[AdamJ29]

Hello everyone, I've been looking at Forte GT lines and GT(DCT) trims around my area. There are many available in stock in my radius besides one dealer which has several that is marking them up 4-5k. I did find one dealer that has a GT without GT2 package and the numbers are around 330ish a month after 1K downpayment for 36/15 lease terms. It seems to be hard to get better deals. I've had another dealer with a 290ish offer with same terms on a GT line. The GT would be more fun imo and seems to get decent fuel economy on paper. I have a couple questions since it is my first new car purchase:

1.) Is this a decent offer on a GT automatic base?
2.) What real world mpg(mixed) should I be expecting? I'd be satisfied with 28+ for reference.

Appreciate it.

 

[noturbonoproblem]

I wouldn't know because I don't lease stuff. IMO it's one of the dumbest things you can do with your money, especially given the market right now. You pay all this money to basically borrow the car from Kia. You will pay about $13k by the time you are done with a 3 year lease on that GT and then you have to give it back.

That being said, I would finance it. Find a bank where you can take out a low interest loan or see if Kia is running any finance specials. Yes, you'll spend more in the long run, but you can get longer loans that lower your monthly cost if you need. You'll also have a car afterwards, and you aren't limited in how much you can drive it.
The Kia Forte is one of the most sought-after cars right now. I can sell my '21 for $4k MORE than I bought it for according to both KBB and Carfax, over a year and 26k miles later. If you finance it (interest rates are pretty low right now which helps), you can sell it down the road and pretty much get most of your money back, instead of having no car and $13k less in three years and have to make the same decision over again.

Just my 2 cents and what I'd do. Not trying to discourage you - it is your money after all.

To answer your second question though, a lot of guys get well into the 30s for MPG in their GTs, so you should be good there as long as you aren't flooring it everywhere. The GT is well worth the extra $ if you value performance.

 

[Steve g]

I wouldn't know because I don't lease stuff. IMO it's one of the dumbest things you can do with your money, especially given the market right now. You pay all this money to basically borrow the car from Kia. You will pay about $13k by the time you are done with a 3 year lease on that GT and then you have to give it back.

That being said, I would finance it. Find a bank where you can take out a low interest loan or see if Kia is running any finance specials. Yes, you'll spend more in the long run, but you can get longer loans that lower your monthly cost if you need. You'll also have a car afterwards, and you aren't limited in how much you can drive it.
The Kia Forte is one of the most sought-after cars right now. I can sell my '21 for $4k MORE than I bought it for according to both KBB and Carfax, over a year and 26k miles later. If you finance it (interest rates are pretty low right now which helps), you can sell it down the road and pretty much get most of your money back, instead of having no car and $13k less in three years and have to make the same decision over again.

Just my 2 cents and what I'd do. Not trying to discourage you - it is your money after all.

To answer your second question though, a lot of guys get well into the 30s for MPG in their GTs, so you should be good there as long as you aren't flooring it everywhere. The GT is well worth the extra $ if you value performance.

Don’t lease...

 

[Steve g]

Hello everyone, I've been looking at Forte GT lines and GT(DCT) trims around my area. There are many available in stock in my radius besides one dealer which has several that is marking them up 4-5k. I did find one dealer that has a GT without GT2 package and the numbers are around 330ish a month after 1K downpayment for 36/15 lease terms. It seems to be hard to get better deals. I've had another dealer with a 290ish offer with same terms on a GT line. The GT would be more fun imo and seems to get decent fuel economy on paper. I have a couple questions since it is my first new car purchase:

1.) Is this a decent offer on a GT automatic base?
2.) What real world mpg(mixed) should I be expecting? I'd be satisfied with 28+ for reference.

Appreciate it.

You get fisted leasing a cheap car with a huge markup... go to a bank or lender of your choice.. I’m assuming good+ Credit ... you will be surprised what can be done... stay away from Kia financing.

 

[RandyM]

Given that the Forte has a long warranty, I would look to long term ownership over leasing. Who knows how inflation will impact car prices three years from now when the lease ends.

I would canvas all of the Kia stores in a 300 mile radius. Check availability of what you want and ask about financing deals/discounts. Tell each salesperson what you are looking for and what you can pay. Let them do the work of putting the right deal together. Dealers get a financing kickback, see if you can get a piece of that. It is not impossible for you to talk to a big city dealership, hold the car with a credit card down payment, buy a one way airline ticket there, and drive your new car home.

Also, join a credit union as they will give you the best financing options.

Good luck.

 

[AdamJ29]

I wouldn't know because I don't lease stuff. IMO it's one of the dumbest things you can do with your money, especially given the market right now. You pay all this money to basically borrow the car from Kia. You will pay about $13k by the time you are done with a 3 year lease on that GT and then you have to give it back.

