Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: A Comprehensive Breakdown

Published December 9, 2021
in Model Info

If you’re looking for a small sedan, then chances are good the Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra are on your shopping list. With this in mind, we’ll put together a helpful list of pros and cons so you can decide the Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra winner for yourself.

You may not be aware that the similarities between these cars are closer than one might think. While marketed as separate automotive brands, Kia and Hyundai are sister companies. To be precise, Kia is owned by Hyundai. And the Forte and Elantra share the same platform.

To keep this comparison focused, we’ll look at new 2021 models. So, read on to see how things stack up.

Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: Pricing

Pricing for the base Kia Forte FE is $17,890, plus $965 for destination charges. But this $18,855 gets you a car with a six-speed manual transmission. Add another $900 for an automatic. The top-tier Forte, the sporty GT (with a seven-speed automatic), will set you back $24,620 (including destination).

The starter Elantra, the SE (with an automatic continuously variable transmission), stickers at $20,645 (including $995 destination fees). The luxurious Limited prices out at $26,445 (with freight). Uniquely, Hyundai offers the Elantra with a hybrid powertrain. Prices (including destination costs) for these models range from $24,545 to $29,095.

Verdict: On a pure cost basis, the Kia Forte wins hands down. Equipment levels vary between the Kia and Elantra, which accounts for some of the pricing differences. We’ll compare features later on.

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Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: Fuel Economy

Good gas mileage is an essential part of small car ownership.

Kia Forte with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine: city/highway mpg

FE (manual): ²⁷⁄₃₇ mpg
FE (automatic): ³¹⁄₄₁ mpg
LXS/GT Line/EX (automatic): ²⁹⁄₄₀ mpg

Forte with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine

GT (manual): ²⁵⁄₃₂ mpg
GT (automatic): ²⁷⁄₃₅ mpg

Hyundai Elantra with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine

SE: ³³⁄₄₃ mpg
SEL/Limited: ³¹⁄₄₁ mpg

Elantra Hybrid (1.6-liter four-cylinder with 32-kW electric motor)

SEL: ⁵³⁄₅₆ mpg
Limited: ⁴⁹⁄₅₂ mpg

Elantra with the turbocharged 1.6-liter engine

N Line: ²²⁄₂₉ mpg

Verdict: The Elantra is the fuel-economy champ from a base model match-up to versions with a hybrid powertrain.

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Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: Advanced Safety Equipment

All 2021 Fortes come with forward-collision mitigation, lane-keep assist, and driver attention alert. GT Line and higher trims come with blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The GT can be upgraded with an improved forward-collision management system (that adds pedestrian detection) and rear parking sensors.

Every 2021 Elantra is equipped with forward-collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist, driver attention alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. A more advanced collision-avoidance system is optional on the SEL and standard on the Limited.

Verdict: Yes, there are a lot of “assists” in these cars’ safety gear, but protective technology can make all the difference with smaller vehicles. The Forte gets kudos for having a good level of advanced safety equipment as standard. But the Elantra gets extra points for its higher level of safety tech (which helps account for the price difference with the Forte).

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Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: Crash Testing

Given that the Forte and Elantra share a platform, similar crash test results are to be expected. On the whole, evaluations from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) produced like results. Both cars get the second-highest “Top Safety Pick” designation from IIHS. The Forte and Elantra also get four out of five stars in overall front crash testing from NHTSA. But, the front passenger side rating drops to three stars for the Kia (it’s four stars for the Hyundai).

Verdict: It’s mostly a toss-up regarding crash test results for the Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra.

Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: Features

For the most part, the different trims (and the accompanying features) for the Forte and Elantra square up similarly between each other. This comes as no surprise as Hyundai has to perform a delicate balancing act between its two divisions. But, the Elantra was completely redesigned for the 2021 model year, so it has newer technology that’s just not available with the Forte.

To begin with, the 2021 Elantra has more advanced driver safety gear (covered above) that’s optional or standard on higher trims. Next, both cars start with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen. But, higher-end Elantras can be equipped with a state-of-the-art 10.25-inch system. In addition, some version of the Hyundai comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (something unavailable on the Forte at any price).

Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: Space

The Forte wins out with 15.3 cubic feet of trunk space (the Elantra’s trunk is 14.2 cubic feet). But, the Elantra comes out ahead in other areas, including front headroom (40.6 inches versus 38.8 inches) and rear legroom (38.0 inches versus 35.7 inches).

Verdict: Except for the trunk room, the Elantra wins in the space race.

Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra: Warranty

Given the two brand’s corporate affiliation, it’s no surprise that the Forte and Elantra offer similar (but not identical) warranties. Both cars include 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage and 5 years or 60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper protection. But, things differ from there.

Anti-perforation warranty

Kia: 5 years/100,000 miles
Hyundai: 7 years/unlimited miles

Roadside assistance

Kia: 5 years/60,000 miles
Hyundai: 5 years/unlimited miles

Factory scheduled maintenance

Kia: Not included
Hyundai: 3 years/36,000 miles

Verdict: The Forte’s level of coverage rivals what’s included with many luxury cars, but the Elantra goes even beyond this. So, the blue ribbon goes to Hyundai.

Summary of the Kia Forte vs. Hyundai Elantra Match-Up

Our comparison clearly shows that the Elantra beats the Forte in most areas, but this comes at a price. In other words, you’ll pay more for the Hyundai to get its extra features and benefits. But don’t count out the Kia if you want a reasonably well-equipped car at a lower price.

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