2012 Kia Soul Eco Ride and Review By Larry Nutson
Kia Buyers Guide Specs, Prices, Reviews and Comparisons
2012 Kia Soul Eco Music to the Soul
By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor, Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel
I’m a music-lovin’ guy and I do like to dance. I don’t have any music-lovin’ hamsters but I do have a Labrador retriever, named Java. Well, my dog Java liked the Kia Soul. The rear cargo area is a perfect space for her to hang out on the road with me. I too liked the Kia Soul with its very city-friendly compact exterior and yet very roomy interior.
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My test car was the Soul Eco model with the 1.6L engine and automatic. Base price is $15,700 for this 4-door, 5-passenger, front-drive wagon. The Eco package is a $1000 option that features an Idle Stop and Go System, larger battery, low rolling resistance tires and a few other features. Kia says EPA ratings with ISG system are 29 and 36 mpg for the 1.6-L and 27 and 35 mpg for the 2.0-L.
I liked the ISG system…that turns off the engine when the Soul is not in motion…for all my around town Chicagoland driving with its many stop lights and stop signs, and the very often blocked side streets requiring a wait for a trash or delivery truck to move. The engine restarts quickly when the brake pedal is released. Ingress and egress is very comfortable with neither the need to climb up or slide down in to the seats. This design feature seems to help make the Soul very popular across many buyer age groups. The somewhat higher seating position is great for seeing the sights too.
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Stopping comes from 4-wheel discs with ABS, or course. And depending on model, the connection to the road is via 15, 16 or 18 inch wheel/tire combinations.
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The 2012 Soul has been named a Consumers Digest “Best Buy”, one of MSN Auto’s “Ten great cars for less than $20,000” and the 1.6-Liter engine has been named to Ward’s “2012 10 Best Engines” list.
The 2012 Soul is covered by Kia's warranty which offers 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty and a five-year/100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty. A five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plan also is part of the vehicle coverage.
Soul is Kia’s highest volume model and buyers have been coming from all walks of life. In 2011 Kia Motors recorded its 17th consecutive year of market share growth, in part to the largest increase of any major brand in perceived quality and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking.
You might just want to visit one of Kia’s 740 dealers and get on the Kia Soul train.
© Larry Nutson