Kia makes a lot of great value-packed cars that often cost less than their Japanese peers, despite offering more features. Over the years, however, Kia has been moving upmarket, as reflected in its logo change in 2021. Yet, despite the upmarket push, Kia’s vehicles still generally cost a bit less, or at least offer more kit than the competition.
Lower prices also mean that Kia vehicles tend to have lower resale values than the Japanese equivalents. This makes today’s discontinued Kia worth exploring, not only because of its affordability, but also because it offers a lot for its resale value. For those looking for a compact sedan that’s affordable yet a pleasure to own, especially at a time when the sub-$20,000 new car disappeared in 2025, this article will highlight why this discontinued used Kia is a tempting bargain.
Where Kia Is Positioned
Kia has gone from making value-oriented vehicles to models that are finally desirable yet still relatively affordable. You’d now buy a Kia for its style and tech, not just for being more affordable. For this article, we’re using CarEdge as our source for the overall industry’s resale values, including Kia’s.
About Average Resale Among Mainstream Cars
Kia sits somewhere in the middle in CarEdge’s ratings. Of the 19 mainstream car brands analyzed (CarEdge separates mainstream and luxury brands), Kia ranks 11th, below Chevrolet and above Volkswagen. Its sister brand, Hyundai, ranks 9th, which puts the entire Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) and thus the Koreans right in the middle of the resale value rankings.
In CarEdge’s rankings, the top five are dominated by four Japanese brands, while the gap between Japanese and Korean brands is filled by novelty brands like Mini and Fiat, as well as off-roader and SUV brands Ram and GMC. It’s surprising how Mini and Fiat ended up better than the Koreans, considering how niche their cars are, along with their perceived unreliability.
New Models Are Reliable, Older Models Saw Major Recalls
Kia’s quality and durability have improved over the years, as reflected in its reliability ratings from various publications. JD Power’s 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study ranks Kia as the ninth-best brand, ahead of Nissan and just behind Toyota. However, lingering challenges with the Koreans prevent them from having the same level of reputation for reliability as Japanese brands. That’s because in the past decade, HMG as a whole has had its cars recalled for various major issues.
One of those major recalls involved the 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter Theta II engines produced between 2011 and 2012, which suffered from engine failures due to metal debris from the manufacturing process remaining in the engine, as well as connecting rod failures. This massive recall even has its own webpage in order for owners to be properly settled. The other massive recall was due to a widespread theft problem of older HMG models due to their lack of an immobilizer. Even this massive recall has its own webpage for owners to properly file their case. However, there is a silver lining to the Kia model this article focuses on.
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Say Hello To The Kia Forte
Now, the bargain Kia we’re talking about in this article is the discontinued Kia Forte. The Forte is Kia’s rival to the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla — two of America’s best-selling compact sedans.
How Much A Forte Costs
According to CarEdge, the Kia Forte has an average resale value of $17,805 for three-year-old models, or $15,450 for five-year-old models. This is lower than the Civic and Corolla, and even slightly lower than the Mazda 3. The table below compares the Kia Forte versus the Civic, Corolla, and Mazda 3, but to level the playing field, the three Japanese competitors are all in their sedan body styles.
Sedan Models’ Five-Year Depreciation
|
Depreciation |
Residual Value |
Resale Value |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Years Old |
Civic |
Corolla |
Mazda 3 |
Forte |
Civic |
Corolla |
Mazda 3 |
Forte |
Civic |
Corolla |
Mazda 3 |
Forte |
|
1 |
$4,262 |
$4,079 |
$9,131 |
$6,503 |
84.50% |
85.22% |
71.17% |
74.15% |
$23,238 |
$23,516 |
$22,540 |
$18,652 |
|
2 |
$5,049 |
$4,851 |
$9,606 |
$7,089 |
81.64% |
82.42% |
69.67% |
71.82% |
$22,451 |
$22,744 |
$22,065 |
$18,066 |
|
3 |
$5,351 |
$6,813 |
$10,081 |
$7,350 |
80.54% |
75.31% |
68.17% |
70.78% |
$22,149 |
$20,782 |
$21,590 |
$17,805 |
|
4 |
$7,560 |
$8,599 |
$11,576 |
$8,311 |
72.51% |
68.84% |
63.45% |
66.96% |
$19,940 |
$18,996 |
$20,095 |
$16,844 |
|
5 |
$7,972 |
$9,013 |
$12,051 |
$9,705 |
71.01% |
67.34% |
61.95% |
61.42% |
$19,528 |
$18,582 |
$19,620 |
$15,450 |
The 2024 Kia Forte was discontinued after the 2024 model year. Its discontinuation isn’t necessarily due to the model being unpopular, but rather to its replacement by the Kia K4. The K4 rebranding aligns with Kia’s rebranding of its lineup. All of its passenger cars are now following a similar format in the United States, with the other model being the K5 midsize sedan.
