Kia Soul: End-of-lease review

[Kaido]

So I just turned in my leased 2011 Kia Soul today after 3 years of leasing. RIP good buddy! I'd definitely have to say it's been my most favorite car I've ever had the privilege of driving. I liked the interesting color (avocado green), I liked the funky design, and I liked how it drove. Here she is in all her eccentric beauty:

http://i.imgur.com/86A6q.jpg

Definitely not a car that would appeal to everyone, but if you like it, you'll end up loving it. I got the 2.0L automatic "+" model. It was my work commuter until we had our first kiddo, then it became the baby hauler. I didn't really care for the hydraulic clutch in the 1.6L model (2.0L manuals were just about impossible to find at the time) & I was sitting in traffic for long periods of time, so I wanted automatic & cruise control. I got the Plus model for the sunroof. It also included the "premium" audio system which I thought was pretty mediocre; I didn't realize until recently that the subwoofer had been blown since day one. I never really sat in the back and noticed the low crackling noise, D'OH :biggrin:

The Good:

Honestly, I loved this car. Driving it back to the dealership, I've realized how much I've missed cruising around in it (been parked for a couple months due to hitting the lease mileage limit; it wasn't worth turning in early due to the fees). Currently my project car is my daily driver, and while the stick-shift compact coupe is a lot of fun, I really enjoyed how the Soul handled - nice firm ride, gear steering wheel & steering (just firm enough, but not too much that it was annoying - but not super light like the Prius or new Civic, so it didn't feel like a video game), and plenty of power for my needs.

http://i.imgur.com/ap0pe.jpg

I really liked the design. I am a fan of quirky but neat designs - the VW Beetle, the Delorean, etc. So this fit right in. And being the computer guy at work, it fit my personality pretty well too, haha. The blinking lights on the speakers were actually pretty cool, but they did tone down the brightness from the previous years (I'm guessing super bright blue & red flashing lights would not be appropriate on public roads, haha); I wish they had the colored lights on the 2nd-row speakers too for passengers, because it was such a cool little feature.

The Bluetooth calling & audio streaming worked great. Kia required you to buy their special $29 USB iPod cable if you wanted to charge & play music directly (I tried a standard one, didn't work, boo); I skipped that because I don't like direct iPod control via ANY head unit (the Bluetooth controls suit me just fine), so I just used my own 12V charger. I liked that it had dual 12V chargers up front, so you could charge up your phone & your GPS. I also liked the steering wheel controls; they put a lot of nice little features like that into the car, at a price point that wasn't horrific.

The base model started at $13 or $14k; I got a higher-end model with the bigger engine (for the auto tranny for traffic) and sunroof. I'm not a huge leather fan, so I went with the cloth seats (the top part's lettering glowed in the dark too, haha). They threw in the Simonize exterior & Armor-All interior treatment with the lease; I regret doing the interior treatment because it made the seats pretty stiff. The seats are somewhat stiff to begin with and aren't immediately comfortable, but they are great for driving for long periods of time because you don't get that body fatigue from it being too cushy - so the supportiveness was great. Sometimes I sat in traffic for 2 hours and it definitely didn't feel like it when I got out.

I liked sitting up a bit more in the Soul, versus being lower to the ground in a car. It felt extremely stable on the road. With Traction Control, it was hands-down the best car I've ever driven in the snow. Made it feel like I was driving through mud. It sort of felt like a shorter Subaru Forester. My Honda Fit was fairly squirrelly on the highway & required me to babysit the steering wheel; the Soul didn't. Overall, A+ on handling. The power was plenty adequate as well, although if you pushed it at freeway speeds, you'd get the 4-cylinder scream lol.

The Bad:

I did have one rough week with it, which turned out to be less of a headache than I thought. The key fobs flip out, VW-style; about 2 years in, one got stuck flipping out at an angle & later fell out (epoxied it back in, didn't have any more problems). Despite the issues, I still liked them better than Honda's huge fixed key fob for the Fit & Civic, those are a pain to keep in your pocket. The rearview mirror fell off, but that was because I got a crack in the windshield & had it replaced - whatever aftermarket glue they put on simply didn't last, so it was NOT an OEM problem.

