The 2011 Kia Forte Koup is a sporty two-door version of the more straight-laced Forte sedan. The Forte Koup is one of the first cars to really exemplify Kia’s long-term plans to establish a reputation as a sporty carmaker and appeal to young buyers.

Kia’s Forte Koup comes standard with premium features like Sirius radio, a USB jack for MP3 players, Bluetooth connectivity, heated outside mirrors, steering wheel mounted audio controls and a trip computer that informs you if your driving style is achieving the best fuel economy possible. The 2011 Kia Forte Koup also has optional equipment that should appeal to sporty drivers, like paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel and push button start. Automatic climate control, a power sunroof, navigation and heated leather seats are also optional on the 2011 Forte Koup.

The 2011 Kia Forte Koup comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 156-hp and 144 lb-ft of torque. The Kia Forte Koup is rated at 25-mpg city and 34-mpg highway.

The 2011 Kia Forte Koup has a base price of $16,995, which makes it less expensive than most other sporty coupes available this year. The 2011 Scion TC comes closest with a base price of $18,995. The 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse starts at $19,759. The Mini Cooper is just over $3,000 more than a 2011 Kia Forte Koup, with a base price of $20,100.

The Forte Koup is right in the middle of the competition for size and gas mileage, but its low starting price makes it the best deal in the sporty coupe segment. The 2011 Mini Cooper beats the Forte Koup in gas mileage with 29-mpg city and 37-mpg highway. The Forte does get better mileage than the Scion TC and Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Forte Koup’s head room and leg room are also on par with the competition. The 2011 Forte Koup has 38.7 inches of headroom, 0.1 inch less than the Mini, 0.2 inches more than the Scion and 1 inch more than the Mitsubishi. The Forte Koup has more legroom than the competition with 43.6 inches.