Thoughts on the Kia Soul?

"Nymphicus Hollandicus" (nymhicus-hollandicus) 12/15/2015 at 21:49 • Filed to: Decisions

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Over the past few days I’ve been thinking about getting a replacement for the Honda Pilot that I’ve been dying to get rid of and one car has been standing out. The Kia Soul (first and second gen). I’ve generally heard pretty good things about this car and prices are pretty good for base 6-speed ones with less than 40,000 miles. They’re pretty roomy, look cool and are not bad to drive. They seem to suit my needs perfectly despite slightly lackluster mileage. I would love to get one in “Alien.”

So does anyone have any experience with these cars? How are they in terms of reliability and comfort?

I’m generally looking at compact cars that are fun-to-drive right now with less than 40,000ish miles and preferably under 11k.

bob and john > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 21:59

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hehehe.,man do I have story for you on that one...

dad had one as a rental once. had to go to a plant with a really long access road (think like 2km) and RIGHT in the middle of it there was a speed bump that was like 6 inchs high.

after a day at the plant, dark, un lit road, he totally forgot about tht. Hit the speed-bump at like 80MPH. Hucked the car 3 feet in the air. came down, sparks every where. He got out, and there was next to no visible damage. a couple of scratches underneath, but nothing big. it drove fine after too.

his thoughts: sweet little cross over thing thats awesome on gas (even the AWD version) and has good carrying capacity. doesnt fly well.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > bob and john 12/15/2015 at 22:05

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An AWD Kia Soul? Hm fascinating... Either way that’s a pretty cool story, almost like the time I’ve hooned my dad’s old Sentra on ice.

smobgirl > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:09

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My sis has one and loves it. She and her husband and their Akita drove it around the country for 3 weeks last summer and still don’t hate it. No problems yet, reliable and relatively cheap to maintain.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:14

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6-speed is smooth, easy to drive, functional, and best of all — easy to park downtown. Yeah, the fuel economy I was pulling whist driving it was 27, which isn’t so bad.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > smobgirl 12/15/2015 at 22:15

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Is it a newer model or the 1st gen? Generally I’ve heard that the second gen is much more comfortable.

smobgirl > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:19

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It’s a 2011 (had to ask her). I’ve driven hers and rented newer and didn't have a strong opinion either way between them.

DrJohannVegas > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:20

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Bland, not terribly quick, a bit top heavy. But, it was the car I recommended my mom get (she’s not a sophisticated car person, but wanted a manual transmission and decent space). Reliable and totally uninspiring to drive. It’s the very definition of a utilitarian vehicle, if you don’t load it up with crap “style” options.

Also, there was never an AWD model. Or, at least not by any information I could find. There’s a concept with AWD, but I don’t see evidence of a production model.

Decent little car. I’d check parts cost, though.

bob and john > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:20

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could have sworn i saw a center diff behind one. and no, the soccer mom i was helping change a tire wasnt one to be swapping drivetrains.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/15/2015 at 22:20

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It’s certainly a huge improvement from 18 on the highway. All of those benefits and the manual make it ideal for me.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > bob and john 12/15/2015 at 22:22

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Usually most compacts with the exception of Audis, Subarus and Volvos aren’t AWD.

TrickJos > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:23

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I have three coworkers that drive Souls. One just bought his and he seems to like it. Second guy is into woodworking and uses his like a pickup. He actually sold it to his parents, bought a Sierra, then sold the Sierra and bought back the Kia because he missed it. The third guy likes his I think. It’s a 2012 with an absurd amount of miles on it. 80,000ish miles already. He mentioned that it's starting to use a significant amount of oil. Overall it seems like a useful little car. The oil consumption scares me a little though.

bob and john > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:24

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IDK man, (also, note i’m in canada) maybe that has something to do with it?

either way, fun little car

Nymphicus Hollandicus > DrJohannVegas 12/15/2015 at 22:25

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It’s probably going to be really fun to drive for me since I’m coming from a large SUV. Also the reliable part is what will make it even more appealing to me, since I want to keep this car for a long time.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:34

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Well... It at least looks like it has some soul to it.