I also had an issue with the back passenger's side door not opening from the inside. Turns out it was a design quirk - there's a physical child latch on the inner frame of the door where it shuts; if you got out & shut the door with the seatbelt in the frame (which happened all the time because it would swing out & stay there usually), the buckle would push the latch & self-lock the child switch there inside the door groove. Once we learned what was going on, it was fine. Also, the driver's side door got stuck once & wouldn't roll down, but there was a recall for that, so they fixed it for free. The only other oddball thing was the TPMS was a little sensitive in cold weather and would show an alert when your tires dropped even a little due to the air temperature.

When my wife started driving it full-time, her complaints were the ride quality and the blind spots. It was too harsh of a ride for her, even with the smaller tires (I didn't opt for the larger ones because it made for an even stiffer ride). The blind spots were also pretty bad, so you really had to pay attention as you drove, and it got pretty annoying when merging quickly on highways. Personally I liked the ride handling - yes, it was overly stiff, but it also made for fun cornering & driving.

I was disappointed with the gas mileage; the best I usually got was 28 MPG on the highway. The EPA forced Kia to revise their numbers; the Soul dropped from something like 34 MPG to 28 MPG, which was exactly in line with what I was getting. Oh well. Still not bad for a non-aerodynamic box on wheels, and a lot better than most of my previous cars haha. After coming from a Honda Fit, I was a bit annoyed that the seats didn't fold down completely flat - that would have been nice when hauling multiple computer towers around. Also, the interior plastics were kind of cheap & scuffed easily; I had a lot of marks throughout the car; the newer models are supposed to have fixed that issue.

Conclusion:

Would I get a Kia Soul again? Definitely, for sure. I'm not super crazy about all of the new design features in the 2014 model - I like the LED lights & push-button start, but I don't like the new angles (I liked the curves) or the new rims; they also change the design a bit & made it bigger for the upcoming 2014 release. It also went from a 4-star IIHS safety rating to a 5-star, so it is a safer vehicle now as well, which makes it more appealing to haul around my kiddo in (now that I'm a paranoid dad, haha). You can also get the new one with a leather-wrapped steering wheel & shift knob, automatic climate control, etc., so they're continuing to offer a lot of bang-for-your buck:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/1303_2014_kia_soul_first_look/

I really liked the green; there's a blue-jeans color out now that looks nice, and the red looks surprisingly sharp in person. There's also talk of a electric-only version with a 120-mile range coming out next year for $35k; my sales guy said it won't be available in my area initially, so I'd imagine it'd be a couple of years before it became readily available at dealerships nationwide. Definitely interested in a 100% EV Soul! I've been eyeballing various cars in case I decide to lease again (or buy); I like the new, more manly-looking Beetle (200hp 6-speed turbo); the BRZ is nice, although with RWD I'd die in the snow, so it'd definitely be a third car (hehe, yeah right); the Subaru Legacy sedan would be a great all-weather commuter - my brother has an Impreza sedan and I'm amazed at how nice it is, both the interior fit & finish & the handling. Evo Lancer would be a fun one, and double as a family vehicle when necessary.

I like the electric-only Tesla Model S a lot, but again, RWD...plus my monthly payment would also go up $275 a month over what I'm paying now for the gas/car payment combo (which is surprisingly not bad for the price of the car vs. my Soul with the monthly gas bill), but I'm also going from having a monthly payment with the Soul to no monthly payment with my project car. I'm also interested in the VW Passat TDI with the 800-mile+ range, that would be awesome for only having to fill up a couple times a month rather than a couple times a week. Not really looking seriously at anything in particular, just enjoying my little Escort coupe beater right now, at least until it blows up

Anyway, I'll leave you with a little video of my green Soul I made from way back when:

http://vimeo.com/14378607

9/10 would buy again :thumbsup:

 

[Vic Vega]

What did the lease cost you in total payments and fees?

