The oft forgotten Kia Soul. Trying to find affordable transportation? Chances are this little thing is barely on your radar. People tend to flock to the obligatory Toyota Corolla and/or Honda Civic for their basic transportation needs. Why we have to ask ourselves? The Soul is the perfect fit. You want to haul 5 people in something that can actually fit 5 people? You need to carry their stuff too? Do you also want to pass someone on the highway at the same time? The Kia Soul is your only answer.
Yes you can get a Honda Fit or HR-V but lets be honest. They look like a Transformer that got ran over by another Transformer and the CVT is horrid. The Mazda CX-3 is a fine choice but the hatch space is miniscule and unfortunately the same thing goes for the smaller Nissan Juke.
The problem with the above crossovers is that they are an exercise compromises. They compromise performance for fuel economy, they compromise interior quality for lower cost, they compromise interior space for ‘sportiness’ and lastly the compromise looks for umm…the sake of being different?
The Kia Soul follows a different path. Instead of compromises it problem solves and truth is in the pudding. The Soul has been gracefully updated since it’s introduction and our tester came with a 1.6 turbo 4 making 201 horsepower and 195 ft/lbs paired to a dual clutch gearbox that delivers snappy performance AND 26 mpg in mixed driving! Those specs alone blow its competitors out of the water but then you factor in interior space, comfort and practicality you have a no brainer. If you’re looking for a compact car or even a small crossover…this your answer. The 2017 Kia Soul! Turbo.
