2016 Kia Soul EV consumer reviews

If your intention is to drive a very comfortable electric vehicle around town or on VERY short trips -- then this would be a great car for you. I've owned the Soul EV for a couple of years and think that, overall, it's a very solid car. I'm tall, and this car has more headroom that most other cars - EV or otherwise. The interior is nicely appointed with comfortable (heated and cooled) leather driver and passenger seats, a large, easy to follow touchscreen and voice accessed GPS system, three different settings for how the steering performs and several other positive elements. It even has decent leg room for people in the back seat. The storage space in this hatchback is pretty limited, but fold down the backseats for extra room when you need it and you should be fine. The sounds system is just OK -- certainly not high-end, but not bad, either. As for performance -- well, here's where I ding this car. In addition to the above, I went with the Kia Soul because I was told it would get at least 90 miles to a single charge. And at first, when I got the car, the charge actually went up to 106 miles. After that however, the mileage distance kept shrinking, and now after a full charge is says 83. This is still better than some other EVs on the market, but not what I expected. Now, here's the real deal when it comes to evaluating mileage claims on the Soul EV. If you drive 35-40 miles an hour, you'll get achieve the 90 miles and maybe more. But if you're like a normal owner, you'll also take the vehicle on the freeway/highway - and at 65 MPH, you will NEVER get close to the 90 miles advertised. For example, I live approximately 32 miles from San Francisco International Airport. Starting with a full charge of 85miles+, when I get home, I will have 7-10 miles or less of power still available. However, if I happen to get caught up in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the vehicle will perform much better, and I'll end up with 25-30 miles remaining. If Kia would invest in better battery technology (ala Tesla) this vehicle would be fantastic. It's actually surprisingly quick off the line and very smooth at freeway speeds. So, if you want -- and can afford -- an EV to take longer drives, buy or lease a Tesla. If you want to stay pretty close to home and want to feel good about helping the environment, then you can get this vehicle and show a little "Soul."

Before leasing the Soul EV I drove the Volt (small back seat), i3 (small back seat and harsh ride), Ford Fusion Energi (drives like you're towing a boat and useless trunk), Leaf (cheap interior, less than great crash tests), and A3 etron (poor EV range). The Soul EV is an amazing car with a quality interior, comfortable seats, great infotainment, a roomy back seat, decent cargo space, and a comfortable ride. The range is better than expected (I've gotten 120miles), the L3 enables quick recharges on the go, and the fuel cost is crazy cheap - costs about $3 to go 100 miles with Washington's low electricity costs. Finally, yes its affordable when leased with the promos.

I live on long island and went to my nearest dealer and jumped into a soul to see if I fit in. Asked to see an EV and he said we do not have any and will not be getting any soon........... i do not understand,,so I said see u when it happens.. i am waiting with great anticipation....