BET Awards weekend 2015 is now a flash in the past, but I’m still on a high from my experience driving the 2015 Kia Forte EX while I was rocking and rolling in Hollywood.

I have to say that before my 5-day test drive I might not have considered the Kia brand for my next car, but I was truly blown away.

For starters the new design of the Forte is very attractive. The sleek curves, beautiful slate gray color of my model and the chrome detailing made me excited to pull up to valets at every event I covered. I was proud to step out of something so sexy and I wanted the world to see!

For those instances where I opted for street parking, the rear view cam and automatic mirror adjustments made parallel parking a snap. No more bumping the curb or the car behind you when the Forte alerts you that you are too close.

When I first stepped inside the beautiful black leather interior, decked out with the white stitching trim, felt like my living room on wheels. The cushy driver’s seat was adjustable for customizable comfort, allowing me to elevate the seat’s height and distance from the pedals. Perfect for a shorty like me. I also appreciate the seat heating and cooling options. California has that crazy desert weather where it’s super hot during the day making the leather seats a sweat fest for my exposed thighs and the cool night air providing an extreme contrast. I was able to cool off and warm up as I saw fit without affecting my passengers’ comfort level. The sunroof / moon roof option was also a great luxury option for climate control.

For me, the shining star of the Forte EX was the in-panel navigation system. This was my first time driving around Los Angeles and had to be ready to hop in and get going at a moment’s notice. Seriously! As soon as I landed I had just enough time to get from the airport to where I was staying to change and head to my first red carpet. Relying on Google Maps or even worse Apple maps would have been a disaster and I probably would’ve been late because I didn’t know the area.

Thanks to Kia’s navigation system, I found myself navigating LA’s freeway system like a native due to the descriptive images that present the directions exactly as the road looks in real life– complete with exits and highway signs well before you approached. This made lane changing a breeze and I didn’t miss one exit! (Yes, that’s a big deal for me. I get turned around a lot even at home, but don’t judge me.)

The Forte is bluetooth capable for handsfree mobile phone functionality. Place calls, read text messages, even sync your thrid-party music apps straight from your smartphone to the car with ease. I actually opted not to use that feature, but I did plug my iPhone’s USB cord directly into the car and was able to control and display the music that I was streaming from Spotify with the in-steering wheel remote control. That’s a huge upgrade coming from the AUX cable world. Eyes on the road at all times, even when my favorite song is up next!

The trunk area had ample space for me to tote around camera equipment, tripods and even my 30-pound suitcase with room to spare. I also noticed immediately the emergency release lever for those who may have curious kids to worry about with a trunk that big. Kia thought ahead for you.

While I enjoyed the look, comfort and functionality of the Kia Forte EX, I must add that it is phenomenal on gas milage. I was staying in Echo Park, but all of the action took place either in Downtown LA or Hollywood– each being approximately 30 minutes from the other respectively. The car was delivered to me with a full tank of gas and I  was able to return the car with a little under a quarter tank left. I didn’t visit the gas station once! That’s very impressive considering all the driving I did in my short stay.

I would highly recommend the 2015 Kia Forte EX to anyone looking to buy a new car. It’s fly and fun enough for the 20-something single, spacious and safe enough for your small family and comfortable for the Sunday cruiser in you.

Special thank you to Kia Motors USA and the Drive Shop for providing me with this car to review. Yes this is a sponsored post, but I promise that my opinions are unbiased. I really enjoyed driving this car!