That being said, I would finance it. Find a bank where you can take out a low interest loan or see if Kia is running any finance specials. Yes, you'll spend more in the long run, but you can get longer loans that lower your monthly cost if you need. You'll also have a car afterwards, and you aren't limited in how much you can drive it.
The Kia Forte is one of the most sought-after cars right now. I can sell my '21 for $4k MORE than I bought it for according to both KBB and Carfax, over a year and 26k miles later. If you finance it (interest rates are pretty low right now which helps), you can sell it down the road and pretty much get most of your money back, instead of having no car and $13k less in three years and have to make the same decision over again.

Just my 2 cents and what I'd do. Not trying to discourage you - it is your money after all.

To answer your second question though, a lot of guys get well into the 30s for MPG in their GTs, so you should be good there as long as you aren't flooring it everywhere. The GT is well worth the extra $ if you value performance.

Thanks, I would like to finance too but putting money into my wedding and marriage life this year. It's my first new car purchase but after this will be my last lease. I guess it depends on what I can get in this market. The GT seems to have the same 10yr/100k warranty I believe as other Kia's so that could be an option.

 

[AdamJ29]

You get fisted leasing a cheap car with a huge markup... go to a bank or lender of your choice.. I’m assuming good+ Credit ... you will be surprised what can be done... stay away from Kia financing.

It doesn't have a markup. I didn't contact the dealer that had markups. I'm leaning towards leasing right now but might explore other options.

 

[noturbonoproblem]

Thanks, I would like to finance too but putting money into my wedding and marriage life this year. It's my first new car purchase but after this will be my last lease. I guess it depends on what I can get in this market. The GT seems to have the same 10yr/100k warranty I believe as other Kia's so that could be an option.

Yep same warranty. No reason to lease unless you WANT to lose money long term. Gotta think long term. If you lease you are basically throwing money away. If cash is short right now, find a credit union that will get you financed for a low interest rate and a longer loan period to lower monthly payments. Leasing is a total waste of money long term.

 

[ForteGT2]

I've never leased a car:

Warning: DO NOT Lease a Car in 2021 or 2022 ⚠ Here's why.. - YouTube

 

[AndrewForteGT]

I've done both lease and purchase. Both have benefits and both have negatives, it all comes down to personal finances. Don't listen to those who say you overpay for lease. Unless you're terrible at negotiating, you can get screwed either way you go.
Except for current market conditions which you'll get screwed either way you go, when leasing you have a brand new car every three years. When financing, you might be paying a high payment and by the fifth, sixth or whatever year you're in, you're paying a high payment for an old car. So you're throwing money away at this point too. Once you've done then come the headaches for repairs and shit goes wrong. By that time you invested all that money and then putting in extra for maintenance.
Again it's personal preference and do what's best for you and your wallet. If you plan on buying a home, it's better to lease cause the bank doesn't count that against you for getting a mortgage. That's something I wasn't told when financing my vehicle. Unless you're financially stable and have no worries about that.

Good Luck!

 

[Steve g]

I've done both lease and purchase. Both have benefits and both have negatives, it all comes down to personal finances. Don't listen to those who say you overpay for lease. Unless you're terrible at negotiating, you can get screwed either way you go.
Except for current market conditions which you'll get screwed either way you go, when leasing you have a brand new car every three years. When financing, you might be paying a high payment and by the fifth, sixth or whatever year you're in, you're paying a high payment for an old car. So you're throwing money away at this point too. Once you've done then come the headaches for repairs and shit goes wrong. By that time you invested all that money and then putting in extra for maintenance.
Again it's personal preference and do what's best for you and your wallet. If you plan on buying a home, it's better to lease cause the bank doesn't count that against you for getting a mortgage. That's something I wasn't told when financing my vehicle. Unless you're financially stable and have no worries about that.

Good Luck!

Because of the mileage I accumulate (around 40k per year) I always try to get my commuter paid off within 3 years.

 

[AndrewForteGT]

Because of the mileage I accumulate (around 40k per year) I always try to get my commuter paid off within 3 years.

Holy crap, 40K per year!! Where the hell do you commute to? Best of luck!

 

[Steve g]

Holy crap, 40K per year!! Where the hell do you commute to? Best of luck!

150 mile commute every day plus weekend drives.... I have always used camrys but the current body style is too bulky and sluggish for my commute.. I have a 2020 but stuck with my 2015 because it was a better car.... it got totaled Christmas Eve 2021 so I was forced to get a new car.. I considered a Corolla but markup was insane... so I took my chances and got the forte GT2 ... so far I’m more than thrilled , just not sure of how long it will last.

Without a doubt the best car I ever owned.

 

[AndrewForteGT]

150 mile commute every day plus weekend drives.... I have always used camrys but the current body style is too bulky and sluggish for my commute.. I have a 2020 but stuck with my 2015 because it was a better car.... it got totaled Christmas Eve 2021 so I was forced to get a new car.. I considered a Corolla but markup was insane... so I took my chances and got the forte GT2 ... so far I’m more than thrilled , just not sure of how long it will last. View attachment 87386 Without a doubt the best car I ever owned.

