There is currently a high demand for cars and people are paying a premium for them, but if you decide to go with a 2021 Kia Forte, you won’t have to. Kia has also been known to favor budget-minded buyers and the Forte sedan is no exception. According to Ari Janessian, CEO of Boston Automotive Consulting, now is a great time to lease a Forte if you’re in the market for a compact car.

The 2021 Kia Forte LXS is the trim to focus on

Before we get into the leasing and financing numbers for the 2021 Kia Forte, we’ll take a look at which trim level to focus on. According to Janessian, there are currently 4,280 Forte LXS models in stock at dealerships nationwide, which is far more than any of the other trim levels. So your best bet is to target one of those to potentially get the best deal possible.

The Forte LXS one step up from the base-trim FE. Some of its most notable features include a 147-hp 2.0-liter engine, an eight-inch infotainment display, a rearview camera with parking guidelines, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and a host of driver-assist features. These features include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and a driver attention warning.   

Financing a Kia Forte is inexpensive

When working the math for a financing deal, the numbers look like this:

2021 Kia Forte LXS
MSRP: $20,385
Target price: $19,365
Rebate: $1,750
APR: 0% for 60 months
Final: $17,615
Monthly payment: $319 per month (before tax)

Taking a closer look at these numbers, the MSRP for the Forte LXS, including the destination charge if $20,385. However, Janessian urges buyers to aim for a target selling price of $19,365, which equates to a 5% discount.

Kia is currently offering a large rebate on Fortes for $1,750, which you can choose over the promotional APR of 0% for up to 66 months. Janessian says that if you choose the rebate over the promo APR, then you’ll have a final selling price of $17,615. And if you finance that amount for 60 months with a low APR, then you’re looking at a monthly payment of $319 before taxes.

Leasing a Kia Forte is even better

Those financing numbers look great but wait until you see what the lease payment comes out to be. Janessian’s math when it comes to leasing the Forte LXS looks like this:

2021 Kia Forte LXS
MSRP: $20,385
Target price: $19,365
Rebate: $2,730
Residual: 58%
Money Factor: 0.00105
Due at signing: $1,415
Monthly payment: $163 per month (before tax)

To break down this summary, the MSRP and the target price are the same as in the financing deal. But if you’re planning on leasing, then Kia currently has a promotional rebate of $2,730 for lessees. The residual for the Forte after three years is 58%, which is actually pretty high and equates to a lower monthly payment since you’re paying for less of the car during the lease term.

There is also a current promotional money factor rate of 0.00105 (2.52% APR equivalent). So if you were to only pay the drive-off fees upfront (first month’s payment, taxes, title, and registration), which could equate to $1,415, then you’ll only have to pay $163 per month (before taxes).

That’s an insane lease deal for a brand new car and it could be possible for you to negotiate the target price even further depending on the area in which you reside.

Remember, your numbers may vary

One thing to always keep in mind is that the prices and payments mentioned here and in Janessian’s video are merely possible guidelines when it comes to purchasing or leasing a Forte. Since different dealers will have different amounts of inventory, your pricing and payments can vary.

Be sure to check with your local Kia dealer for their current inventory and see if you can get close or do better than the deals described here. If so, then you could be driving a brand-new Forte for far less than $200 a month.