The Kia Stinger is one of the best cars I've driven all year - here's how it matches up against its competition from BMW

First, let me just refresh your impressions of the Stinger, in GT2 AWD trim.

"It's an endlessly fun car, a literal joy to drive," I wrote in my review.

"It fires up with a pleasing snarl (OK, an augmented one, but still) and growls cheerfully when pushed. It's flat-out fast. The 0-60 time is supposed to be 4.7 seconds, but I thought it was notably quicker than that. And you have to watch yourself at cruising velocities, as the Stinger taps out the legal speed limit in a hurry, but do so with such poise and relative quiet that one can easily overlook the speedometer."

The rear-wheel-drive car is cheaper and more fun. Stomping in the throttle and feeling that back end dig in is motoring bliss. Obviously, the RWD setup means that you'll have an easier time testing the limits in the grip on those back tires, if that's your thing.

How about the BMW M3?

The BMW M3 also has a six-banger under the hood, plus a pair of turbos. But this motor yields 425 horsepower to the Stinger's 365 hp.

The M3 is also a more aggressive looking car.

But the M3 also starts at almost $68,000.

And what of the M4 convertible?

I checked out the convertible version, which offers two doors rather than the M3's four but packs the same power under the hood: 425 horses.

Again, the Stinger loses on oomph — but then there's the price difference: the M4 is a $70,000 car.

Additionally, th M4 drives like a German muscle car. The Stinger is sportier.

And what say you of the M2?

The mighty little Bimmer coupé is close with the Stinger on the specs, boasting a 365-horsepower, 3.0-liter, twin-turbo's inline six-cylinder engine.

It gives up two doors, but it's in the Stinger's price ballpark, at about $55,000.

What you're getting here is one of the most fun BMWs to drive. But the package is smaller than the Stinger's. Otherwise, serious competition.

How about the tweener M-car — the M240i convertible?

I've actually sampled both the coupé and convertible versions. What we have here is a 335-horsepower turbo six and a price tag of about $36,000.

For my money, this is the best BMW on the market, if you like to drive. However, the Stinger is more versatile, and the Kia's V6 is more potent.

Moving away from the M-cars, how does the Stinger stack up against the 5-Series?

When we tested the 530i, we were perfectly OK with the 248-horsepower turbo four-cylinder engine. That 5-Series was crammed with tech and luxury and was priced at over $70,000, or $20,000 more than the base car.

The Stinger and the 5-Series aren't really in the same segment, although I think the Stinger kind of sits between the 3-Series and the 5-Series thanks to a nice big trunk under the fastback hatch and a decent amount of rear legroom.

Obviously, you get a lot more motor for your money with the Stinger, even if you upgrade the BMW to a 335-horsepower 540i. Relatively speaking, you get less luxury. But the driving dynamics of the Stinger GT2's are considerably more appealing.

And finally, how does the all-gas Stinger do when matched against the plug-in hybrid 3-Series?

We've generally been quite pleased with the BMW 330e; I drove it on the East Coast and BI's Bryan Logan sampled it on the west.

It's more of a BMW for the environmentally conscious buyer, however. It's a pleasure to drive, but it doesn't thrill like the Stinger, which obviously can't be plugged in. And it can be had for less than $50,000.

Minus the blast-to-drive aspects, a key difference between the Stinger and it BMW competition is that the Kia is much easier to deal with as far as instruments and entertainment go. BMW's have this busy, cockpit-like vibe; and the infotainment system, iDrive, while much-improved over the years remains quite complicated.

The Kia, by contrast, has some of the most intuitive controls of any vehicle on the market, plus a touchscreen infotainment system that's among the best in the industry.

So what's the verdict?

Let's review.

Stinger vs M3: Stinger wins on price, loses on power.

Stinger vs M4: See above.

Stinger vs. M2: Competitive! The M2 is a stunning Bimmer. But the Stinger has four doors.

Stinger vs. M240i: Stinger wins on power, but the M240i is a great value in BMWs. I'd take the Stinger, though.

Stinger vs. 5-Series: The 5-Series is a legend, but the Stinger is more fun to drive.

Stinger vs. 3-Series plug-in hybrid: Not a very good head-to-head because the Stinger is vastly more fun to drive. The Stinger's instruments and infotainment are also better designed.

As the Stinger has made it way into automotive consciousness, it's increasingly being thought of as occupying a unique niche: going up against the BMW 3-Series, but with a much friskier attitude and better pricing.

The closest thing to this idea is actually no longer with us: Pontiac, the General Motors brand that was killed after the financial crisis. In fact, late in Pontiac's life, the brand sold a re-badged Australian Holden in the US, the G8 GT, that had a 361-horsepower V8 under the hood and matched up nicely against the Stinger.

Here's the thing, though. If you want exhilarating performance at a compelling price, with a premium if not luxurious interior and excellent versatility, the segment-of-one Stinger is an excellent BMW alternative.

Do I think BMW will lose sales to Kia? Maybe a few on the margins. Bimmer doesn't have much to worry about. But there's no question that the smart money is going to take a closer look at the Stinger.