 

[Vic Vega]

Very good writeup, BTW.

 

[mmntech]

Drove a lot of the first gen ones. Had a lot of odd quirks. Doors locks and gas door would stick, had the rear view mirror fall off on one. The four-speed auto transmission sucked. A lot of these issues got fixed in the second gen. I liked driving them a lot. The Soul is quite the underrated car. Like a mini SUV. Would be perfect if it came with an AWD option.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I like my 2013 Kia Forte Koup SX. I would pay more for a modestly faster, meaner looking version of it.

 

[Gimli43Orcs]

Good write-up. Got a 2013 a few months ago. Nice car. Went on a road trip with it. Could put more luggage in it with the back seats up than I thought I could for such a short car. That boxy shape helps a lot for that

 

[phucheneh]

I like the Cube better.

...yeah, I said it. They're both ugly, but I think the Cube is more comfortable and does the 'clever little box on wheels' thing a wee bit better. They're both good cars, though. I think what ruins the Soul for me is that the designers gave it to pressure and said ...'okay, we'll try and make it look less terrible than a Cube;' but cutting down on the boxiness means less room.

They can both be thankful they're not an xB.

 

[halik]

too ugly for my taste

 

[Kaido]

What did the lease cost you in total payments and fees?

I did $0 down and I think it was around $205 a month after taxes for the 36-month, 36k-mile lease on the Soul +. I rolled in the remainder of the loan on my trade-in, so that end was a bit higher per month, but I really wanted to offload my old Saturn after they went out of business, haha. Initially they wanted something like $2500 down and around $300 a month (they only had a $20k+ model on the lot with a sunroof), but I got a Honda Fit for my wife at the same time and came back and told them to beat it or I was getting another $0-down, $239/mo Fit :biggrin: So I ended up getting a way better deal than I initially anticipated and got the exact model I wanted, which made me pretty happy :thumbsup:

The only thing that shot me in the foot was the over-mileage. I turned it in with 39k miles on a 36k lease; I normally stay within the range of my leases, but due to the new baby, we drove it around a lot more. They also have a $400 return fee (disposition fee), so I'll get whacked on the final bill next month. Ah, the joys of leasing If you stick with Kia, they can just roll you into another lease - we did that with our Honda Fit, which was at 40k on a 36k lease - no return fee & no over-mileage charges, and the 2013 Civic was the same lease price as the Fit was, which was awesome.

 

[Kaido]

Very good writeup, BTW.

Thanks! I like reading "real people" reviews of cars because ultimately what I care about is the consumer driving experience, not just a review from a car review magazine or whatever. And everything has its fair share of quirks, so it's good to know what you're getting into as well.

 

[Kaido]

Drove a lot of the first gen ones. Had a lot of odd quirks. Doors locks and gas door would stick, had the rear view mirror fall off on one. The four-speed auto transmission sucked. A lot of these issues got fixed in the second gen. I liked driving them a lot. The Soul is quite the underrated car. Like a mini SUV. Would be perfect if it came with an AWD option.

Yeah agreed, AWD would be fabulous - but I was also extremely happy with the FWD & Traction Control, best car I've driven in the snow to date (seriously). Got me through some major winters here in New England. I would really like the diesel version, especially a stick-shift diesel, that would be awesome :biggrin:

Also I have seen huge increases in Kia's quality in the last 5 years. Kia used to be like throwaway cars, then they got into Saturn's "hey, this is pretty good for a really reasonable price" area, and now they're just fine - very solid machines. Mine was great. Really enjoyed it, was super reliable for 3 straight years of daily driving.

 

[Kaido]

Good write-up. Got a 2013 a few months ago. Nice car. Went on a road trip with it. Could put more luggage in it with the back seats up than I thought I could for such a short car. That boxy shape helps a lot for that

Yeah, that surprised me too, because the trunk is actually pretty small - but you get all that vertical room, so it helps.

What color did you get?

