About two weeks ago, I got the chance to try out the 2014 Kia Soul. I was really skeptical about this car because it doesn’t seat many people and I thought it would feel small. My first impression when I got in the Soul was I couldn’t believe how roomy it felt. I was able to comfortably fit an infant car seat and 2 backless booster seats in the back seat and they weren’t overlapping each other. The kids all had room!
One of the features that my son that was really cool was the speakers that changed colors in the doors. The Kia Soul has a fun sound system. When we were at the Chicago Auto Show this year we saw a DJ playing some tunes through the Soul sound system while hanging out through the sunroof.
The sunroof could open either for half the car, or the whole car. It’s so fun to open the roof up and drive. It helped the baby to ride around because she could see what was going on over her.
The Kia Soul trunk fit my stroller (barely). When going to sports, we were able to put two of our camping chairs on top of that trunk cover. There is also a storage space under where the stroller is that you could keep things you always keep in the car such as an umbrella, blankets, maybe a small tool box, etc. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the amount of space in the trunk. It’s not minivan sized, but it did fit my stroller laying down, which most smaller SUV type cars I’ve driven do not fit. If I did not have the stroller back there, I could definitely have fit all our groceries for two weeks in there for a family of 6.
The steering wheel has all the controls you could need at your fingertips. The in dash controls are very user friendly and easy to use. The kids were even able to figure out how to use it. (Don’t worry, we weren’t driving while they tried it out.) The navigation unit worked great; I normally complain about the included navigation systems in cars.)
Overall I really fell in love with the Kia Soul. I got an average of 23.5 miles per gallon while driving and that was a lot of local driving; I didn’t do a lot of highway driving while I had it. I REALLY wish the Soul had a third row of seating to fit my whole family because I would consider it! The Kia Soul starts at $14,900 and gets around 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. Have you ever driven a Kia Soul? What do you look for in a car for your family?
That’s actually a really good question about what I look for in a car. You know, I’m not even sure anymore since the kids have grown up. I’m thinking safety, reliability and a low repair rate!
I’d like one of these when we are ready to get another new car. They cute!
This Kia Soul looks like a great family car. I love all the room it has. It would be perfect for my camping gear.
Thanks for the info. It is very reasonable in price, that’s for sure. I also like the gas mileage. Learned a lot!
Sounds like a good car for a smaller family! For now, I’m going to stick with the car my husband and I have!
Every time I see one on the streets I think of how cool it looks. Then I realize I’m too old for it…
Never too old! 🙂
My brother in law has a 2012 model and i have been in it quite a few times, and it is very roomy,. Kia has done a nice job on their product lines.
The car looks awesome! I know it’s superficial, but the changing colored speakers are cool!
I thought they were really cool, too!
I really like the shape of the car, It looks like a fun car to drive. I also like all the trunk space.
I love when the steering wheel has all my controls on it. Keeps my eyes on the road!
That is a great looking car. I love how much trunk space it has.
Oh wow to be able to change the colors that’s cool. That’s a lot of room in that car we need a lot of room too with 3 teens
I totally agree with your son that is so COOL! Love the colored speakers it is the little things.
Safety ith 2 teenagers and baby n the way we want safety and plenty seat belts for the boosters chairs and kids.
I shortlisted this one ( planning to buy a new one late this year ). The first time I saw one, I think I fell in love with it!
I’m fairly tall (6 feet) and find it difficult to look at my Hyundai
s speedometer without crouching because the steering wheel cuts my view of where the needle is pointing. Would you think this is a problem with this car?
I’m really no help there. I’m only 5’4″ and since the car is gone, I can’t look at it with a fresh perspective. Sorry!
The Kia soul looks awesome and it also has a lot of trunk room as well as colorful speakers.
I look for updated technology, safety ratings and lots of room. I really like all the tech stuff in the KIA, especially those speakers.
Sounds like a pretty awesome test drive. I’ve never driven before so not too sure about the miles and all that stuff but I do think all cars should come with a build in GPS! =)
Kia has come so far since they first started creating vehicles. I love the color of the speakers.. It looks like a great SUV.
Actually I haven’t heard of Kia Soul before, but the design looks really fun. Really like that it has a lot of room and those color changing speakers are cool too.
This is an awesome family car. Im planning to buy a new car, and i really want this.
Kia’s are great cars and just getting better. Thanks for sharing.
The colored speakers look cute, the car also looks amazing!
Sweet ride! Thanks for sharing. I LOVE the color changing speaks. So cool!
Kia has come such a long way. I think they’re attractive inside and out these days! I’d love to test drive one.
Kia do put a lot in their cars. For me I always look for fuel economy though, and the Soul’s just wouldn’t get near what I’d be looking for
My husband didn’t like the fuel economy, either, but compared to my van it was great. 🙂
The navigation system of the car can be updated via its software, right? The car features looked pretty cool.
If I remember correctly, there was a slot for an SD card so you can do updates.
How cool!!! love that car. Those colorful speakers for sure would entertain the kids and keep them busy!
xo,
Dee T
http://HauteFrugalista.com
@HauteFrugalista
Love this car, it handles very well on the road.
Getting that stroller in the trunk was the final reason why we purchased our car! ( Subaru)
I hate how much room strollers take and then I forget to take it out of the van before grocery shopping. ugh!
the car looks so good! i would love to have a ride lol
The Kia Soul looks like a fun car! I’m sure I’d find the color changing speakers great, too!
I’m surprised you were able to fit 3 car seats in the back without overlapping.
I love my Kia and would absolutely recommend them, as well as purchase another for our family. The Soul looks super!
Can you really have this car with 2 kids? I’m torn between this fully loaded model, and the Honda CRV EX.
I’m worried that I won’t have enough cargo space.
We bought Kia Soul 6 month ago. And we love it. We have 5 year old and 6 almost 6 month old. We have a booster seat and Graco 4rever care seat and it fits perfectly.
We had to sell our old stroller because it took all the space in our trunk but we found a nice stroller which can be fully recline for newborns, infant car seat can be attached and it has many other nice things.
You can see picrures and more information here:
https://youtu.be/sWUOpy_J6C4