Kia Soul road tests and consumer car reviews

Since buying the KIA soul 2, 1.6 manual it has been back to the garage for tests as the petrol consumption is bad. We were told by the sales man it would be better all round than the car we part exchanged, a Xsara Picaso diesel 2 litres on a 04 plate. We bought the car on the first of February 2011, it was an X demo model and has just over 2000 miles. since buying it I have looked on website and saw it stated it would do about 367 miles to a full tank. We have filled it up 5 times and not once has it come close to this, the best we have got is 281 miles. The garage is doing another set of road tests, motorway driving for 60 miles at 60mph. Er? This will only tell them the mpg of the car and not the total mileage per tank, which is my argument. I like the car but the mileage per tank is bad and I am looking to get my money back, here’s hoping. If anyone is looking to buy this car check with the garage what they say can be expected from a full tank.

I have had this car from new for three weeks and it is in the garage for the second time. Do I want it back? The answer would have to be NO. When it is working it is a lovely smooth ride, but when it starts to smell like its going to catch fire, the airbag on/off light goes out so you don’t know if they are working and when you pull out into traffic there is no power you could say I wish I hadn’t bought it. Kia do not seem seemed bothered about these problems and were in no hurry to sort them out, but are very quick off the mark at returning the car with the faults still there.

I bought this ex-demo model in March 2010. I wanted a smaller car than my 8 year old Chrysler Voyager, which was getting too old and beginning to get costly. We researched all the smaller M.P.V.’ s and found that the Soul ticked all the boxes for our family of five. My three teenagers fit in the back easily with plenty of headroom, which is one of the main factors we were looking at. I agree with other comments that the ride is very firm and the drivers seat is hard. We drove to Spain in it this year and noticed a big difference between that and the Voyager. M.P.G. is good and boot space is limited although I like the underbox storage (we took it out when we went to Spain and got lots more stuff in it). Our model is the Tempest Deisel with the spoiler on the back and it gets plenty of curious looks. Our teenagers think it’s funky cool. I have just had it serviced by Kia at Warrington and was impressed with their service. They collected and returned it the same day. I have had no faults to report so far and here’s hoping to plenty more years trouble free driving.

When I first read this site, I was confused with the model names and the cars (not available in U.S.?). I leased a 2011 Kia Soul+ seven months ago and I love it. I traded in an Audi A4 because of physical limitations on my part. I’m really sold on Kia’s way of doing business and my wife is looking for a new car in a few months is now also looking at a Kia! Don’t hesitate, go look at Kia.

Had this car in March 2010, and I love it. Get lots of comments about its looks 99% of them positive. I wasn’t sure about its looks at first but so glad I have it. Mine is the Automatic model and its great to drive and with the rear parking camara you can park in some really tight spots no problem. Great leg room for rear passengers. My only down points are that the boot is small, but I knew that when I bought it. It is a shame that there are no under floor storage etc.

The Soul is an ok car in the main. The real problem is abysmal after sales service. The much vaunted 7 year warranty is effectively meaningless as Kia don’t honour it. Just pray that the car doesn’t develop a fault! My Soul decides to open the driver’s door at temperatures below freezing. Not in a predicatable pattern but occasionally which is frightening if you’re on the motorway at the time. I regard this as a hazardous fault but it seems that Kia don’t consider that it requires speedy rectification, indeed it appears at the last check that we could be waiting months. Meanwhile the door is held in place by a bungee. I am seriously considering returning the car to the HP company as defective. No matter what marketing gimmicks Kia adopt those of us with memories are unlikely to be seduced again by a firm that is British Leyland reincarnated.

This car was bought for my mother who is elderly, but still spritely and a damn good driver! Switched from a Lexus IS200 after 10 yrs ! The prerequisites were a solid chunky hatchback, cheap to run, tax and insure, diesel auto box, easy to drive and especially easy to get in and out of. All the boxes were easily ticked, with bonus of a shed load of kit including the new step-tronic ’gearbox , and a seven year warranty. Quality sound system, EBD, anti-skid, etc etc etc..... This is a really great car as a local run around. Ok, I accept it’s no premium marque car, the ride is pretty firm, and boot space is limited.....BUT, for one person, or a couple, it makes absolutely perfect sense. It’s VERY well screwed together, and the interior trim is definitely not low-rent, as suggested by What Car/Top Gear....don’t quite know who the hell they think they are sometimes.... In addition , you get a higher than average driving position, and good visibility...aided by the flat rear hatch which makes it an absolute doddle to sneak into tight spaces...especially for my Mum! We’re yet to evaluate the economy, but I’m prety sure we won’t be visiting the fuel pump very often. Nice to drive on the dual-carraigeway too. Great purchase...we’re very pleased. Go Soul !!!

