Kia has really stepped their game up in the last decade. They really are quite reliable for not a lot of money. My wife's 2011 Soul is up to 175k miles, and the biggest repair has been an alternator. It was new for something like $17,000 counting the tax.
Fun to drive? Well, it's better than a lot of options.
My baseline? Its funner than a 4 cylinder minivan.