I haven’t driven many Kias in my tenure as the official car reviewer for the Telegram and was curious when the Kia Forte arrived in our parking lot.

Kia is owned by Hyundai. That’s a good sign because I love Hyundais.

Courtesy (ENLARGE)

More "Test Drives" Jetta Sportwagen TDI  Honda CR-Z Hybrid  Mercedes GLK350  Full list

The Kia Forte is one such vehicle.

And Kia knows it and is introducing and marketing its Forte as an option to such flagships as a Toyota Corolla, a Honda Civic and Ford Focus.

After driving it for a week, I’d have to say, with resounding confidence, it IS an option to the above mentioned vehicles.

And a very good option at that.

I like the way the Forte looks and drives and its price tag and warranty make it a contender.

The only thing I can’t vouch for is its reliability and resell value. And as Hyundai proved, it just takes time to prove yourself and build a solid reputation.

Here’s what I liked about the Forte:

The Forte is a really good looking sedan.

It’s kind of bold, wide and stands out a bit more than the staid Corolla or Civic. The swept-back headlamps give the Forte character and bring to mind a car that goes faster than the Forte.

The Forte offers a comfortable ride for driver and passengers.

My family and I took the Forte on a road trip to Greensboro and the seats stayed comfortable for us all, the whole way. Kia doesn’t skimp on seating materials.

Total length for the Forte is 178.3 inches, making it equal to a Corolla and longer than the Focus, the Civic and the Hyundai Elantra. It’s got more headroom, hiproom and legroom than the Corolla and the Civic too, mostly by about 2 inches in every category.

We had plenty of room for all or our luggage, plus a stroller and bag of stuff to take to the water park in the large trunk, which, again, is the largest in the small sedan segment (14.7 cubic feet).

The Forte was fun to drive.

The Forte is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder, which pumps out 156-horsepower and 144 lb-ft. of torque.

That’s a little more power than you’d get in a comparable Elantra, Corolla or Focus. A similar engine in a Civic bests the Forte by about 50 horses.

The ride was well-modulated and quiet. It’s not as quiet as a Corolla, but my 6 month-old daughter slept well, all the way to and back from Greensboro. Thank goodness!

Braking was sure and sharp. I was pretty impressed with its dexterity in tight parking places and upon doing a little research, the Forte does have a remarkably small turning circle: 33.8 cubic feet. I like cars that are easy to park.

Nothing makes a car more fun to drive than making few stops at the gas station, and the Forte excelled here too.

The EPA fuel economy estimates for the Forte are 27/36. I had some city miles on the car during my testing, but it still came out at 35 mpg, for the week I drove it. Impressive!

You get a lot for the money.

I test drove the mid-level EX model and it had a base price of $16,795. With a five-speed automatic transmission package added on, the bottom line was $17,395.

This includes some things you’d have to pay for on other cars like four-speed automatic transmission, cruise control, steering wheel mounted audio and cruise control buttons, satellite radio, USB connection, pre-wired for phones and floor mats.

It won’t be long before buyers start noticing the newest small sedan on the block, its great price tag and long list of attributes.

I predict the Forte will be a strong contender in the small sedan segment.