2018 Kia Forte

The volume LX and S trims use the 147-hp 2.0L Nu port-injected four. Only the top EX gets the 164-hp direct-injected 2.0L, and the turbo 1.6T was offered only on the Forte5 hatchback, not the sedan.

132 lb-ft is at the bottom of the sedan band, in line with the naturally aspirated compact class of the time.

With 147 hp and a six-speed automatic, the volume Forte is a leisurely accelerator. It runs in the high-8-second range, close to the slow end of the sedan band.

The 2.0L MPI is smooth and adequate around town, but it gets buzzy and strained when pushed for highway merges, and reviewers found its output merely adequate.

The conventional six-speed automatic shifts smoothly and avoids CVT drone, though it is reluctant to kick down. A six-speed manual was offered on the base LX.

The 2018 Forte is front-wheel drive only on every trim, with no AWD option.

The sedan offers two 2.0L gas fours (147-hp MPI, 164-hp GDI) with a manual or an automatic. It has no turbo, hybrid or electrified option; the 1.6T was limited to the Forte5 hatchback.

The volume LX/S automatic returns 32 mpg combined, which is competitive for a non-hybrid 2018 compact. The EX's GDI engine drops to 28.

29 mpg city is respectable for a gas compact without hybrid assistance.

37 mpg highway is good but trails the 40-mpg figures of the next-generation Forte's IVT.

The small 13.2-gallon tank limits range to about 420 miles at the combined rating, below the sedan band's midpoint.

About $2,100 a year at EPA's current fuel-price basis: cheap next to larger vehicles, but well above any compact hybrid.

Every 2018 Forte sedan configuration runs on 87-octane regular, so there is no premium-fuel penalty.

The 2018 Forte sedan earned a 5-star overall NHTSA rating, though its frontal crash score was only 4 stars on both the driver and passenger sides.

It won 2018 Top Safety Pick+, but only with optional AEB and the HID headlights on top trims. Passenger-side small overlap was Acceptable and every other crash test was Good, so the volume LX/S car does not itself qualify for the award.

No driver-assistance features are standard on the LX or S. AEB, lane departure warning/prevention and blind-spot detection come only in the S Technology package or on the EX, and adaptive cruise is not offered at all.

The optional AEB earned IIHS's top Superior rating in vehicle-to-vehicle tests. It is only an option, and it predates IIHS pedestrian and nighttime testing, so pedestrian performance was never rated.

Blind Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on the EX, optional on the S and unavailable on the LX. Both are alert-only, with no braking intervention.

Lane departure warning and a basic lane-departure-prevention nudge are optional on upper packages. There is no lane centering, and the volume trims have no lane assistance at all.

Only conventional cruise control is offered: standard on the S and EX and on automatic LX models. Adaptive Smart Cruise Control and highway assist did not reach the Forte sedan until the 2019 redesign.

There is no hands-free or even hands-on lane-centering highway assist on any 2018 Forte.

Only the optional HID projectors with curve adaptation, available on the EX, rate Good. The halogen projectors on the volume LX/S trims rate Poor, and auto high beams are not available.

This is a conventional compact sedan with typical forward sightlines and moderate rear-quarter blind zones. A rearview camera is standard, but there is no 360-degree view, and blind-spot monitoring is only optional.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable, with two full LATCH positions plus a tether-only center seat. Rear-seat room is adequate for two child seats, but three across is tight.

The second-generation (YD) Forte sedan seats five on every 2018 trim, like the rest of the compact-sedan class.

Front headroom is generous for the class. The volume LX has no sunroof, so it gets the full figure.

Front legroom is class-average and the same on every trim.

Rear headroom is adequate for most adults. The back seat's real shortfall is legroom.

At 35.9 in, rear legroom trails the 2018 Civic and Corolla and is the Forte's clearest space deficit.

A 14.9 cu ft trunk is mid-pack for a compact sedan, slightly smaller than the 15.3 cu ft of the 2019 redesign that followed.

Storage is conventional: a console bin, door pockets, cupholders and a front tray. There is nothing innovative, and the volume LX comes with few power outlets and only basic USB/aux inputs.

The front seats are fine for commuting but basic on the volume LX/S, which have manual adjustment only. The 10-way power seat with lumbar and memory is reserved for the EX Premium Tech package, and the rear bench is tight for legs.

Reviewers of the facelifted Forte found the ride mature and comfortable for the class, but the torsion-beam rear handles sharp impacts poorly and lets the body bob.

For an economy compact, the cabin was praised as quiet, with little road or wind noise at a cruise. The 2.0L turns buzzy when worked hard.

Comfort equipment is sparse where most buyers shop: the LX and S get manual A/C and no heated seats. Dual-zone automatic climate with rear vents and heated seats are limited to the EX, while ventilated seats and a heated wheel are EX options. There is no remote start.