 

[Kaido]

too ugly for my taste

It's definitely not for everyone. I had narrowed it down to the Soul ($13k base) and the Element ($23k base), and I liked the Soul's aesthetics/features/price better, especially for a $10k price reduction. I think my window sticker was $21k or something, which was like $2,000 less than base Honda Element, with the Soul fully-loaded minus leather.

I rarely see people my age driving it, it's mostly baby boomers. They have an easy time getting into it & throwing stuff in the back. The salesman said Kia was pretty surprised with who the target market ended up being, because they thought it'd almost be like a fun little Scion box for teens & college students, but it turned out older people - early retirees - really loved them, and based on who I see driving them every day, that's true!

 

[Kaido]

I like the Cube better.

...yeah, I said it. They're both ugly, but I think the Cube is more comfortable and does the 'clever little box on wheels' thing a wee bit better. They're both good cars, though. I think what ruins the Soul for me is that the designers gave it to pressure and said ...'okay, we'll try and make it look less terrible than a Cube;' but cutting down on the boxiness means less room.

They can both be thankful they're not an xB.

I did check out a Cube when I tested-drove an Altima recently. It was bigger than I expected on the inside. Also felt super-cheap. I did like the round shag rug in the middle of the dashboard for your phone though :biggrin: I was also surprised that the Cube's base price is $2360 higher than the Soul's base price. Anyway, the Cube was too ugly even for my tastes, although the weird non-symmetrical real window was kind of appealing in a strange sort of way. But the Soul is artsy-weird whereas the Cube is just boxy-weird to me, if that makes sense. To me, the new Cube looks like something out of Dr. Seuss book :biggrin:

I LOVED the xB's interior. Outside was bland, inside was like the Batmobile. I was amazed, felt like you were in a Hummer tank! Didn't like the blind spots so much - Great Wall of China for a C-pillar back there haha.

 

[Gimli43Orcs]

Yeah, that surprised me too, because the trunk is actually pretty small - but you get all that vertical room, so it helps.

What color did you get?

Colour is Vanilla Shake here in Canada. I think its called Dune in US? Its that cream coloured one. Wife liked that one. Plus we have neighbours that have all the other colours, so we had to have a different one.LOL

 

[phucheneh]

It's funny that you make a Hummer comparison, 'cause that is exactly what I thought of the Cube. 'Good grief, it's at least as big as an H3 in here!' I gained an appreciation for the boxy cars once I actually drove a few of them and realized how huge it made a small car feel.

But I still think, even on the interior side, the xB is it's-mother-could-not-love-it ugly.

The Cube is similar, really. But I somehow find it more acceptable, because it's just trying to be silly.

 

[vi edit]

Scion has gone full retard with their interiors. Outside of the BR-Z i rarely see them anymore. When the TC was first released it sold well. Not any more. Curious how they are selling overall anymore. I see them going the way of Saturn with the upscale push in their core segment of compacts.

 

[iamwiz82]

Scion has gone full retard with their interiors. Outside of the BR-Z i rarely see them anymore. When the TC was first released it sold well. Not any more. Curious how they are selling overall anymore. I see them going the way of Saturn with the upscale push in their core segment of compacts.

Scion sales are way down. I thought I read it on the Garage that their customer base has gotten older since the initial release and they haven't done anything to create new ones. It's the same crap that they keep cycling. The tC was unique car in 2004 but now it's swallowed up in a tough market and they haven't tried to improve it.

 

[mmntech]

Yeah agreed, AWD would be fabulous - but I was also extremely happy with the FWD & Traction Control, best car I've driven in the snow to date (seriously). Got me through some major winters here in New England. I would really like the diesel version, especially a stick-shift diesel, that would be awesome :biggrin:

Also I have seen huge increases in Kia's quality in the last 5 years. Kia used to be like throwaway cars, then they got into Saturn's "hey, this is pretty good for a really reasonable price" area, and now they're just fine - very solid machines. Mine was great. Really enjoyed it, was super reliable for 3 straight years of daily driving.

