Compare the2023 Kia ForteVS 2022 Hyundai Accent

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Forte’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Accent doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Forte (except LX)’s optional rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Accent doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Forte’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Accent doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Forte and the Accent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Forte is safer than the Hyundai Accent:

	Forte	Accent
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	194
Chest Movement	1.1 inches	1.3 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	286	527
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	12 inches
Hip Force	750 lbs.	880 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Forte has a standard 120-amp alternator (130-amp - Forte GT). The Accent’s 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.

Engine

The Forte’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (147 vs. 120) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (132 vs. 113) than the Accent’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Forte GT’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 81 more horsepower (201 vs. 120) and 82 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 113) than the Accent’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Forte has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Accent (14 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Forte higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Accent (3). This means the Forte produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Accent every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Forte GT Auto’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Accent:

	Forte GT Auto	Accent
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	8” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		10.3 inches

The Kia Forte has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Accent. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Forte stops much shorter than the Accent:

	Forte	Accent
70 to 0 MPH	157 feet	173 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Forte has larger standard tires than the Accent (195/65R15 vs. 185/65R15). The Forte GT Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Accent (225/45R17 vs. 205/45R17).

The Forte GT’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Accent Limited’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Forte GT has standard 18-inch wheels. The Accent’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

The Kia Forte’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Hyundai Accent only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Forte GT has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Hyundai Accent has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Forte has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Accent doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Forte’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the Accent (106.3 inches vs. 101.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Forte is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Accent.

The Forte GT handles at .93 G’s, while the Accent SE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Forte executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Accent Limited (27.5 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Forte a Mid-size car, while the Accent is rated a Compact.

The Forte has 5.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Accent (96 vs. 90.2).

The Forte has .1 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom, .3 inches more rear hip room and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Accent.

Cargo Capacity

The Forte has a much larger trunk than the Accent (15.3 vs. 13.7 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

Consumer Reports rated the Forte’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Accent’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Forte has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Accent has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SEL/Limited.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Forte detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Accent doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Forte’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Accent doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Forte GT Line/GT Auto keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Accent doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Forte GT Line/GT’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Accent doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Forte and the Accent offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Forte offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Accent doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Forte (except LX/LXS/Manual) offers an optional Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Accent doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The Forte GT Line/GT’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Accent’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Forte (except LX/LXS) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Accent doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

The Forte will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Forte will retain 47.73% to 47.79% of its original price after five years, while the Accent only retains 41.51% to 42.22%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Forte is less expensive to operate than the Accent because it costs $282 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Forte than the Accent, including $48 less for a muffler, $155 less for a starter, $147 less for fuel injection and $112 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

The Kia Forte outsold the Hyundai Accent by over six to one during the 2021 model year.