Kias have excellent warranties so that definitely helps. The GT is definitely a great commuter car!

 

[Steve g]

Kias have excellent warranties so that definitely helps. The GT is definitely a great commuter car!

My Kia warranty is void

 

[mobileterminaluser]

I wouldn't know because I don't lease stuff. IMO it's one of the dumbest things you can do with your money, especially given the market right now. You pay all this money to basically borrow the car from Kia. You will pay about $13k by the time you are done with a 3 year lease on that GT and then you have to give it back.

That being said, I would finance it. Find a bank where you can take out a low interest loan or see if Kia is running any finance specials. Yes, you'll spend more in the long run, but you can get longer loans that lower your monthly cost if you need. You'll also have a car afterwards, and you aren't limited in how much you can drive it.
The Kia Forte is one of the most sought-after cars right now. I can sell my '21 for $4k MORE than I bought it for according to both KBB and Carfax, over a year and 26k miles later. If you finance it (interest rates are pretty low right now which helps), you can sell it down the road and pretty much get most of your money back, instead of having no car and $13k less in three years and have to make the same decision over again.

Just my 2 cents and what I'd do. Not trying to discourage you - it is your money after all.

To answer your second question though, a lot of guys get well into the 30s for MPG in their GTs, so you should be good there as long as you aren't flooring it everywhere. The GT is well worth the extra $ if you value performance.

Or buy an old vehicle that you can out right buy & own with no worries of repo.

 

[holz75]

I've done both lease and purchase. Both have benefits and both have negatives, it all comes down to personal finances. Don't listen to those who say you overpay for lease. Unless you're terrible at negotiating, you can get screwed either way you go.
Except for current market conditions which you'll get screwed either way you go, when leasing you have a brand new car every three years. When financing, you might be paying a high payment and by the fifth, sixth or whatever year you're in, you're paying a high payment for an old car. So you're throwing money away at this point too. Once you've done then come the headaches for repairs and shit goes wrong. By that time you invested all that money and then putting in extra for maintenance.
Again it's personal preference and do what's best for you and your wallet. If you plan on buying a home, it's better to lease cause the bank doesn't count that against you for getting a mortgage. That's something I wasn't told when financing my vehicle. Unless you're financially stable and have no worries about that.

Good Luck!

Exactly. I own my place, but I've leased every car I've ever had because I like getting a new car every 3 years with a lower payment and a covered warranty. There's no wrong answer... just do what you're comfortable with.

 

[AdamJ29]

I've done both lease and purchase. Both have benefits and both have negatives, it all comes down to personal finances. Don't listen to those who say you overpay for lease. Unless you're terrible at negotiating, you can get screwed either way you go.
Except for current market conditions which you'll get screwed either way you go, when leasing you have a brand new car every three years. When financing, you might be paying a high payment and by the fifth, sixth or whatever year you're in, you're paying a high payment for an old car. So you're throwing money away at this point too. Once you've done then come the headaches for repairs and shit goes wrong. By that time you invested all that money and then putting in extra for maintenance.
Again it's personal preference and do what's best for you and your wallet. If you plan on buying a home, it's better to lease cause the bank doesn't count that against you for getting a mortgage. That's something I wasn't told when financing my vehicle. Unless you're financially stable and have no worries about that.

Good Luck!

Well said Andrew, they both have their advantages and disadvantages and doing some of each is what works best for most people. In my case it makes sense to lease for several factors. A GT2 Forte would have been a great buy before the pandemic based on the deals some people got. The market does suck, hopefully inventory supply starts going back what it used to be soon.

 

[noturbonoproblem]

Well said Andrew, they both have their advantages and disadvantages and doing some of each is what works best for most people. In my case it makes sense to lease for several factors. A GT2 Forte would have been a great buy before the pandemic based on the deals some people got. The market does suck, hopefully inventory supply starts going back what it used to be soon.

I wouldn't count on it happening any time soon. The Gt is still a great buy if you can get one at or close to MSRP. If you can get it there, the resale value is so good you can get pretty much all of your money back when you sell it if you choose to. So the whole "you get a new car every three years" argument is moot since you can still do that AND not really have to pay to have the car that time due to insane resale values.

 

[holz75]

I wouldn't count on it happening any time soon. The Gt is still a great buy if you can get one at or close to MSRP. If you can get it there, the resale value is so good you can get pretty much all of your money back when you sell it if you choose to. So the whole "you get a new car every three years" argument is moot since you can still do that AND not really have to pay to have the car that time due to insane resale values.

Yeah, that may be so, but you still need a large down payment to get the same monthly cost of a lease with little down payment. Some people just don't have the means, so leases make sense for others.