Forte 2023

The 2023 Kia Forte is competent transportation. Nothing went wrong, nothing impressed me either. If you just need a reliable appliance this will serve you fine. If you want something engaging, look elsewhere.

Bought on strong reviews and brand reputation. Ongoing electronic issues: infotainment crashed twice, emergency braking triggered unexpectedly three times. Dealer slow to acknowledge. Driving experience fine but reliability has soured everything.

Excited at purchase, reality more subdued. Positives: generous space, good fuel economy. Negatives: touchscreen freezes, rear wiper smears, lane-keeping too aggressive. Not bad but needs polish.

40 miles each way. The 2023 Kia Forte makes the commute genuinely enjoyable. Seats stay comfortable, adaptive cruise works brilliantly, fuel costs reasonable. After 25,000 miles nothing has gone wrong.

Sceptical when I ordered — playing it safe rather than exciting myself. A year in, genuinely impressed. More refined than expected, seats comfortable on long trips, nothing unexpected has gone wrong.

Nervous buying without testing more alternatives but after 18 months: not a single unplanned shop visit. Safety features have intervened twice on the motorway. Comfortable on long journeys, easy to park. Everything you want.

Mid-spec was the sweet spot. Heated seats, wireless CarPlay, blind-spot monitoring all standard. Build quality honest and durable. No showiness, just exactly what I needed.

Reliability has been below the brand's reputation. Two dealer visits in the first year for issues that shouldn't exist on a new car. Interior quality also doesn't match the asking price.

Functional but underwhelming. Ride is fine, fuel economy acceptable, reliable enough. But every time I get in I feel I settled. Looking at competitors for my next car.

Excellent car overall. Strong points: ride quality, interior space, standard safety tech. Weak points: fiddly touchscreen, thick rear quarter pillar blind spot. Neither a dealbreaker. Would buy again.