Well, they ruined the Kia Soul

[KentState]

I think the new one looks much better. The old one looks like a shrunk Ford transit van from the side.

 

[Thump553]

The first generation of the Soul was fine, in an albeit quirky design. Ever since then it has swelled into an overgrown monster-this is just one more step along the way. Kia isn't alone in this trend, Mini has also followed it slavishly.

Apparently everything has to be a SUV these days.

 

[Herr Kutz]

Ugh, the “floating roof” fad needs to DIAF. It’s fugly.

 

[ibex333]

Interesting. I just got a Honda Odyssey for Christmas. I needed the legroom, and the cargo space.

You really don't need to justify it. Vans are excellent cars, and I don't understand where the hate is coming from. (By the way, I am only 37 and I do not have a family or kids, and I still love the van)

Whatever the case may be, these things are anything but cheap. You are clearly doing VERY well financially.

 

[Kaido]

The first generation of the Soul was fine, in an albeit quirky design. Ever since then it has swelled into an overgrown monster-this is just one more step along the way. Kia isn't alone in this trend, Mini has also followed it slavishly.

Apparently everything has to be a SUV these days.

I had a first-gen, which I loved. I got a second-gen, which was okay...didn't love the design as much, but virtually everything else was improved. Don't love the third-gen design at all. Has just enough tweaks to make me nope out of it lol.

 

[Kaido]

The heck is going on here

 

[Kaido]

On a tangent, the upcoming 3-row Telluride SUV is looking pretty dope:

Nice-looking interior;

Special cowboy edition...?

 

[Kaido]

So, two notes:

1. It looks better in person. I miss the bug-eye headlights though. The new flat front nose & headlights look better in some colors than others (ex. the blue & the yellow both look good).

2. The interior is CRAZY comfy! Like shockingly well-fitted! I just test-drove the Telluride & then sat in the Soul in the dealership for a couple minutes. Fits like a glove! I was really surprised at how NICE it felt - the seating, the ergonomics, the visibility out the front, the steering wheel placement, etc.

They didn't have an electric models on the lot, but I wanted to test-drive one just for fun. I also want to test-drive the turbo version to see what it was like, because it sounds pretty fun with that 7-speed DCT!

tbh, I miss having a boxy trucklet econo-vehicle. I love my Mustang, but it was also really nice just sliding straight into a seat, sitting up while driving, and being able to easily toss my stuff in the backseat in the second set of doors. I considered a stick-shift Jeep Renegade (to bypass the 9-speed tranny, which I didn't care for at all), but after my experience with Jeep as a company, I opted to pass on that idea. I think the Volvo XC40 is pretty cool as well, and I really like the idea of the all-in-one subscription service, but my next car will be electric for sure!

 

[TXHokie]

I really wanted to like the old one because it met a lot of my car shopping check boxes when I was looking for a manual shifter but man, I just couldn't get past the small wheel big square box bug eye look. A mini hearse with Killed In Action emblem.

 

[Brainonska511]

So, two notes:

1. It looks better in person. I miss the bug-eye headlights though. The new flat front nose & headlights look better in some colors than others (ex. the blue & the yellow both look good).

2. The interior is CRAZY comfy! Like shockingly well-fitted! I just test-drove the Telluride & then sat in the Soul in the dealership for a couple minutes. Fits like a glove! I was really surprised at how NICE it felt - the seating, the ergonomics, the visibility out the front, the steering wheel placement, etc.

They didn't have an electric models on the lot, but I wanted to test-drive one just for fun. I also want to test-drive the turbo version to see what it was like, because it sounds pretty fun with that 7-speed DCT!

tbh, I miss having a boxy trucklet econo-vehicle. I love my Mustang, but it was also really nice just sliding straight into a seat, sitting up while driving, and being able to easily toss my stuff in the backseat in the second set of doors. I considered a stick-shift Jeep Renegade (to bypass the 9-speed tranny, which I didn't care for at all), but after my experience with Jeep as a company, I opted to pass on that idea. I think the Volvo XC40 is pretty cool as well, and I really like the idea of the all-in-one subscription service, but my next car will be electric for sure!

I'm not a big fan of the Kia Soul exterior, but I can see why people might like it. I'm not in the market for a new car anytime soon, but I actually really like vehicles in this size range. They're so much easier to park on the street and much better than the land barges that my fellow Americans love to drive. Plus, I've found they can carry everything - if I ever needed more carrying space, then I could buy a detachable roof rack or rent a bigger vehicle for a day, instead of outright investing in an oversized depreciating asset for a <1% use scenario.

 

[Kaido]

I really wanted to like the old one because it met a lot of my car shopping check boxes when I was looking for a manual shifter but man, I just couldn't get past the small wheel big square box bug eye look. A mini hearse with Killed In Action emblem.

I had a gen1 & then later a gen2. I liked gen1 the best. I'd have to say it's my favorite car I've ever owned...metallic avocado with bug-eye headlights, whoohoo!

It's definitely a polarizing design. You're either immediately attracted to it, or you're kind like meeeeeeh, haha. I didn't like the gen2 aesthetics as much, and I really don't like what they did with the latest design with the flattening of the headlights...but it's not as bad in person as it looks in the photos, I'll give it that.

