2012 Kia Forte User Reviews

Pros

Great vehicle for the price

Purchased As New

Warren was very professional during the entire process, he directed us through the entire process with such ease that we could not have been any more pleased if we had scripted all of it ourselfs. Thank you very much Warren for all of your kindness, and we will be recommending Tempe Kia and Warren to everyone we know....read morehide

Pros

Fuel comsumption, looks, driving. design

Cons

Engine noise

Purchased As Used

I bought it 2 months ago, all I can say is I love it. Wonderful car. Congratulations Kia...

Pros

Safe For Grandkids, Comfortable/Roomy, Responsive, Beautiful

Cons

Not So Far

Purchased As New

This is a Sweet Ride. I feel like I am driving in a livingroom. Acceleration and braking are very responsive. The interior is classy yet practical; all the basic amenities. The exterior is beautiful. The view from the top of my stairs: Impressive aerodynamic design. Safety rating can't be beat (great for grandkids). Undercarriage is high enough to avoid scrapping curbs and speedbumps. Length allows for easy parking, yet surprsingly roomy and cargo friendly. I am in love, and intend to retire with this car....read morehide

Pros

Great gas milage, roomy interior, flashy exterior

Cons

power locks/windows aren't standard

Purchased As New

LOVE my car!! I am so stoked to have it.. I have four kids and we fit comfortably in this car, even with a car seat.. LOVE IT!!

Pros

Fuel consumption Driving pleasure

Cons

Does not have the safety systems such as abs esp eps Airbag 1

Purchased As Used

High prices of accessories
Does not have a 2.4 engine
Very bad quality of the car

Pros

I average 30 mpg. Large amount of room for a small car.

Cons

Rocker arms instead of shocks for trunk.

Purchased As New

My wife and I made an excellent purchase and trade when we decided on this car.

Pros

Fun Manual Trans--comfortable, great value

Cons

Engine has mechanical "ticks" when cold

Purchased As New

I purchased my Forte LX (Base) with manual transmission because I prefer manuals--very few manuals available on dealer lots these days. This car is fun to drive (but not a sports car!) and has provided excellent fuel economy. I have driven 19,000 plus miles and calculate mileage on every tank. Lowest was 31 mpg--lots of bumper to bumper traffic and city driving---mostly getting 33-34mpg in highway biased mixed driving--37 on a long trip at 70mph. Good A/C, decent sounding radio, Bluetooth works well but the microphone does not provide the best sound for my callers....I need to yell usually.
Mechanically, the car has been trouble free. I am very mechanically inclined, and inspect the car regularly--tires wearing evenly, no leaks, no vibrations. Only thing I don't like mechanically is the tendency for the valve train to be a little noisy when the engine is cold. I have read a number of bulletin boards and have heard this is common for this engine---since I have 100,000 mile warranty, I am not too concerned at present. One other minor issue is that my low tire pressure dash indicator has come on twice---false alarms--I checked the tires and all were fine.

"Carpet" is really thin, not even carpet really, and seat upholstery will stain easily--so I have instituted a "no food" policy in this car.---both issues not surprising for an inexpensive, base model car. I knew this when I purchased and am not surprised---just be aware....read morehide

Pros

fun to drive

Cons

none so far

Purchased As New

me and my wife bought this becouse we wanted a car that would give us good gas mileage with out any troubles. so far the car is more then we expected. it is fun to drive and the style is very sporty

Pros

Cool looks and fun to drive

Cons

Plastic interior is very easy to scratch! The clutch take a little to get use to.

Purchased As New

I bought a 2010 Spicy Red Kia Forte SX 6 speed manual without the leather. I have added the sunroof spoiler and 4 mud guards and smoked out the window. Before I took it out on a trip I installed the "Clear Bra." Pain in the butt, but well worth it. I think that I am the only Spicy red in my area. I wanted the Blue but after seeing the Spicy red I was on fire.I wanted to get a Honda Civic Si, but didn't think it made sense to always use 93 octane? Forte requires regular gas. I drove a Mazda speed 3, Ford Focus sport, Civic Si. The Si was faster, but you can only go so fast. I couldn't get past the ugly frontend of the speed 3. Just not my thing. The Focus didn't seem to have the interior room I was looking for. The Forte pulls hard and handles great on smooth roads and has great interior room and trunk space. I also love the warranty of 10 years / 100k. I have had only 2 minor problems with the car. The cruise control not working and KIA dealer found it to be a faulty button on the steering wheel. Next is not covered under warranty. I have a 4 inch scratch on my glove box. My girlfriend set her purse down between her legs and scratched the glove box. THIS should not have happened. The driver's inside door was scratched by me with a fleece jacket? Not sure to the durability of the PLASTIC KIA uses but it should take more of a beating than a fleece jacket or a purse? Overall I am very happy with this car. I got mine with no trade-in and with only about 30 minutes of back and forth for 16,500. There were rebates out there then? The dealer also threw in a paint sealer (woopie it's just special wax) 3 M'd the interior against spills and free car washes for life.( No thanks. I'm very pickie with my cars and hand wash them myself) Spitzer KIA in Cleveland was great though. Very easy car buying experience....read morehide

Pros

comfortable and real spirited acceleration from 4 cyl engine

Cons

none

Purchased As New

just traded in my 2008 sportage and bought the forte SX.
as soon as i test drove it, i new i wanted it. really great little car