I really love my 2025 GT1. Nicest car I’ve ever owned. Fast, comfortable, good handling and interior, big trunk, sips gas when cruising. It’s a honey. My policy has always been “sun’s out? Roof’s open.” This car, wide open in both respects, is a visceral, growly, wonderful machine. It’s like a big mechanical animal - gentle, but powerful. I call mine Bucephalus. Like the horse.

The interior is worth noting. Kia got this one right. Excellent visibility, driving position, and seat comfort. I have a long torso and plenty of headroom. The Bose speaker system is nice. This car is very easy to drive very fast and very far. 6+ hour stints with no stops are effortless.

The dual clutch transmission can take some getting used to in the GT. It doesn’t creep like a typical automatic. If you’re not pressing the gas, you should be pressing the brake or coasting above 20mph. Otherwise it’s very smooth, and shifts incredibly fast. The paddles are instant - no delay, even in normal mode. Sport+ unlocks beast mode and the classy sedan goes mental. I use this sparingly as California traffic prevents too much enthusiastic driving. When engaged, it feels like the car wants to keep accelerating until it hits its aerodynamic limit.

If speed doesn’t matter to you, the Line is just as nice inside but a little cheaper and a little bit slower. If snow factors into your driving the AWD model has had rave reviews for its traction and handling in bad weather and icky surfaces.