Bought this Soul 2 after driving Ceed. 7 year guarantee was a big selling point to me and could obtain one within a week, not 3 months as quoted by Vauxhall. I find this car very nippy, 160 diesel engine and smooth, interior design is about average, seat firm and supportive. I wish it had cruise control, really miss this. Good road holding, sticks to the road. People come up and take a closer look at it so must be an unusual design, small boot though.

After forty years of driving numerous different cars I can report that this Soul is the easiest to drive of them all. Ten minutes behind the wheel and it felt like home. I am very pleased with this car, but there are some things I would change. Kia doesn’t do Sat Nav - big mistake. There is no turbo version available, so no quick overtaking if you are stuck behind a caravan. The seats are VERY firm - your bottom certainly knows it after an hour or two behind the wheel. The boot is ridiculously small for a car this size. I would recommend not fitting the two level divider if you are going to the supermaket. Otherwise I love this car. I have the Tempest, and the unique colour - a sort of silver brown - looks awesome. Overall four out of five.

The question is, does the new Kia Soul conjure up the ’real spirit’ and rhapsodise all those Blues Brothers and Sisters out there? Or is it just a car by any other name? Invoking ’soul’ doesn’t necessarily bequeath it - so, with some trepidation, I put this interesting new Kia to the test. I’m pleased to be able to tell you that it’s a leap away from the mundane; from boring clone-cars; from identikit interiors; from car-as-appliance: it’s a lot of fun thanks to indomitable charm - and in a blithely mundane world, it cuts temptingly across stultifying convention. The first time I saw it I had a moment of empathy that threatened to melt the soles of my shoes. I knew instantly that it was going to irritate cosy sensibilities by its audacious design and would smash conventional frames of reference with its ’hipness’. "What’s that?" squawked a sententious neighbour, stabbing a rigid digit at the distinctive ’tiger-nose’ grille design: a shape which is repeated throughout the car. "It’s..it’s..unusual.They can’t do that!"He continued. But Kia have - and they are certainly not after the approbation of people who buy their pullovers from Marks and Spencers. This distinctive and radical urban ’crossover’ combines the space and flexibility of an SUV with the economy and driveability of a supermini: it defies classification and offers chic non-conformism and the thrill of ’daring to be different’ - a touch of heresy, so to speak. That’s what I liked - and I liked it a lot. Being provocatively different is all very well, but that won’t sustain mediocrity - and Kia’s commitment to quality is reflected by a five year unlimited mileage warranty for the five Soul models, with either a 124bhp1.6 petrol or 126bhp 1.6 diesel, which start from a low £10,500. - Soul1,Soul2,Soul Tempest, Soul Shaker and the flagship diesel Soul Burner tested here.The Soul feels like a car you can trust. Similarly - and at odds with its radical styling - it is also pragmatic and mature. Fashion has not been allowed to subvert useful function. So, sitting in the dock of the local fuel bay, I juiced this little baby up, whacked Sam and Dave on the stereo with its sound sensitive speaker lights that pulsate to the beat, and bellowed out ’Hold on,I’m coming’. Just in case my dreadful singing should lead to me being spotted on CCTV, I made sure that my dark glasses were firmly in place on the bridge of my nose. The first thing to notice is there’s lofty interior space - so a Pork Pie hat wasn’t a problem. Big seats, loads of room, excellent visibility and a wonderful cohesiveness make a Soul an excellent travel accessory. There are few car interiors for which the adjective ’funky’ counts as understatement - this Kia is one. From the moment you sit in it, the word ’humdrum’ is banished forever. All the interior is special.The genius is in the shape. Drop the 60:40 split-folding rear seats and there’s plenty of room for two mountain bikes. Put the seats up and Soul can seat five in comfort. There’s more room than in many larger cars. It’s a comfy and safe environment too. Air con., power windows and six airbags to save your own soul should disaster strike. A sense of integrity and solidity is detectable on the road and the Soul feels like a car you can trust. A singular pleasure is the way everything gels once you’re underway. The engine certainly packs plenty of punch low down, pulls eagerly all the way to the redline and is impressively smooth. It’s a rewarding car to drive briskly and it goes remakably well, hitting 113mph - should you be so bold - and if you cruise at motorway speeds it’s surprisingly quiet, due in part to the aerodynamic efficiency that would be a credit to Boeing. It even has grooved door mirrors which incorporate ’active vortex generators’. Meanwhile you’ll be getting an overall fuel consumption of nearly 55mpg. As for handling and ride, you have a chassis that both flatters your driving and engages your interest with its responsiveness as you tackle tricky bends. All I needed to make my time with the Soul Burner totally complete was, I thought,to catch site of the local Italian restaurateur standing in his doorway singing ’O Sole Mio’ at the top of his voice: I was well into the groove and dancing down the street in high spirits - invigorated by the peppy gusto of this endearing car.