Compare repair costs, reliability, and owner reviews
Kia Forte
$451
Average Annual
Repair Cost
Kia Optima
$471
Average Annual
Repair Cost
Overall Reliability Rating
4
1
2
Excellent
The Kia Forte Reliability Rating is 4.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 6th out of 36 for compact cars. The average annual repair cost is $451 which means it has excellent ownership costs. The severity and frequency of repairs are both much lower than other vehicles, so the Forte is one of the more reliable vehicles on the road.
4
Excellent
The Kia Optima Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 8th out of 24 for midsize cars. The average annual repair cost is $471 which means it has lower than average ownership costs. The severity of repairs is average and the frequency of those issues is low, so major repairs are uncommon for the Optima.
“I LOVE my Kia Forte! Everything is wonderful, including the price I paid for it: $15k at The Kia Depot. The no-cost "extras" like Bluetooth, 3 months of Sirius radio and the manual shift option...”
“I LOVE my Kia Forte! Everything is wonderful, including the price I paid for it: $15k at The Kia...”
The Kia Optima ranks highest in value and ranks lowest in fuel economy.
“I HAVE OWNED TIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS IT HAD 13,000 ON IT WHEN WE GOT IT WERE AT 80,000 NOW AND THE ONLY THING I HAVE REPLACED IS THE FACTORY BATTERY AWESOME CAR I HAVE BEEN A ASE MASTERTECH FOR YEARS...”
“I HAVE OWNED TIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS IT HAD 13,000 ON IT WHEN WE GOT IT WERE AT 80,000 NOW AND THE...”
The Kia Forte and the Kia Optima are two four-door sedans from the same carmaker. The Kia Forte is a compact car, while the Optima is a midsize. Both come with front-wheel drive.
As expected, the Optima offers more power. The Kia Forte has a standard engine with 147 horsepower; the larger Kia Optima has 185 horsepower standard. The optional engine in the Forte has 201 horsepower, and the Optima gives you 245 horsepower in its optional engine. The Optima also gives you a choice of conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid power systems.
This dynamic continues when it comes to interior and trunk space. The Forte has 96.2 cubic feet of interior space, but the Optima has more, with 104.8 cubic feet. Trunk space totals 14.9 cubic feet in the Forte and 15.9 cubic feet in the Optima.
One place where these vehicles are the same is in their warranties. Both have Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. It’s an excellent warranty, superior to what most other brands offer.
Besides the difference in size and power, there is a difference in price. The Forte costs thousands of dollars less than the Optima. Choosing between these two vehicles becomes a matter of how much power and space you can afford.