The 2018 Forte LX manual is one of the cheapest new compact sedans of its year and sits well under the sedan band floor.

The LX automatic is the volume configuration, at about $18.8k delivered. That is well below the sedan band floor.

Edmunds' True Cost to Own projects typical economy-car maintenance plus modest repairs. CarEdge's nameplate figure for maintenance and repairs together is far lower, at about $1,950, so the Edmunds number is the conservative one.

The 2018 cohort reached five years old during the 2022–2023 used-car price spike, which propped up its resale value. Pre-pandemic projections for Kia compacts were nearer 45–50%, so this is a blended estimate.

Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty is among the longest in the industry.

The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty is best in class, though it drops to 5 yr/60k for second owners.

The 2018 Forte came with no complimentary scheduled maintenance. Perks were limited to 5-yr/60k-mile roadside assistance plus a UVO trial on equipped trims, which puts it at the bottom of the basic-roadside band.

$18,795 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (57% retained, or about $10,713) leaves about $8,082 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,499 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $14,581 in total.

2018 is the final model year of the second-generation (YD) Forte, a carry-over from the MY2017 facelift. The two main sources split: J.D. Power rates it an Average 78/100, while Consumer Reports says the 2018 Forte is less reliable than other cars of its model year, with engine misfire and oil-burning complaints leading owner reports. That reads as average-to-below, well short of the 2021 car's 77.

In the 2017-2018 era Kia was an above-average mass-market brand. It led J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study among non-premium brands for several straight years and placed in the upper half of the VDS. That record was clouded by Hyundai-Kia's industry-wide engine-failure campaigns and class settlement, and Kia had not yet reached the VDS mass-market top spot it held from 2021 on.

NHTSA lists three recalls for the 2018 Forte. The oil-pump recall affects the 2.0L Nu MPI engine in the volume trim, though only a narrow build window; the trunk-lid latch campaign spans 2016-2018. On top of those, a KSDS knock-sensor ECU campaign for connecting-rod bearing wear covers 2.0L GDI cars, and the model sits inside Kia's engine class settlement. Recall activity is typical, but engine-related service actions keep this below average.

The volume LX/S trims pair the port-injected 2.0L Nu MPI four (147 hp) with a conventional 6-speed automatic, a simple and generally long-lived combination. Even so, the Nu family in this generation drew rod-bearing knock and oil-consumption complaints, an oil-pump recall and a place in the engine class settlement. The EX's 2.0L GDI is the riskier engine and needed the KSDS software campaign. The record is mixed rather than proven.

The facelifted second-generation cabin is neatly designed and well equipped for the money. It is mostly hard plastic on the volume LX/S trims, with soft-touch surfaces and leather kept for the EX. Materials are competitive for an economy compact without being a standout.

Kia's brand-level initial quality was strong in 2017-2018, and reviewers describe solid assembly with no recurring rattle or panel-gap theme. The Forte's run of J.D. Power IQS compact-segment wins began only with the 2019 redesign, so this model year has no segment-level IQS award behind it.

Kia's roughly 750-800 US dealers give adequate metro and suburban coverage but a thinner rural footprint than Toyota, Honda or the Detroit brands. Kia's service satisfaction trailed the mass-market leaders in this era. The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, which original owners still hold into 2027-2028, partly offsets that.

This is a high-volume economy compact that shares its 2.0L Nu engine and 6-speed automatic with the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Soul, so OEM and aftermarket parts are plentiful and cheap. RepairPal puts the Forte's average annual repair cost below the compact-car average. An engine replacement is costly where neither the recall nor the settlement applies, but routine repairs are inexpensive.

The UVO3 7-in touchscreen comes on the LX Popular Package and up, which is how most LX models were sold. It is the largest screen offered and sits at the floor of the band.

UVO3 was simple, quick and paired with physical knobs and buttons, and reviewers rated it ahead of the Honda and Toyota systems of the time. By modern standards the screen is small, and the base LX has no touchscreen at all.

Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto came on the LX Popular Package, S and EX, which was new for the LX in 2018. Wireless projection was not offered, and the base LX lacks projection entirely.

Native navigation is limited to an EX package, and the volume trims rely on Bluetooth voice commands plus phone projection. Voice control was basic command-based recognition.

The base LX has just four speakers and the S/EX six, with no branded premium audio on any trim. That is weak even for the class.

The gauges are analog, with a center display. The S and EX upgrade to a Supervision cluster with a 4.2-in color TFT screen, but there is no full-digital cluster on any trim.

The 2018 Forte has no over-the-air software updates. Map and head-unit updates on the EX navigation required a dealer visit or USB download.

UVO eServices offered phone-based vehicle diagnostics and maintenance reminders, but the Forte had no embedded modem. That meant no remote start, remote lock or vehicle locate.

