30 with an automatic and 26 with a manual. With the exception of that manual GT, however, these numbers are still better than equivalent Mazda3s.

The passenger compartment is similarly-sized to its competitors for headroom and legroom, but the Forte’s 15.3 cubic feet of trunk space is the largest. The cabin is handsomely styled and well-finished with good-quality materials, although the metallic accent strip across the dash creates a blinding glare if the sun hits it. Lower trims have cloth seats and an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, but wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard. A large variety of extras are available on the higher levels, including heated seats, a 10.3-inch touchscreen, wireless charging and more.

All trims include emergency front braking, lane-keeping assist and automatic high-beam headlamps, while upper trims add adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. But while the Forte gets the top “Good” crash rating from the IIHS, it doesn’t earn Top Safety Pick, and its NHTSA scores are a mixed bag. Still, the Forte is a value-packed competitor with a long warranty, and it may also have an edge in availability over some of its rivals in inventory-constrained 2022.

Performance: 12/15

The Forte in FE, LXS and GT-Line trim uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, mated to a continuously-variable automatic transmission (CVT). The GT uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder making 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. It comes with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), an automatic that shifts faster than a conventional unit, or a six-speed manual transmission.

Acceleration can be leisurely with the 2.0-liter, but it’s still enough for commuters, while the turbo engine’s power is on par with the sporty Honda Civic Si at a lower price tag. With either engine, the Forte is fun to drive, with responsive steering and nimble handling. Drive modes let you select normal, sport, or “smart” mode that automatically adjusts to how you’re driving.

Fuel Economy: 10/15

The EPA rates the base Forte FE trim at 31 mpg in the city, 41 on the highway and 35 in combined driving. The LXS and GT-Line have more features and are subsequently heavier, and in these, the 2.0-liter gets 29 city, 39 highway and 33 mpg combined. The turbocharged 1.6-liter in the GT is rated at 27 city, 35 highway and 30 combined with the seven-speed automatic, and at 22 city, 31 highway and 26 combined with the six-speed manual transmission.

Among the Forte’s non-turbocharged competitors, the Honda Civic matches the Kia’s 2.0-liter with 35 mpg combined for its lower-horsepower 2.0-liter, and 33 mpg for the higher-powered version. 

Toyota’s Corolla is similar, at 33 mpg for its 1.8-liter and 34 mpg with its 2.0-liter. The Civic Si’s turbocharged 1.5-liter with six-speed manual is 31 mpg combined, much better than the Forte’s 26 mpg. The Mazda3 is almost universally thirstier with one exception: its turbocharged 2.5-liter comes in at 27 mpg, slightly better than the turbo Forte.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 11/15

The 2022 Forte gets the top “Good” rating in crash tests from the IIHS, but not a Top Safety Pick designation, and for ease of use of its LATCH child seat tethers, it only earns “Acceptable.” NHTSA gives the Forte only a four-star crash rating with a safety alert for side crash protection, as the rear door hit the rear-seat dummy’s torso.

All trim levels include standard emergency front braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist and departure warning, driver attention warning, high-beam headlight assist, active front head restraints, and the rearview camera that’s mandatory on all new vehicles.

Blind-spot warning and collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and Safe Exit Warning are optional on the LXS and standard on the GT-Line and GT. Adaptive cruise control with highway driving assist is optional on the GT-Line and the GT when equipped with the automatic. But the highway driving assist can tend to weave between the lines rather than hold a steady course in the center of the lane, with a correspondingly squirmy feel to the steering wheel.

Comfort & Room: 14/15

The Forte stacks up favorably with its competition for interior space. It has 38.8 inches of front headroom, bested only by the non-sunroof-equipped Honda Civic and only by half an inch. The Forte tops all for rear-seat headroom at 37.5 inches, albeit by less than an inch. At 42.2 inches of front legroom, the Forte is on par with rivals, and its 35.7 inches of rear legroom is bested only by the Civic at 37.4 inches and the Hyundai Elantra at 38.

The Forte is a comfortable vehicle with supportive seats, which can be optioned with good-looking faux leather upholstery, and with heating and ventilation. The GT-Line and GT come with a sporty flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in leather. The FE and LXS have manual air conditioning, while the GT-Line and GT add dual-zone automatic climate control.

Infotainment: 10/15

The Forte FE and LXS include an 8.0-inch center touchscreen, while the GT-Line and GT trims upgrade it to a 10.3-inch screen with navigation. The smaller screen includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but not the larger one. Upper trim levels offer front and rear USB charging ports and wireless charging, either as an option or standard equipment. All have a high-resolution 4.2-inch TFT digital instrument cluster screen with various information menus, including a digital speedometer readout.

The touchscreen is easy to use, with intuitive menus and icons. The system includes dials for volume and stereo tuning, and the bezel can be tapped to bring up menus for audio, media, and other functions. Charmingly, radio stations are identified on the screen as numbers inside illustrations of old-timey radio tubes. The infotainment system is strictly for that, as the climate control, drive mode and seat heating or cooling are operated through hard buttons and dials on the center stack and console.

Cargo Space & Storage: 14/15

At 15.3 cubic feet of trunk space, the Forte outshines the Honda Civic’s trunk at 14.8 cubic feet; the Mazda3 at 13.2; and the Toyota Corolla at 13.1 cubic feet. If you want more space than this in a car this size, you’ll need to opt for a hatchback. The rear seat folds as a single unit on the FE, but on all other trims they’re 60/40 split-folding seats.

Small-item storage is good for the segment, with an open cubby ahead of the gearshift lever, large cupholders, and nicely-sized front door pockets. The GT-Line and GT trims add pockets on the backs of the front seats.

Style & Design: 9/10

The Forte is a handsomely-styled car that looks better than its price tag. Its 2022 refresh gives it sleeker headlights, a new grille, revised front and rear bumpers, and new rear spoiler, while the GT-Line and GT get revised taillights. Its swoopy roofline doesn’t affect headroom, and visibility is good all around.

The cabin is equally good-looking, with a tablet-style infotainment screen and with easy-to-use buttons and dials that reduce distraction when operating their functions, but which don’t distract from the modern styling. The only weak point is the metallic accent spear across the dash, which results in a blinding glare when the sun hits it.

Is the 2022 Kia Forte worth it? Which Forte is the Best Value?

The Forte starts at $20,145 for the FE, including a delivery charge of $1,055. The LXS is $20,645 and the GT-Line is $22,345. The turbocharged GT is $24,545 with automatic transmission; the manual is $25,545 but includes a sunroof and premium stereo that are optional with the automatic. Possibly the best value is the GT-Line, with many of the GT’s features but without the $2,200 move up to the turbo engine.

All trims can be optioned with an auto-dimming mirror for $350. The LXS offers a Technology Package of blind-spot collision avoidance and other driver assists for $500, while the GT-Line has three packages from $300 to $1,700, adding items such as ventilated seats, premium stereo and sunroof.

The Forte’s lowest and highest prices are below those of rivals. The Toyota Corolla begins at $21,200, the Mazda3 at $22,165, and the Honda Civic at $23,365. The Kia doesn’t offer a hybrid as the Corolla does, nor all-wheel drive as is available on the Mazda3. The turbocharged Forte GT with 6-speed manual is comparable in power and transmission to the Civic Si, but it’s $25,545 while the Honda is $28,315.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2022 Kia Forte?

The Forte isn’t an expensive car to insure. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,986 for the turbocharged GT and less for the other variants, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $1,959 for the Civic, $1,997 for the Nissan Sentra, $1,810 for the Volkswagen Jetta and $1,985 for the Elantra. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.