2011 Kia Forte Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Kia Forte review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Forte, and includes Kia Forte safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The big news for the Kia Forte lineup this year is the addition of a five-door hatchback variant, which is covered in a separate review. Kia also replaces the Forte’s transmission choices for 2011, dropping the LX and EX models’ old-school five-speed manual and four-speed automatic in favor of a six-speed manual gearbox and a new six-speed automatic with Sportmatic manual shift functionality. The Sportmatic transmission is optional on LX, and comes standard on EX and SX, which means the SX loses its manual transmission this year but it gains paddle shifters on the steering wheel to placate enthusiast drivers.

A new Technology Package for the EX and SX models includes a navigation system with a reversing camera, automatic climate control, keyless entry with push-button ignition, automatic headlights, and chrome door handles. This package also adds fog lights to the EX, and the SX Leather Package gains an auto-dimming rearview mirror. For 2011, the Forte EX is no longer offered with leather.

Kia sells the Forte Sedan in LX, EX and SX trim levels. It’s not hard to understand how the LX model is so inexpensive. It comes with cloth seats, a height adjustable driver’s seat, a tilt steering wheel, 15-inch wheels with plastic wheel covers, and not much else. However, Kia knows that young buyers are important to increasing sales, so the LX comes standard with Bluetooth hands-free calling capability, plus a stereo system that has a CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a free three-month trial subscription to satellite radio. Options include floor mats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a compass, a cargo net and tray, and a HomeLink remote control. Choose the available automatic transmission, and you also get air conditioning.

Because the LX model is so basic, we recommend an upgrade to the Forte EX. Not only are there more colors from which to choose, the EX includes a standard automatic transmission and air conditioning, plus power door locks with remote keyless entry, power heated mirrors, power windows, a surround sound audio system with a Power Bass feature, cruise control, and floor mats. The same options offered on the LX are available on the EX, plus a Premium Package that includes 16-inch alloy wheels and a power moonroof. The Technology Package adds a navigation system with a reversing camera, automatic climate control, Smart Key entry and push-button ignition, automatic headlights, fog lights, and chrome door handles. There’s also a Fuel Economy Package with electric steering, low rolling-resistance tires, and aerodynamic modifications that boost gas mileage.

The fun-to-drive model is the Forte SX. A larger, more powerful engine is standard on this model, plus a sport suspension, bigger brakes, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Sport cloth fabric features red stitching, there’s a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel with standard shift paddles, and the SX is decked out with Supervision gauges and unique metallic trim on the foot pedals and dashboard. A Leather Package with heated front seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror is available, in addition to the Technology Package detailed for the EX model above. A power moonroof, remote engine starting, a HomeLink remote, and a rear spoiler are optional, too.

The standard engine for the Forte LX and EX is a 156-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual gearbox on the LX or a six-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission on the EX model (Sportmatic is optional on the LX). Fuel economy ratings are 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission, while the automatic is expected to return 26 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. Add the Fuel Economy Package to the EX model, and you’ll be rewarded with 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

A 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is standard on the sporty SX model, and for 2011 it is partnered exclusively with the six-speed Sportmatic transmission, which comes with shift paddles in this model. Forte SX drivers can expect to get 23 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.

Kia provides an impressive 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty for the Forte, and the basic warranty is a five-year/60,000-mile plan that includes free roadside assistance.

Equipped with six airbags, a four-wheel-disc antilock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and both traction and stability control, the 2011 Kia Forte features a comprehensive set of standard safety features.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has modified the way it conduct crash tests for 2011, and under the new NHTSA standards, the Forte’s crash performance receives an overall rating of 4 Stars. However, in the frontal-impact test, the Forte’s front seat passenger is protected at 3-Star levels. Side-impact test performance is less encouraging that that, with the driver protected at 3-Star levels in the barrier test and at 2-Star levels in the pole test. Evidently, getting broadsided while driving a Forte Sedan is a bad idea. It should be noted, however, that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) sees things differently, giving the Forte Sedan a Top Safety Pick rating.

Based on predictions from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates, reliability is expected to be average at best, so it’s a good thing the warranty is so generous.

Unimpressive reliability predictions for the 2011 Forte may prove conservative in the long run, and Kia protects buyers with a long warranty. New crash-tests from the NHTSA are concerning with regard to side-impact test results, but the Forte is also considered to be a Top Safety Pick. Undeniably, the car represents value, even if price creep puts a loaded example on par with competitors from Chevy, Ford, Honda, and Toyota. With the Forte, it seems that every minus is counterbalanced with a plus, making it an average player in a crowded class.

By Christian Wardlaw