2011 Kia Optima

If I told you a car is stylish, fun to drive, fuel efficient, filled with upscale features and costs less than $30,000, you'd have a hard time believing me. If I told you — sight unseen — that the 2011 Kia Optima is such a car, you'd have a really hard time believing me until you saw this gorgeous midsize sedan. Of course, if I showed you the 2011 Optima's price tag, your disbelief would kick in again.

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After years of lingering in forgettable territory, the redesigned 2011 Optima is now unforgettable and poised to conquer its competition.

I'm not the only one who thinks that. Cars.com named the 2011 Optima its Best of 2011. Major exterior and interior face-lifts as well as a powerful new engine combine to make it one of the most appealing choices in the midsize sedan market. The 200-horsepower engine helps make the driving experience more memorable. It has ample power and a smooth ride for day-to-day driving.

The Optima starts at $19,200, and my test car, the EX, had a starting MSRP of $22,700. It ultimately rang up at $27,440 with the inclusion of the $2,000 Technology Package and the $2,250 EX Premium Package.

EXTERIOR

When the Optima first appeared in my driveway, my husband kept referring to it as "the Lexus." He couldn't believe that it wasn't a luxury-brand vehicle. He especially couldn't believe it was a Kia. He had pigeonholed Kia to its 1990s' introductory vehicles, some of which looked like chubby Suzuki Samurais. Kia has come a long, long way, and the 2011 Optima is nothing short of lovely.

The all-new Optima has a lower roofline and a new face with angular headlights that bookend a black mesh grille. The Optima EX I drove comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights and dual exhaust pipes with chrome tips. My test car also had the optional panoramic sunroof.

As you'd expect from a midsize sedan, the Optima is easy for everyone — even a tiny 2-year-old — to get in and out of. The doors are light enough that no one will suffer a concussion should they get hit by one (my little ones are at the optimal height for being hit by opening or closing car doors). The trunk is also easy to open and close, but it would be improved if it popped open and up once unlocked rather than simply popping open and sitting there. With three kids, I often don't have a free hand to lift up the trunk lid.

The trunk space is about average for this class at 15.4 cubic feet. There is nothing extraordinary about the trunk — no pass-through and no hidden first-aid kits or flashlights — but it serves its purpose and that's good enough for me, especially when the rest of the car is filled with so many great things.

My test car, the Optima EX, is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers a healthy 200 hp. It gets an EPA-estimated 24/34 mpg city/highway. I drove and drove and drove this car and still didn't have an empty tank at the end of my weeklong test drive. A sport-tuned SX trim and a turbocharged EX trim are also available and come with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 274 hp.