Compare the2024 Volkswagen JettaVS 2023 Kia Forte

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

Safety

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The Jetta has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Forte doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Jetta has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forte’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Jetta has standard Rear Traffic Alert and automatically engage the brakes. Kia charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning on the Forte and its not available on the LX.

Compared to metal, the Jetta’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Kia Forte has a metal gas tank.

Both the Jetta and the Forte 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen Jetta is safer than the Kia Forte:

	Jetta	Forte
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/106 lbs.	74/132 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	315	325
Chest Compression	.7 inches	1.1 inches
Neck Injury Risk	41.6%	49.1%

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

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 Volkswagen Jetta is safer than the Kia Forte:

	Jetta	Forte
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	153
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	188 lbs.	282 lbs.
Hip Force	317 lbs.	325 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	89 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	735 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	239	367
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	627 lbs.	750 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Volkswagen Jetta is much safer than the Forte:

	Jetta	Forte
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	MARGINAL
Head Injury Criterion	226	812
Head Peak Forces	no contact	104 G’s
Neck Tension	245 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Shoulder Deflection	1.06 in	2.4 in
Shoulder Force	245 lbs.	759 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.85 in	2.4 in
Torso Deflection Rate	12 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis Force	1182 lbs.	1762 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head Injury Criterion	274	398
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	156 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	134 lbs.
Shoulder Force	379 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.69 in	1.81 in
Torso Deflection Rate	10 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Jetta’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Forte’s (7/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Jetta for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forte.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Jetta has a standard 140-amp alternator. The Forte’s standard 120-amp alternator and largest (GT) 130-amp alternator aren’t as powerful.

Engine

The Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 11 more horsepower (158 vs. 147) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 132) than the Forte’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Jetta gets better mileage than the Forte:

			MPG
Jetta
	Manual	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/42 hwy
	Auto	S 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	30 city/41 hwy
		SE/SEL 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/40 hwy
Forte
	Manual	1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
	Auto	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/39 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Jetta Automatic’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Forte doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Jetta higher (7 out of 10) than the Kia Forte (5 to 7). This means the Jetta produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Forte every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Jetta’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Forte:

	Jetta	Forte
Front Rotors	11.3 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.7 inches	10.3 inches

The Jetta stops shorter than the Forte:

	Jetta	Forte
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Jetta has larger tires than the Forte (205/60R16 vs. 195/65R15).

The Jetta S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forte LX’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Jetta S has standard 16-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Forte LX.

Suspension and Handling

The Jetta has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Forte’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Jetta S handles at .83 G’s, while the Forte pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Jetta S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Forte (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Jetta uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Forte doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Jetta Sport is quieter than the Forte GT (75 vs. 79 dB).

Passenger Space

The Jetta has 1.7 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear hip room than the Forte.

Cargo Capacity

The Jetta’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Forte LX’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Jetta SEL, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Forte doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Jetta’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Forte has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Jetta’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forte’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Jetta SE/R-Line/SEL/SEL Premium the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows with the driver’s door power window switch. The driver of the Forte can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Jetta’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Forte’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Jetta’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forte’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Jetta SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Forte doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Jetta’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Forte’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Jetta SEL has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Forte doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Jetta’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Forte and aren’t offered on the Forte LX.

Both the Jetta and the Forte offer available heated front seats. The Jetta SEL also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Forte.

On extremely cold winter days, the Jetta SEL’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Forte doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Jetta, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Kia Forte isn't recommended.