5 out of 5 stars
OK, I don't match the typical KIA Soul owner, BUT!
by New KIA Owner
from Orange County Calif
on Tue Sep 04 2012
I'm a bit over 50, and I'm not a Hampster...so I don't match the image of a "hip, college age kid that likes grunge and the newest bands".
But strangely enough, we we recently bought a 2012 KIA Sorento SX for my wife, and a 2012 KIA Forte for my college age daughter....I saw a lot of grey haired folks like us driving out of the KIA Dealership in brand new Souls!
When I talked to the salesmen and some of the new Soul owners, I found that the roomy interior, the ease of entering and exiting the Soul, and the feel of it being a bigger vehicle was drawing older folks to the KIA Soul like moths to a bright light!
And the practicality and efficiency as well as the low price and high value didn't hurt either! I mean come-on....100,000 mile waranty! Wow!
Fuel economy right around 30 or so, prices starting at around $16,200 for a Base model with a 6 speed automatic and a big shovel load of standard equipment that would put other veicles to shame!
4 wheel disk brakes..the competition has rear drums! Standard Air Conditioning, standard power windows, 6 way adjustable seat, dark tinted windows, power door locks, bluetooth wireless cell phone link with steering wheel controls, keyless remote entry, tilt AND telescopic steering wheel, rear wiper, AM/FM/ CD/Sirius 4 speaker stereo, USB input jack for MP3 player hookup, a govebox that can fit a 15" laptop!
And enough safety stuff to get it a 5 star crash rating and a Top Safety Pick, as well as a rating of Best Initial Owner Satisfaction in the Soul's class!
I'm getting right around 26 mpg, and so far (it's a week old!) I love it. Mine is the Soul Exclaim (!) model, it has the Microsoft UVO voice system that uses your voice commands to do various functions.
It also has the thumping Infinity 8 speaker system that will rattle your teeth!
The 10 year 100,000 mile warranty is just icing on the cake!
This 2.0L Soul Exclaim has a zero to 60 time of around 8 seconds, and the 6 speed automatic can be manually shifted for performance, handling is a bit less than a sports car obviousily, but with the 18" wheels it does handle and ride nicely. The rear seat is almost "limo" like....comfortable and roomy, lots of head room and big windows, and if you fold the rear seats down, you get a LOT of cargo space!
I love this Soul!
5 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
5 out of 5 starsInterior Design
5 out of 5 starsReliability
5 out of 5 starsPerformance
5 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
60 out of 60 people found this review helpful. Did you?
4 out of 5 stars
better electronics
by dmrev
from Fort Wayne IN
on Fri Feb 08 2013
Traded in a Fusion Hybrid for a Kia Exclaim because Ford's electronics were unreliable. In comparison the Kia has been trouble free and is better built. Too bad the windshield pillar design allows so much wind noise - the company needs to make the mounting area flush. Also got rid of the 18 inch wheels for a set of oversize 15 inchers. Car was obviously designed with this base spec in mind because steering, ride, and tire noise have all improved! MIleage would also improve with a longer (lower numerical) final drive ratio. Acceleration is plenty good to make that change possible..
3 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
5 out of 5 starsInterior Design
5 out of 5 starsReliability
5 out of 5 starsPerformance
4 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
22 out of 22 people found this review helpful. Did you?
5 out of 5 stars
Roomier on inside then it should be
by Big Boss
from Natchez, Mississippi
on Thu Aug 09 2012
I am a big fellow (6'-4", 440 lbs) and I can easily get in and out of this little car. The power is acceptable with seating for 5. Pretty nice little car with 32 MPG average so far
5 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
5 out of 5 starsInterior Design
5 out of 5 starsReliability
5 out of 5 starsPerformance
4 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
19 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Did you?
4 out of 5 stars
Love the styling
by Mom of Three
from Pittsburgh, PA
on Sat Sep 01 2012
I have had this car for almost 2 months. I am not sure I am getting the gas mileage on the sticker - it always resets itself every time I refill my tank, and starts in the low 20s, although on long trips - it reads 42+MPG that is more than the estimate. The car is fun to drive, sporty, has great space. I have found two drawbacks. One is the black interior. I have two dogs and a cat - their hair is tracked into the car on our clothing and shoes and it is very visible. Two is when I drive longer distances - the seats do become uncomfortable.
4 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
4 out of 5 starsInterior Design
4 out of 5 starsReliability
4 out of 5 starsPerformance
5 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
18 out of 18 people found this review helpful. Did you?
4 out of 5 stars
Nice ride
by Disappointed
from Metairie, Louisiana
on Mon Jan 13 2014
Very good ride for size of car. Great stability. Comfort is super. Lousy gas mileage for size of car. Advertised at 25 city and 30 highway. Getting 20 city and 22 highway. Called Kia and was given the run around. Fine a little car but do not believe the mileage on the sticker. No spare tire. Have to pay extra to get one. Do not know yet how long the car will go without a maintance problem.
