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Author Topic: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul  (Read 6650 times)

Offline Autos_Editor

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Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« on: June 05, 2014, 06:30:40 am »

This quirky-looking ride proves to be a smart, spacious and well-equipped runabout.

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« Last Edit: June 05, 2014, 07:17:26 am by JacobBlack »
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Offline tpl

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2014, 07:03:13 am »
I looked at one last summer before replacing the Fit.   If it had the Fit's magic seat ( Tall mode ) we might have bought one. Everything about would have fitted our needs very well...and I think it is rather attractive looking.
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Offline Snowman

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2014, 07:20:07 am »
This was my wife's rental the past two week when she was in Saskatoon. Never again she said.
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Offline JacobBlack

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2014, 08:50:04 am »
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Offline jamesautos

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2014, 09:10:37 am »
Not sure why all the small and tall wagons are dying off... Cube, element, the excellent first Gen xB and soon to be canceled crapis xB and Do they still sell the matrix? Yet I keep seeing the soul around town...

tapatalk

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Offline PJ

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2014, 10:20:06 am »
Quote from: jamesautos on June 05, 2014, 09:10:37 am
Not sure why all the small and tall wagons are dying off... Cube, element, the excellent first Gen xB and soon to be canceled crapis xB and Do they still sell the matrix? Yet I keep seeing the soul around town...

tapatalk

They're not. They just add AWD, jack up the price and call them CUVs.   Huge numbers of them around.   
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Offline Blueprint

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2014, 01:07:27 pm »
Tom, the xB did show up. It's just not selling. The only serious competitor the Sould had was the Element - still see tons of these around.
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Offline dirtyjeffer

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2014, 02:27:30 pm »
if my car was stolen and totalled, putting me on the market for a replacement, this very vehicle would be up there for consideration...i'm confident the power and handling would be more than good for my needs, and the higher seating position is nice too...call me crazy, but that yellow just speaks to me...i want it.
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Offline naydek

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2014, 02:35:37 pm »
Quote from: Snowman on June 05, 2014, 07:20:07 am
This was my wife's rental the past two week when she was in Saskatoon. Never again she said.
You are talking about being in Saskatoon for 2 weeks, right?  ;)
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Offline Snowman

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2014, 02:38:30 pm »
Quote from: naydek on June 05, 2014, 02:35:37 pm
Quote from: Snowman on June 05, 2014, 07:20:07 am
This was my wife's rental the past two week when she was in Saskatoon. Never again she said.
You are talking about being in Saskatoon for 2 weeks, right?  ;)

I think it was the 8 days a camp that made her more cranky  :)
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Offline Noto

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2014, 04:02:40 pm »
I really want to like the Soul - it massively surprised me as a decent vehicle.  My biggest complaints were hard plastics throughout (but considering the price it was ok), horrid fuel economy for what it was (couldn't get below 8L/100km on the highway at 105km/h - but I really like how smooth/powerful the engine is), and I found the cargo space to be far too small - vertical height is seldom preferable over width or depth.  I had one backpack in the trunk and it took up 2/3 of the floor space.  Really, really not a great cargo area.  Also, because the car's so short, fitting skis in was VERY difficult even with the 60/40 split.

With that being said, it drove well (a tad firm), it had value written all over it, and it added something to my commute that other cars didn't - it truly had a bit of 'soul' (aka emotional appeal).
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Offline mixmanmash

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2014, 06:10:35 pm »
I think good fuel economy is going to be tough to achieve on any vehicle like this (i.e. Cube, xB, etc).  The very shape of it is boxy and doesn't allow for good aerodynamics.
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Offline PJ

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2014, 09:11:53 pm »
Quote from: mixmanmash on June 05, 2014, 06:10:35 pm
I think good fuel economy is going to be tough to achieve on any vehicle like this (i.e. Cube, xB, etc).  The very shape of it is boxy and doesn't allow for good aerodynamics.

That pretty much covers it.  The Soul certainly doesn't get "horrid" fuel economy.  While it's shape prevents it from getting great hwy mileage the overall average will be about the same.  Both Soul owners I know say mileage is in the 8-10 l/100 km range which is perfectly reasonable in the class.  Few CUVs will average better. 
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Offline dirtyjeffer

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2014, 02:01:29 pm »
just took another look at the pics in the article...that vehicle looks so good in that shade of yellow.
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Offline Noto

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #14 on: June 06, 2014, 03:51:45 pm »
I literally couldn't get it below 8L/100km on the highway at 100km/h.  That's the same as my Forester XT.  I consider that 'horrid.'
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Offline PJ

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Re: Test Drive: 2014 Kia Soul
« Reply #15 on: June 06, 2014, 04:36:34 pm »
Quote from: NoTo on June 06, 2014, 03:51:45 pm
I literally couldn't get it below 8L/100km on the highway at 100km/h.  That's the same as my Forester XT.  I consider that 'horrid.'

It likely has the same amount of drag as the Forester so it takes the same amount of energy to drive down the hwy so it gets the same mileage. 

That's how it works.  That's why lower cars are better.
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