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Car review: 2010 Kia Soul !
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2010 Kia Soul
If you see a 2010 Kia Soul in public and you find yourself trying to figure out why its shape is so familiar, you can thank those ubiquitous hamster ads. You know the ones--they’re the commercials that depict hamsters spinning around a wheel in traffic while a small, boxy vehicle waits at a red light, full of hamsters grooving to tunes from an iPod. The message? That the Kia Soul is one of a kind. That message isn’t entirely accurate--the Nissan Cube and Scion xB are also boxy urban runabouts like the Soul--but nonetheless, the Soul does stand out in traffic.
The Basics
The Soul comes in several trim levels: Base, +, !,and sport. Yes, those are the proper symbols and punctuation, according to Kia. My tester was an !, which came with a 142-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that mated to the optional 4-speed automatic transmission.
Standard features on ! include air conditioning, power door locks and windows, remote keyless entry, an AM/FM/CD player with MP3 connectivity and satellite radio. There is also a USB/auxiliary jack for the stereo. Other standard features include a tilt steering wheel, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, fog lights, a rear wiper, cruise control, wireless cell phone link, and a sunroof. Available safety features include ABS, an antiskid system, traction control, front side airbags, and curtain side airbags. The base price for all this is $17,900. The only option other than the transmission available on the ! is a rear spoiler, which my tester did not have. So, with the $695 destination charge, the total as-tested price was $18,595.
Drive Impressions
Don’t expect to win any drag races in the Soul. The 2.0-liter makes a lot of noise and fuss when the gas is pressed, but it doesn’t translate into results. This isn’t a fast car, but then, it isn’t meant to be. It does at least provide enough power for around-town driving, although you still need to dig deep into the throttle to really get things rolling.
Ride and handling characteristics aren’t surprising for a boxy, tall vehicle with a short wheelbase--bumps make their presence known. The suspension does what it can to mitigate pavement imperfections, but it can only do so much. Even when bumps aren’t felt, they’re heard--there is way too much rattling going on when traversing pock-marked pavement.
Curiously, the highway ride is actually much better--a long trek to the suburbs and back was pretty pleasant. The Soul does have direct, accurate steering, and its light weight makes it a joy when going around corners. Unfortunately, slightly mushy brakes are a letdown.
On the inside, the Soul has a handsome dash (albeit one with too much hard plastic) with most buttons within easy reach. The iPod interface works rather well, and the HVAC controls are a snap to use. So are the steering-wheel control buttons. Pairing a phone via the wireless cell phone link is an easy process, as is using the wireless link. My only complaint was that the voice recognition software sometimes misidentified names.
The Soul has some interesting quirks, the chief one being the “mood” lighting in the speakers. It can be turned off, left on, set to pulse to the beat of the music, or set to “mood”, in which the lights dim and brightening every couple of seconds. It’s a fun little novelty gimmick that grows tiresome quickly.
Far less tiresome is the Soul’s cargo capacity. Although cargo room in the back hatch is about average with the rear seats up, once they are folded down, it’s a whole new ballgame. I was able to stuff a lot of, well, stuff, back there, and the folded seats left a relatively flat load floor. The amount of cargo that can go in back with the seats folded down is surprising, given the Soul’s overall size.
That small stature makes parking easier, thanks to the short front and rear overhangs. And it leads the Soul in some interesting directions, style-wise. With the exception of its rounded front fascia, the Soul is more angular than the Cube, and perhaps even more sharply-edged than the xB. Love them or hate them, the Soul and its boxy competitors will be making more appearances on American roads over the next few years, especially if gas prices stay high.
Speaking of gas, I averaged 24.6 mpg over 252 miles of combined city and highway driving. The Soul is rated at 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway, so my numbers are fairly in line with expectations, if a bit on the low side (hey, no one ever said auto journalists have light throttle feet).
Final Thoughts
The Soul makes an interesting case for itself in the boxy-and-small wagon class. It offers a lot of cargo space, a user-friendly interior, a dash of sportiness, and pretty good fuel economy. On the other hand, it lacks in acceleration, it’s a bit noisy, and there was a little too much rattling going on for my tastes. For urban dwellers, the Soul might make a solid choice due to its quick handling moves and easy-to-park length. But then, the same can be said of its competitors. For a buyer shopping one of these cars, the choice may hinge on personal taste, instead of objective evaluation.
Positives: Right size for urban driving, good fuel economy, has “quirky” appeal
Negatives: Too much engine noise, some rattles, underpowered
Base Price: $17,900
Price as Tested: $18,595
Key Competitors: Nissan Cube, Scion xB, Suzuki SX4 Hatchback
Specifications
Engine: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Horsepower: 142 @ 6,000 RPM
Torque: 137 @ 4,600 RPM
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 100.4 inches
Length: 161.6 inches
Width: 70.3 inches
Height: 63.4 inches
Curb Weight: 2,820 lb
Cargo Volume: 19.3 cu. ft. (53.4 cu. ft. with rear seats folded down)
Fuel Capacity: 12.7 gallons
Seating Capacity: 5
Front Head Room: 40.2 inches
Front Leg Room: 42.1 inches
Rear Head Room: 39.6 inches
Rear Leg Room: 39.0 inches
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