5 out of 5 starsComfort
4 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
4 out of 5 starsInterior Design
3 out of 5 starsReliability
3 out of 5 starsPerformance
5 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Did you?
5 out of 5 stars
It is well with my SOUL
by KT
from Florida
on Wed Dec 11 2013
I just turned 16 and this is my first car. Because the 2015 Kia Soul is about to debut my parents and I got a fabulous deal. Though this car is affordable, it is not cheap at all! I got the + package and I love the blutooth system, which works better than most of the other cars I test drove, and the overall feel of the car. It is so much fun to drive. I was quite skeptical when originally approaching this car, but after driving it and hearing about the warranty and price, I was sold. I got mine in Alien green with the black interior. The black interior makes it feel expensive but, is sometimes a hassle to clean. The columns on the back create a bit more of a blind spot than I am used to but, it isn't hard to maneuver around. Overall great car.
4 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
5 out of 5 starsInterior Design
5 out of 5 starsReliability
5 out of 5 starsPerformance
4 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Did you?
5 out of 5 stars
Fun car to drive
by Keithfaninwv
from Spencer, wv
on Mon Mar 18 2013
I have waited a long time to get my Soul. This is my third Kia and I am a loyal customer, and I am not disappointed. Very good gas mileage, love all the technology, the backup camera, the hands free phone. Too many things to mention, but would recommend this car to anyone. Red of course!
5 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
5 out of 5 starsInterior Design
5 out of 5 starsReliability
5 out of 5 starsPerformance
5 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Did you?
5 out of 5 stars
Amazing ride!
by Kia fan
from Rock Hill, sc
on Wed Jun 12 2013
I was not excited that my wife wanted a Soul. It looked too boxlike and the ad style seemed over the top and silly. But she convinced me to take it for a test drive. It drives smooth. It has plenty of get up and go. I didn't think I would appreciate the satellite radio preview but it is all kinds of fun. It has a great sound system. Even better, though, my iPhone connected very easily for hands free calling and works better than any either car I have tried this in. She is thrilled with the "cuteness" factor and I love the "fun" factor. I certainly recommend this car!
5 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
5 out of 5 starsInterior Design
5 out of 5 starsReliability
5 out of 5 starsPerformance
4 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you?
4 out of 5 stars
Good Value For The Money
by Snake the Soul Man
from Dallas, TX
on Mon Oct 28 2013
The Soul provides great bang for the buck. Many 'options' for other cars are standard equipment on the KIA's. Electric windows, locks, a/c and 4-wheel disc are examples of these standard features. Overall comfort is nice. It has the feel of driving a small truck while being quite nimble in the parking arena.
4 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
4 out of 5 starsInterior Design
4 out of 5 starsReliability
3 out of 5 starsPerformance
5 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you?
5 out of 5 stars
Just Good ol' Fun for the Soul
by Tricey
from Chicago
on Fri Nov 23 2012
I purchased a new 2013 Kia Soul+ and have had it for a month now. I initially wasn't looking for a Kia at all. I thought that their cars were cheap and not up to certain standards I was looking for in something I'd be spending hard earned money on. Luckily, I took my mom with me and she encouraged me to give it a test drive. As soon as I got in and saw how spacious, sleek, and comfortable it was I was sold. It also feels like I'm driving an SUV (which was my first choice) than just another compact vehicle. I'm only 5'4'' and feel there is more than enough head room. My family of 5'9''-ers and up also feel comfortable in the backseat. I only wish it was big enough to fit 3 full sized adults in it comfortably but that's not my problem since I have the good fortune of always being the driver... lol.
I will say that I love the subwoofer that was built into the car. It has an awesome sound system. That's pretty important to me since I'm only 28 and love listening to my music loud. Also love the sunroof. I just wish it were summer so I could use it more often. The touch screen radio and display is also very good. I just wish at times it were more sensitive so I wouldn't have to repress the radio controls. I enjoy using the bluetooth feature to call people and tell them I'm outside waiting for them. The one thing I don't like about the soul is it's minimal trunk space. But luckily there are trays under the rug to place things I don't want others seeing.
FYI Mine did not come with a spare tire. It came with a tire kit in the case of a flat. If that's important to some people to have, I suggest talking to your dealer about getting one from Kia. It is not that big of a deal for me because I don't know how to change a tire anyway and thank God for Triple A.
5 out of 5 starsComfort
5 out of 5 starsValue for the Money
5 out of 5 starsInterior Design
5 out of 5 starsReliability
4 out of 5 starsPerformance
5 out of 5 starsExterior Styling
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you?