18 Kia Soul

[wander2039]

Renting a 18 Kia Soul for 5 days around Branson. Think it's a 18, has build date 8/18 so might be a 19. I don't see any markers for the engine size so I assume it's a 1.6 and has the CVT, that I know. All I can say is that I'm loving this Soul. It's a go-cart with four doors, reminds me of the Festiva is some aspects. If I was to compare to the Jeep Compass we rented last year I'd take the Soul hands down. No start-stop, the CVT isn't as bad and no hesitation from start. Has three modes - regular, eco and sport. Sport mode is absolute blast in the curves, if the wife wasn't with me I'd push it alot more but was already 2-3x over the recommended speed .. oops. Seems like it tightens the steering also. I was thinking I'd like to try a 6-speed but after finding the modes nah I'll pass.

My wife really likes the visibility, has the backup camera which is like whip cream on a pie. Needed not really but nice to have. The interior doesn't seem suffocating as the Explorers at work. Seems like there's plenty of space for us four. Cargo capacity is lacking, but she rented a Sorrento last year that would fit that purpose. She had no complaints on that model also. The brakes are something I have to get use to, touchy and seem to hold but that might be the CVT. My newest car is 15 years so alot has changed.

Can't really comment on gas mileage as we're mostly around town. Didn't connect my phone to the radio since it's a rental. It does has USB, phono and two power points in the dash with a nice shelf. Can't think of anything else but I'd like get a Soul to replace the Festiva when and if it dies.

 

[eljefino]

My boss bought one of those a few years back (2015?) for $12995 because it was the cheapest car around and he needed one in a hurry. Got the 6 speed stick. Loves the thing.

 

[Bud]

I rented one a few years ago when I flew into Atlanta. Has it for a week, and It certainly was a fun little car. Great size for the city.

 

[Onetor]

Kia's actually impress me. Friend just bought a 19 Stinger with 3.3 dual turbos. It flies.....167 MPH top speed (governor).

 

[Tahoe4Life]

To my surprise Broward Sheriff uses several Souls as unmarked. They catch a lot people using them.

 

[csandste]

Don't think the CVT came til the new '20's. From the looks of it it's a + with a 2 liter and 6 speed. Think this is the standard rental with Enterprise, Hertz and Avis. Bought a '17 Hertz last year and it's been flawless. Think Hertz may have passed on the '18's and gone directly to the '19's. At least that's what I see advertised for the St Louis market. Sat in a Kona this morning. Same platform as the new Soul but a lot smaller inside.

 

[benjy]

a good value for sure but CVT's are not known for longevity but hopefully getting better as they are used widely. i am a stick guy or no sale, but the girlfriend is liking her 8 thou mile preowned 18 optima with the 2.4 + conventional 6 spd + she got a calculated 39 mpg on a recent trip to the shore + display was showing 44 mpgs while cruising steadily at 70 mph! with their long warranty bought new + good pricing i say why not!

 

[Hoot_r]

Just bought the new 2020 Soul LX, which is now being built on the Hyundai Kona platform (2.0L Atkinson-cycle I-4, CVT). If you like the 1.6, the current 2.0 will give you more torque and power. The interior is a bit larger in the 2020, and the wheelbase has also grown by about an inch. Currently getting between 33 and 36 mpg from the 2.0/CVT combo. The base LX is nicely equipped, and I was out the door for about $17,800.

 

[dishdude]

I like Souls, the packaging for the asking price is really nice. The only complaint I have is the short wheelbase, when you hit a bump on the freeway you get a really weird feeling of being tossed around.

 

[csandste]

The new '20's actually are very slightly smaller in the passenger cabin but have significant increases in cargo space. That's a good trade-off IMO.

 

[wander2039]

Interesting learned a lot in this thread. Mostly likely it is an auto and 2.0l. If not the 1.6 has a lot of power. The back seat could be a little smaller so that wouldn't be a problem. This year and the new 2020 interests us but I'm torn on getting a newer car.. part of me doesn't want the payment but the other part no longer trusts ours.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted by csandste
Don't think the CVT came til the new '20's. From the looks of it it's a + with a 2 liter and 6 speed. Think this is the standard rental with Enterprise, Hertz and Avis. Bought a '17 Hertz last year and it's been flawless. Think Hertz may have passed on the '18's and gone directly to the '19's. At least that's what I see advertised for the St Louis market. Sat in a Kona this morning. Same platform as the new Soul but a lot smaller inside.


Did you finance or pay outright? .. Don't want to answer that's ok just curious how the overall experience was. They have 3 blue ones listed locally for around 14k. I really don't care for haggling so don't care for dealerships!