My 2012 Kia Soul Test Drive Experience

So how do I look in this 2012 Kia Soul?  Hubby’s partial but he thinks I look hot! And I have to admit, this is one car I would’ve NEVER actually tried to drive, let alone look hot in. 🙂  The only thing I knew about this vehicle before this week was those crazy hamster commercials rocking out to old school Black Sheep:

But beyond a catchy marketing scheme, does the Kia Soul have any “teeth” behind its Black Sheep rapping hamster dancing bark? Here’s what I thought.

The interior is much, much bigger than it looks from the outside. You can comfortably fit five in the Soul, and for mommas with babies, two car seats will easily maneuver in the back with room to spare.

We even took this camping over the weekend. **Side Note** [I am NOT a camper. ]   But if you are, as you can see, there is plenty of room to pack your camping gear, and the seats fold easily in the back for more room.

Of course the outside is pretty cool looking too. I would personally spring for the 18″ alloy rims myself, but even the base trim options look pretty nice.

The front fog lights and LED positioning lights are really attractive, and practical too to help me see!  I hate driving in the dark anyhow so good lighting is very important to me.  This model also has privacy glass, which you can somewhat tell from the above picture.  It’s nice because you don’t even have to get the windows tinted in order to have a little privacy from onlookers.

Now I got to drive their upgraded model, which includes the navigation package with SIRIUS radio, leather seat trim, heated front seats, and automatic climate control, all of which are nice features.

But the feature that makes it worth the upgrade is the Push Button Start w/ Smart Key. Ladies, how many times have you spent [what seems like hours] trying to find your keys while you’re at the door?  And the kids are whining?  And it’s raining?  Problem solved!  All you have to do is have the key in your purse, or in your pocket, and push the button on the door handle and you’ll open right up.  Love it! No more digging through the bottomless pit that is our purses anymore.   (The above package, bolded, will run an extra $2500, so you have to weigh the options.)

Now, what about safety?  It gets a 4 out of 5 star Government Rollover Crash rating.  It has dual front advanced airbags and full-length curtain airbags, which I think is important to have.  It has the anti-lock brake system and traction control system for slippery conditions. I also like that it has the LATCH system for the kiddos (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).

When it comes to warranty, you can’t beat it – 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty, and 5 year/60,000 mile basic warranty.  And get this – 24/7 Roadside Assistance is included for 5 years or 60,000 miles!  How great is that?

It’s funny, because this is not a brand or a car that I would’ve ever seen myself driving.  But after first hand experience with it, my opinion has totally changed.  You can get this brand new at a base price of only $14,400, though with the upgrades, the one I drove was around $22,100.  If you’d like to calculate your payments, you can go HERE to do so.

Here’s how I would rate the 2012 Kia Soul:

Vehicle Design and Look – 4 stars out of 5.  The look is definitely aimed a younger generation, and I think it’s great marketing on their part.  For instance, the speakers light up in the dark and pulsate to the beat of whatever music you’re listening to.  I like the trim and LED lights on the Kia Soul as well.  It’s still kind of a boxy car (though with nice curves), and I just happen to be more of a curved-car girl.

Vehicle Quality – 4.5 stars out of 5.  I’m coming to expect great craftsmanship with the Kia brand, and the Soul is no different.  I found the leather to be of a much high quality than other cars I’ve driven, and it’s very comfortable to sit/drive in. One thing I have to tell you about is the steering!  When I got back into my 2006  Hyundai, I felt like I had to crank the wheel to get it to turn.  The Kia Soul will literally turn with one finger on the wheel (if you so choose), and I promise, there isn’t a parking spot you won’t be able to fit into!

Vehicle Technology – 5 stars out of 5.  Oh you can have everything you want in this. The Bluetooth and USB hookup come standard, as do the power window, doors, and keyless entry.  Add in the navigation with rear camera display for backing up, the leather trim (very practical for cleaning), the moonroof, and you have everything you need!

Vehicle Performance – 3.5 stars out of 5.  One of the features I really like is the ECO drive button, which you can push and helps the car run a little more efficiently. By pushing the button again, you can get a little more pep out of the 2.0 L DOHC 4-cylinder engine (and you can definitely tell a difference).  That said, I was a little disappointed with having to refill the tank at not even 300 miles on one tank.  It’s a smaller tank (12.7 gallons) but I found to be getting less MPG than advertised.  The brochure says 26 City/34 Hwy, but I found it to be more like 25 MPG, and we did a lot of highway driving.

Overall Score – 4.25 stars out of 5.

I’d love to hear from other Kia Soul drivers out there – what do you think of your Soul?