They really are good in the snow. They also do make a diesel equipped Soul. It's 1.6L with 126hp and 195ft-lb torque. As far as I can tell, it's only available in the European market. It's a shame that Volkswagen has been the only car company to successfully bring diesel to North America. The bloody TDIs cost a fortune. Though with gas prices going up, the Golf TDI and GTD have entered my list of possible future cars.

The GDI engines they're using now are a lot better than the old ones. The 1.6L actually has some balls now. About a 16hp gain, almost on par with the old 2.0L. Hyundai needs to jump on the turbo bandwagon though.

 

[Kaido]

Scion has gone full retard with their interiors. Outside of the BR-Z i rarely see them anymore. When the TC was first released it sold well. Not any more. Curious how they are selling overall anymore. I see them going the way of Saturn with the upscale push in their core segment of compacts.

Yeah, now that you mention it - I see xB's here & there, and old TC's, but nothing else really. I see a lot of BRZ's but I don't think I've ever seen an FRS on the road.

I wish Saturn hadn't gone high-end. The only except is the Sky, which was okay for $20k. But Saturn was a budget/reliable brand, and who wants to buy a $40,000 Saturn SUV? The only one I see breaking that mold right now is Hyundai, because they've been around awhile and have slowly upgraded their quality from junk to okay to nice to pretty dang nice.

 

[Kaido]

They really are good in the snow. They also do make a diesel equipped Soul. It's 1.6L with 126hp and 195ft-lb torque. As far as I can tell, it's only available in the European market. It's a shame that Volkswagen has been the only car company to successfully bring diesel to North America. The bloody TDIs cost a fortune. Though with gas prices going up, the Golf TDI and GTD have entered my list of possible future cars.

The GDI engines they're using now are a lot better than the old ones. The 1.6L actually has some balls now. About a 16hp gain, almost on par with the old 2.0L. Hyundai needs to jump on the turbo bandwagon though.

Yeah, that's what I meant - if the Soul diesels could come to the US :biggrin:

Also I've heard that VW diesels are expensive to maintain, on top of the existing VW expense. But I'd love to have a Passat TDI with crazy-good gas mileage & range!

 

[vi edit]

Sorry, by "go the way of Saturn" for Scion I meant flail around trying to figure out WTF to do and then eventually get killed off. Toyota isn't going to push for upscale in Scion and cannibalize their bread and butter models. I think they'll sell/kill off the brand.

 

[Kaido]

Sorry, by "go the way of Saturn" for Scion I meant flail around trying to figure out WTF to do and then eventually get killed off. Toyota isn't going to push for upscale in Scion and cannibalize their bread and butter models. I think they'll sell/kill off the brand.

Yeah, I'd hate to see another car company share Saturn's fate. My family was big into Saturns since the 90's, we were really sad to see them go. I learned to drive stick on one :thumbsup:

 

[mmntech]

Yeah, that's what I meant - if the Soul diesels could come to the US :biggrin:

Also I've heard that VW diesels are expensive to maintain, on top of the existing VW expense. But I'd love to have a Passat TDI with crazy-good gas mileage & range!

VWs in general can quickly become a money pit. As nice as my Dad's A6 is, he's spent a small fortune maintaining it. The TDIs are more expensive to fix but they do last longer than the petrol engines. So far nobody has brought an economical diesel car to North America yet. They all start around $25k.

 

[marvdmartian]

Wow, that really is pretty crummy highway mileage! I've got a 2009 Hyundai Sonata, with the 2.0L & automatic, and I routinely get 33-35mpg on the highway, even with the A/C running. I'd probably get better around town, but I tend to put my foot in it too much.....but still get ~24-25 in town, depending on the weather (A/C kills it a little bit, in the Texas heat of summer).

I figure that if I had to, with the cruise control set at ~75mph, I'd still get about 500 miles on a tank of gas, driving rolling terrain (like in the southeast). Of course, I'd pretty much have to have a gas station waiting for me, once I hit 500 miles!