Why It’s A Worthy Bargain
Cars with lower resale values are often due to their poor reliability or lower quality, but that’s not necessarily the case for the Forte—particularly for its final generation. The Kia Forte 2024, along with older model years, is rated 4.5 out of 5 by RepairPal for reliability and ease of repair. Plus, it’s also relatively inexpensive to maintain, costing $451 annually, which is below the segment average of $526 for maintenance and repair costs. Newer model years are even better, since past issues from HMG as a group have already been remedied here.
Contributing to the Kia Forte’s good reliability and low maintenance costs is its close relationship with the Hyundai Elantra. The two vehicles share similar underpinnings and drivetrains, enabling them to make spare parts common, as well as achieving high economies of scale. Opt for the 2.0-liter four-cylinder with the CVT (branded as IVT or Intelligent Variable Transmission), and you’ll end up with the most easy-going version of the Forte, as this engine and transmission combination is durable and simple to maintain.
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What A Kia Forte Offers
But perhaps another reason why the Kia Forte has lower resale values than the Japanese brands — or even the Hyundai Elantra — is because it is also an underrated sedan. With so many compact sedan options, it’s easy for a model to fade into the background.
Simple But Contemporary Design
Starting with what immediately makes a solid impression, let’s talk about the way the Kia Forte 2024 looks. The Kia Forte lasted for three generations, with perhaps the most stylish of them all being the previous (second generation) model. The final third-generation model went back to a simpler look, but a facelift made the anonymous design look more modern and contemporary. Right in line with Kia’s new logo, the 2022 facelift gave the Forte a set of sportier bumpers, a sleeker Tiger Nose grille, sharper LED headlights and taillights, and new alloy wheels. The Kia Forte GT variant, in particular, looks very sharp and is a worthy rival to the Honda Civic Si in terms of appearance and sportiness.
Likewise, the interior of the Kia Forte took a more simplistic route in its third and final generation. A predominantly horizontal dash was introduced, while for the facelift, Kia offered the option of two large 10.25-inch screens and an available Harman Kardon sound system. Lower trims got a simpler gauge cluster and an eight-inch infotainment screen, but whichever screen size you got, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. Material quality is also above average for the segment. Not as plush as the Mazda 3’s, for instance, but it was reasonably plush, especially when opting for the higher trims.
Solid Or Spirited Mechanicals
Sharing the same bones as the Elantra, the Kia Forte had similar traits to its Hyundai sibling. In its final model years, the Kia Forte 2024 versions came with HMG’s familiar 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder direct-injected engine, which produces a modest 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. This is mated to a CVT with pre-programmed faux gear shifts, which is why HMG marketed it as an IVT. Models with this simple 2.0-liter four-cylinder have a rear torsion beam suspension, which indicates that these models are focused on hassle-free transportation.
2024 Kia Forte Specs
|
Engine |
2.0-liter four-cylinder |
1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder |
|
Layout |
FWD |
|
|
Horsepower |
147 hp |
201 hp |
|
Torque |
132 lb-ft |
195 lb-ft |
|
Transmission |
CVT |
6-speed M/T 7-speed A/T |
But if you wanted a Kia Forte that was fun to drive, that’s where the GT variant came in. A true rival to the Civic Si, the 2024 Kia Forte GT is an affordable sports sedan that’s powered by a punchy 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder that produces 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual.
Unlike most sporty front-drive cars, understeer is minimal, so the GT is imbued with the vibe of a premium sports sedan while the turbo boost is smoothly poured out, adding to driving precision. It’s also light on its feet, nimble, and surprisingly forthcoming with its modest power.
This version also has a sports exhaust, which gives its sound more character than a Civic Si. It handles great, too, as our team reviewed a Kia Forte GT and was left impressed. If there’s a minor chink in its armor, it’s the dual-clutch not being as smooth as the CVT or even a traditional torque-converter automatic at low city speeds.