Device power is limited to front USB-A and aux jacks plus a 12V outlet. There is no USB-C or rear-seat charging, and no wireless charging on the volume trims.

The volume LX uses a conventional key with remote keyless entry, which comes in the Popular Package. A smart key with push-button start is limited to the S Technology package and the EX, and remote start was not offered.

A rear camera displays on the 7-in screen on the LX Popular Package, S and EX, but the base LX went without one. There are no surround-view cameras or automated parking.

No head-up display was offered on any 2018 Forte trim.

There are two LATCH positions with Acceptable ease of use and a 14.9 cu ft trunk that takes a folded stroller, but 35.9 in of rear legroom makes rear-facing seats tight.

Crash scores are good (NHTSA 5-star overall, IIHS TSP+ when properly equipped), but the volume LX/S have no standard AEB, blind-spot or lane-keeping aids, and their halogen headlights rate Poor.

The ride is comfortable and the cabin quiet for the class, but rear legroom is tight and the volume trims have no rear vents, rear USB or heated seats. The trunk holds a family's weekend luggage.

It is an easy commuter, with a smooth conventional 6-speed automatic, light controls, a quiet cabin and cruise control now standard on automatic LX models. The 147-hp engine needs a heavy foot for merges.

At 32 mpg combined on regular fuel, with cheap tires and consumables, the Forte is inexpensive to commute in, though it trails hybrids and the IVT-equipped 2019 redesign.

A compact footprint and a tight 34.8-ft turning circle make the car easy in town. The base LX lacks a rear camera, and parking sensors are not offered.

With no tow rating and a modest sedan trunk, the Forte is not a work vehicle.

The Forte is a lightweight economy car that holds up in commuter fleet use but is not built for abuse. Its simple torsion-beam chassis and 2.0L Nu engine have a decent track record.

There is no onboard power beyond a 12V outlet, no hitch provisions and no upfit ecosystem.

A quiet cabin and 37 mpg highway help, but the small 13.2-gal tank (about 420 miles of range), basic seats and the lack of adaptive cruise or lane centering limit it on long hauls.

With front-drive only, low ground clearance and no tow rating, it is pavement-bound; trunk-mount bike racks are the extent of it.

The 14.9 cu ft trunk and a split-folding rear seat handle normal luggage, but the sedan opening and lack of roof rails or hitch make bulky gear a squeeze.

Handling is secure with a mildly sporty edge, sharper on the S with its sport-tuned suspension, but the body bobs over sharp impacts. It trails the Mazda3 and Civic.

The steering is quick and well weighted and firms up in Sport mode, but it offers little road feedback.

A 119-ft stop from 60 mph is respectable, but testers found the pedal hard and short, and they noted gradual fade.

The 147-hp 2.0L MPI and conventional 6-speed automatic are smooth and predictable, with no stop/start or CVT oddities. Response is merely adequate, and the transmission is slow to kick down.

The engine is quiet at a cruise and under moderate throttle but turns buzzy and strained near redline during merges.

A 34.8-ft turning circle is among the tightest in the compact-sedan class.

A tilt-and-telescoping wheel and height-adjustable driver's seat are standard, and controls are logically laid out with physical knobs. Lumbar adjustment is limited to the EX's power seat.

It is competent but appliance-like. With the 1.6T reserved for the Forte5, no sedan trim offers real verve.

The base price is low, but the base LX is sparse. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (UVO3) needs the LX Popular Package, and AEB, lane-keep and blind-spot monitoring are optional on lower trims and standard only on the EX. That is competitive for the price but not loaded.

It undercuts the Civic, Corolla and Mazda3 at comparable trims, and the well-equipped EX costs about $22.6k delivered. That makes it a strong value even though the 147-hp base powertrain is unexciting.

The sedan comes in three trims (LX, S, EX) with an LX manual and option packages. It is a narrow ladder, with no sporty or turbo sedan trim (the 1.6T was Forte5-only), no AWD and no hybrid.

With about 102k US sales in 2018, the Forte was a steady mid-pack compact, far behind the Civic and Corolla at 300k+.

In 2018 Kia was still seen as the budget alternative to Honda, Toyota and Mazda. Strong J.D. Power initial-quality results were improving its reputation, but the Telluride halo was still a year away.

As the outgoing generation in a sedan market with plenty of inventory, the 2018 Forte routinely carried cash rebates and 0% financing, especially once the all-new 2019 arrived.

The 2018 is the last model year of the second-generation (YD) Forte, which arrived in 2014 and was facelifted for 2017. An all-new 2019 replaced it within months, so buyers got an aging generation just ahead of the redesign.

Reviewers praised the refreshed Forte's value, ride and warranty, and it earned IIHS Top Safety Pick recognition when equipped with AEB. It trailed the Civic, Mazda3 and Corolla in comparisons on driving dynamics and powertrain.