There’s 1 Big Reason to Avoid the 2014 Kia Forte
The 2014 Kia Forte underwent a complete redesign to begin the model’s second generation. The 2014 Forte featured sedan, hatchback, and coupe body styles in three trim levels and multiple powertrain offerings. However, there are better choices than a Forte when shopping for a used compact car.
Why buyers should skip the 2014 Kia Forte
The 2013 Kia Forte earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award. However, the redesigned 2014 Kia Forte does not achieve the same rating due to its “structure and safety cage” delivering poor performance during the driver-side small overlap front crash test. Also, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) only gave the 2014 Forte Hatchback four stars for its overall safety, with the front passenger side crash test yielding only a two-star rating.
Three safer options for a used compact car
We’ll compare the 2014 Honda Civic sedan, the 2015 Subaru Impreza sedan, and the 2014 Mazda3 sedan. Each car offers similar standard safety systems and overall size. However, they are all rated higher for safety.
2014 Honda Civic
Edmunds says the 2014 Honda Civic’s list of safety features include stability control, antilock brakes, four-wheel disc brakes on the EX and Si trims, front side and side curtain airbags, and a rearview camera. In addition, the EX and EX-L trims feature a right-side blind spot camera referred to as the Honda LaneWatch system.
The 2014 Honda Civic earned NHTSA’s five-star overall and side crash safety rating, with four-star ratings for frontal crash and rollover accidents. The 2014 Civic also earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with “Good” scores for all crash tests. It also scored points for its optional “Basic” front crash prevention system.
2015 Subaru Impreza
According to U.S. News, the 2015 Subaru Impreza’s list of safety features includes a standard rearview camera, Subaru’s all-wheel drive, and the optional Eyesight safety suite. The Eyesight safety suite includes driver assistance features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.
The 2015 Subaru Impreza earned the IIHS highest rating of “Good” in all crash tests it performed. As a result, the IIHS awarded the 2015 Impreza sedan its Top Safety Pick+ award. In NHTSA crash testing, the 2015 Impreza earned a five-star rating overall, with its only four-star result coming in the frontal crash test.
2014 Mazda3
AutoBlog lists anti-lock brakes, stability control, front- overhead- and side-impact airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, and anti-whiplash head restraints as 2014 Mazda3 standard safety equipment. The 2014 Mazda3 earned “Good” ratings during IIHS crash testing and the organization’s Top Safety Pick+ award. Additionally, the 2014 Mazda3 earned the NHTSA’s highest five-star overall rating, with only the rollover test resulting in a four-star rating.
Is the 2014 Kia Forte a bad car?
While the 2014 Kia Forte isn’t a “bad” car, it isn’t the best either. In addition to its low safety ratings, it also scores low for predicted reliability and fails to earn a spot on J.D. Power‘s list of top 10 “Best Compact Cars of 2014.” The takeaway is that, for the money, better options exist when shopping for a used compact car.
