2011 Kia Forte Koup SX Package $5,990

The 2011 Kia Forte may not be top of mind for a lot of consumers, but it should be, as it compares favorably against perennial favorites from Honda, Mazda and Toyota. Vehicle overview Until recently, Kia automobiles stood out about as much as a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert — which is to say, not at all. Now the automaker is getting noticed in a big way with a fresh portfolio of vehicles boasting bold styling, solid performance and impressive overall quality. And one of the standouts among this group is the 2011 Kia Forte. Thanks to stewardship by a former Audi designer, the Forte wears crisp, tasteful lines that help it get noticed in a segment seldom known for distinctive styling. There's more than just good looks, too, including a 156-horsepower base engine, impressive fuel economy, solid build quality and many thoughtful standard features. Of course there is also Kia's confidence-inspiring 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Unlike many of its competitors, the Forte is also available as a coupe (dubbed the "Koup"), which provides an extra dollop of style for those shopping this economy-minded segment. And this year brings another body style, a four-door hatchback offering greater practicality. The 2011 Forte also receives a standard six-speed manual transmission on all models and a new six-speed automatic. The latter features improvements in both performance and fuel efficiency over its precursor, a tall-geared unit that had but four speeds to work with.