A week in the 2010 Kia Soul: Day 5 (ride, acceleration, and handling)

Is the 2010 Kia Soul Sport fun to drive? It depends on what you want from it.

The 2010 Kia Soul is practical and reasonably priced, and has distinctive looks for a subcompact hatchback. But how does it drive? 

It drives more like a subcompact hatchback than it looks or than it feels from sitting inside the spacious interior and the high driving position. 

The Soul is geared for peppy performance at low speeds, but on this 2.0-liter version with the standard five-speed manual transmission, you don't have too much reserve power once you've reached third gear and up. Acceleration isn't as labored as in some tiny cars and the car has no trouble cruising on the highway, but even though the car has a fairly large and powerful engine for a subcompact, there's little reserve power for high-speed passing or steep inclines. 

The manual transmission has a more precise shifter than the average economy car, but the light clutch has a long travel. 

The Soul Sport, the version that's spending the week with the DC Car Examiner, is tuned for tighter handling and has bigger wheels and tires than other models, which contributes to better handling response than one might expect from a tall little hatchback.

No version of the Soul has especially quick steering, however, and there's too much of a dead spot before the car actually turns. In some cars, this makes for improved straight-line stability on the highway, but the tall Soul is still prone to being blown around a bit by crosswinds. The highway ride isn't as jittery as in some other subcompacts, but it isn't smooth, especially with the sport suspension. There's lots of wind noise at high speeds, plus a background drone of road and engine noise. 

The car isn't quiet at lower speeds either, as the car is geared to accelerate hard in its first two gears, leading to a loud engine note. The engine sounds nice enough except at high rpms, where it sounds more coarse, but the gearing also discourages gentle takeoffs. At low speeds, the car will bounce and slam over a series of bumps with the sport suspension, and it's busy at any speed on poor pavement, but there are worse subcompacts. 

Car enthusiasts who are enamored by the styling and like the practicality and pricing either read through the above waiting patiently to hear if the Soul is fun to drive, or skimmed through looking for some clues. 

The simple answer is that the Soul is a subcompact economy car, with acceptable but less than thrilling acceleration and handling. Like the Honda Fit, the Soul's small size makes it agile, especially at low speeds. But also like the Fit, it's a budget economy car. 

So is the Soul fun? If you demand precise handling and lots of power, you likely wouldn't think so. But it's agile enough to be considered spunky, which matches the car's appearance. It's not numb or sloppy to drive, like some subcompacts. If that's what you look for, you could enjoy the Soul. 

Check back for more information on the 2010 Kia Soul over the coming days, and please ask any questions you have about the car in the comments section below or by sending an e-mail to dc.car.examiner@gmail.com. And for more pictures of the Soul, check out its photo slideshows in the first two articles listed below.

Day 1:  Introduction
Day 2:  Seats, cargo, interior details, visibility
Day 4:  City driving
Day 5:  Ride, acceleration, handling