DrJohannVegas > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:37

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There is no fun in a Soul. Trust me. It may be smaller, lighter, etc. than an SUV, but there is no fun to be had. Good car in many ways, but enjoyment is not one of them. Numb electric steering, numb brakes, numb shifter, numb clutch, numb suspension, flat seats. But, for a little hauler which is a little better on gas (it’s still a big box, so it isn’t spectacular), it’s a good ship.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > TrickJos 12/15/2015 at 22:39

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That does worry me indeed, but most reports tell me that it’s a fairly reliable car. I’ll watch out for stories like that though.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > smobgirl 12/15/2015 at 22:40

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The current one is indeed an evolution so that was to be expected.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > DrJohannVegas 12/15/2015 at 22:44

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Anything is more fun than an SUV, especially when you realize you’re just wasting gas and space driving the stupid thing just to haul yourself around. Numb steering and whatnot sounds a lot like my mom’s 2013 Elantra, aren’t a lot of Hyundai/Kias that way?

DrJohannVegas > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 22:50

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Perhaps. I suspect that for most people, less road feel is more. I know Florida has a lot of them now, so you might be able to find one used for a good price down there. Not sure what your 40 is, but there ya go.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > DrJohannVegas 12/15/2015 at 22:53

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New York, and I’ve found some pretty decent low-mileage ones nearby me.

speedygopher > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/15/2015 at 23:35

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My wife drives a 2013 auto. It’s comfortable on long trips, cruises right along at highway speeds (even on the high speed toll road around Austin), gets decent mileage. Visibility isn’t bad either.

911e46z06 > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/16/2015 at 00:30

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Just be aware that nobody will think you look cool driving a Kia Soul. So cross that off the ‘plusses’ side of the list.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > 911e46z06 12/16/2015 at 08:05

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I could care less about “how” I look to other people if I were to get a Soul. People might say they think my car is cool, but they will never say “Your Kia Soul makes you look really cool!”

wiffleballtony > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/16/2015 at 11:53

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It’s a decent xB alternative. I’d recommend one if you are in a crowded area where size is a detriment. Good interior room for the size. Wouldn’t be a good choice if driving pleasure is an important metric.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > wiffleballtony 12/16/2015 at 12:36

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I’d prefer the car to be fun but these are so cheap it’ll probably be one of my better options. I have seen other cars such as the Ford Focus and Mazda 3 show up on my search, but these may not be as practical.

smobgirl > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/16/2015 at 12:40

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Funnily enough, I rented a 2016 this morning. I haven’t paid much attention to the specs of these but it’s quicker when you need it than I expected. Also feels pretty big inside (granted, anything feels bigger than my car). I’m pretty incoherent due to being mostly up all night thanks to the disaster that was the Denver airport yesterday but let me know if you have any specific questions about it.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > smobgirl 12/16/2015 at 12:58

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How’s does it feel at higher speeds? My parents keep telling me that I’ll hate having a smaller car since it’ll feel out of place on the highway. Also on that note, how’s the wind noise at higher speeds.

smobgirl > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/16/2015 at 15:28

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To me, it feels like a bigger vehicle than it is. I rent economy cars constantly and this feels more like an Element and less like a matchbox car (compared to, say, a Sonic or Versa or Yaris). I keep feeling like I’m squeezing into parking spots and being surprised how much room there is when I get out. I’ll get back to you on wind noise, I’ve been driving with the window down :)

One thing that did surprise me was that the rear visibility seems worse than the older ones. I had an Audi sedan behind me this morning, and he wasn’t close enough that I’d really considering it tailgating but I couldn't see his lights or what sort of car he was driving until he took an exit. The lower half of the hatch blocked most of his car.