My old baby:

 

[Kaido]

I'm not a big fan of the Kia Soul exterior, but I can see why people might like it. I'm not in the market for a new car anytime soon, but I actually really like vehicles in this size range. They're so much easier to park on the street and much better than the land barges that my fellow Americans love to drive. Plus, I've found they can carry everything - if I ever needed more carrying space, then I could buy a detachable roof rack or rent a bigger vehicle for a day, instead of outright investing in an oversized depreciating asset for a <1% use scenario.

It's funny because I was the ONLY young person I ever saw driving one. They marketed them towards younger people, but it was the 55+ group who ended up being their largest market...cheap, easy to get in & out of, small enough to park anywhere, like in the city, and a surprising amount of room!

Prices have gone way up though...from like $14k to $17.5k starting price. But then again, so has the quality & features...it's a 5-star safety-rated car now, which is worth the extra money just for that.

 

[ondma]

I'm not a big fan of the Kia Soul exterior, but I can see why people might like it. I'm not in the market for a new car anytime soon, but I actually really like vehicles in this size range. They're so much easier to park on the street and much better than the land barges that my fellow Americans love to drive. Plus, I've found they can carry everything - if I ever needed more carrying space, then I could buy a detachable roof rack or rent a bigger vehicle for a day, instead of outright investing in an oversized depreciating asset for a <1% use scenario.

I went from a midsize sedan to an Impreza wagon. Really like the smaller size and nimble handling for city driving and parking. With adaptive cruise, it is also great for trips. A very nice car that would be almost perfect with 25 more horsepower and a shot of low end torque. I would pick the Impreza, Kona, Honda HRV, Mazda CX3 or similar before the Soul. Each to his own, but to me, the Soul just seems to be trying too hard to be funky/trendy. I also want awd, which I dont think the Soul has.

Side note, the new Mazda CX 30 also looks really sweet, although still to new too get any kind of decent price.

Edit: My daughter who lives in Ohio rented a Soul to drive up for a visit, and she like it quite a lot. But when she bought a car, she got a Sportage, not the Soul.

 

[Kaido]

I went from a midsize sedan to an Impreza wagon. Really like the smaller size and nimble handling for city driving and parking. With adaptive cruise, it is also great for trips. A very nice car that would be almost perfect with 25 more horsepower and a shot of low end torque. I would pick the Impreza, Kona, Honda HRV, Mazda CX3 or similar before the Soul. Each to his own, but to me, the Soul just seems to be trying too hard to be funky/trendy. I also want awd, which I dont think the Soul has.

Side note, the new Mazda CX 30 also looks really sweet, although still to new too get any kind of decent price.

Edit: My daughter who lives in Ohio rented a Soul to drive up for a visit, and she like it quite a lot. But when she bought a car, she got a Sportage, not the Soul.

tbh, that's the main reason I went with the Jeep Renegade...despite my model's flaws, it handled wonderfully in the snow! My Mustang is a bit more of a challenge with RWD & lower ground clearance, haha.

I really like the Kona. Haven't test-driven it yet, but the design is pretty fun! The electric version also looks really nice.

 

[ondma]

tbh, that's the main reason I went with the Jeep Renegade...despite my model's flaws, it handled wonderfully in the snow! My Mustang is a bit more of a challenge with RWD & lower ground clearance, haha.

I really like the Kona. Haven't test-driven it yet, but the design is pretty fun! The electric version also looks really nice.

Yea, had to make a purchase rather quickly because my old car was totaled, so didnt look around as much as I could have. I would seriously consider the Kona if purchasing again. Only thing I dont like is that the base model is somewhat underpowered (like my Impreza and most of the class), and to get the turbo you have to go to a top of the line trim, and it gets pricey. The long bumper to bumper warranty is a big plus though.

 

[ondma]

It's pretty amazing that like a $15k-base car has a 10.25" touchscreen option.

I am curious to see what the EPA range is on the Soul EV. I'm guessing they'll swipe the battery setup from the Hyundai Kona, so 200 miles definitely isn't out of the question. Although I personally like the new Kona's design a lot better than Kia's at this point.

My only complaint about electrics is, why bother buying a longer-range electric when Tesla's are available? Self-driving + continuous updates seems like a much better investment for the price difference. Electric cars are still kind of a hassle to deal with due to the long charging times & limited range (even 200 miles is still fairly limited, especially when you can't refuel at a gas station in a few quick minutes), so it makes more sense (to me) to invest in a Tesla so that at least you get the benefit of enhanced autopilot now & full self-driving down the road.

Then again, it depends on the price...a barebones Model 3 is $35k before tax incentives, and that base-priced model isn't even available until next year (2019), so if they can come in at significantly cheaper, that could be a compelling reason to buy one...

The interior and dash look really ..... busy. Some may like it, but a bit overdone for my taste.

 

[NutBucket]

I really like the Kona. Haven't test-driven it yet, but the design is pretty fun! The electric version also looks really nice.

I had a Kona in Anchorage. It was nice enough. Drove reasonably well but the back seat and cargo area were pretty small....and I have a 2005 Impreza Wagon so that's my comparison.

Ironically I had an Elantra rental a few weeks prior. It was more comfortable and got significantly better gas mileage. The two cars have the same engine/trans but the Kona was AWD.

 

[feralkid]

Here's a video of the sister car, the Kona (I think its the same car mostly?):

High & Die?

I got a chuckle out of that.