Car Review : 2013 Kia Soul!

Hey everybody! Jason here with another car review for Kia! I have to say that I wasn't sure of what to think of the "hamster mobile" but as you will see in my review, I fell in love with the Kia Soul!

This is the 2013 model! This is also the first time I drove a red vehicle! You really do stand out in the crowd in a red vehicle!

I loved the 18 inch alloy wheels! You sit really high and is close to a smaller SUV height than a car. It's nice to be able to see above most other vehicles especially while driving through that Los Angeles traffic! And speaking of LA traffic, the 2.0L DOHC CVVT 4-cylinder engine had mroe than enough power to speed up onto the freeways and through traffic. It was even more than enough power to get up and over the Grapevine as I drove to Northern California and back!

The cabin provided a lot more room than I would have thought from simply looking at the car from the outside! There is a great amount of leg room!

I also see how this car is marketed to a younger crowd looking for a fun car with a great sound system to listen to music while hanging with friends! Notice the big speaker at the top of the center console! Great sound provided by the Infinity speakers! You have your cd player, SIRIUS Satellite radio, and of course cable to attach your iPod!

I would have loved an Android power cable in the console instead of the Apple one. Maybe I will remember to ask if they have one!

I couldn't wait to try this feature! This control makes the area around speakers in the car doors glow and bounce to the music! In music mode it stays the same color until you push the Color Push button and it can cycle through the various colors until you find the color you like. If you select mood then the lighting cycles through its various colors on its own.

Photo courtesy of Kia

Here is what the speaker looks like with the color on! They look so cool!

 

My favorite feature is still the rearview camera along with the Push Button Start! I do hope that all the Kia vehicles will get the blind spot detection system that they have on the Sorento.

Another thing that I hope transfers over to the Soul one day is the panoramic sunroof as in the Optima and the Sorento!

There is ample leg room for the passengers in the rear!

There isn't too much room in the back.

I really do like the compartmentalized storage in the back. This would be a great place to store tools and other emergency gear if the need arises. Or this would be a great place to store gear for the beach or any tailgating party!

I did have enough room for a quick trip with a friend of mine!

The seats do drop don easily but they do not fold down flush into the floor.

I could easily thrown in a sleeping bag and sleep in the back of the Soul! Or just added enough storage space to haul around a variety of items.

And Sasaki Time mascot Lil Oishi had to get into the act as he demonstrates how great the Soul's suspension system is while driving.

I had a great time driving the Soul around town and on my trip to Northern California. It was comfortable for the long drive and experienced no problems in terms of power to get over the Grapevine. 

I averaged 25.8 mpg during the week review which is slightly more than the 25 mpg average for combined city and highway driving.

The Kia Soul came in under $23,600 for all of the above mentioned features and more!

If you are looking for a vehicle that is not only fun to look at but also fun to drive then look no further than the Kia Soul!

*Kia provided the vehicle to review but the opinions are mine and mine alone!*