I recently drove (and purchased) a 2012 Kia Forte EX. Previously we owned a Kia Sportage, and while we loved it, it definitely had some things we didn't like, for instance, sluggish acceleration, and the steering felt very stiff. When driving the Kia Forte, the first thing I noticed was how comfortable it felt in the seat. It wasn't too fancy, and compared to some of the other cars we drove before choosing this one, we didn't have to get used to any strange shifters, we didn't have to squint to read any of the information on the odometer, we didn't have to pop open the manual to learn how to use the radio (or even the satellite radio). Performance wise, the acceleration is fantastic in comarison to other cars in its class. I was impressed how responsive it was in comparison to others, but most especially in comparison to our previous Kia. The interior is adequate, nothing to write home about, but it looks nice. The back seats are very roomy, and when everyone who looks in the trunk is amazed at how much room there is. The turning radius is pretty good which is helpful when making U-turns and such. Some things I didn't like about it -- the steering still felt very tight. I also didn't like that we had hubcaps on (or wheelcovers or whatever they are). I feel alloy wheels should have been standard, and unfortunately they weren't even an option out of the car choices we had at the dealership. While the road noise is good.. (very quiet on the freeway) I was not impressed with the shocks on bumpy roads. Its like you can feel almost every pothole. Not to flip flop too much here, but also, the fuel economy is very good, even though we didn't opt in for the Eco model. The tank was filled when we left the dealer, and we started the trip counter then, nearly 120 - 130 miles later and we haven't even hit a half of a tank. (I believe the tank holds 12 gallons). I am very content with my purchase, and you can't go wrong with a 5 year bumper to bumper warranty, which is the reason we bought our first Kia. Kia has always seemed to have a reputation of being just a cheaply made, somewhat unreliable car, and usually my thought process was, they weren't very stylish. The Forte is just one of the models that proves all of that wrong. When people hear about the other cars we looked at before purchase, they are astounded we ended up with the car we did. After riding in it, it pretty much speaks for itself. If you're looking for a sedan with a lot of the best technology standard and great mechanical performance (that doesn't look half bad either) do yourself a favor and try the Forte. It could really put things in perspective on what you get, for what you pay.