Thanks to Crowley Kia, once again, for letting me take this 2021 Kia Soul LX out for a drive!
The Kia Soul's styling isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for a practical new car with a stick shift, this one is definitely worth a look. Kia gives you a lot for the money, and at just $16k for a brand new one, how can it not catch your attention?
This boxy-looking car - or is it an SUV? or a hatchback? - is clearly all about function. Kia isn't the first company to put a box on wheels, but there's a reason for it. And it takes getting inside to really realize the benefits.
Hopping into the back seat, there's a ton of room. The cloth seats are pretty comfortable, the black and gray is simple, and I have no complaints here at all. Kids and adults would be fine back here for a trip across town or across the country. And the trunk/hatch area behind me has all kinds of space.
Jumping into the front seat, the simple black and gray cloth continues. I'd go as far as to say that the front seats are surprisingly comfortable. The gauge cluster looks pretty standard and simple, with the large tach, large speedometer, and a small, customizable digital display in between.
The infotainment looks to be the same as the one in the Forte GT, with a few buttons flanking a nice 7" LCD. And the steering wheel has a handful of buttons on either side of it in a small circle, for easy access while driving. Overall, it's simple and useful.
Bluetooth, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, backup cam, it hits all the highlights and I think all of that is more than enough. It also has the same custom menu options as the Forte GT, where you can pick and choose your own shortcuts, which is a very welcome feature with how deep many of these new infotainment systems are.
Clutch in, brake pedal down, simple turn key start. The clutch feels very light, on par with a lot of the newer cars. I prefer a heavier clutch in a sportier car, but a light clutch is perfectly fine in this commuter / family hauler type car.
Shifting into first, the shift knob feels solid, and there's a little more resistance than the Forte GT. Both of those things are surprising to me, and I wish they were both in the Forte. I like the overall feel of shifting the Soul better, as strange as that sounds.
Getting moving, first gear isn't going to get you blasting off the line, but that's obviously not what this car is meant to do. Other than that, it feels pretty good working my way through the gears in this one while driving around town. And it's got enough power to deal with merging on the highway just fine.
The steering is very light, but also very responsive, and the car handles really well. This thing can and will turn on a dime if you ask it to. Again, surprising. In a very good way.
The Kia Soul is full of surprises. If you can get past the looks of it, it's a solid daily / grocery-getter. The Soul comes with Kia's standard America's Best Warranty, the fuel economy is 25 mpg city and 31 highway on regular gas, it's extremely practical, pretty comfortable for an economy car, handles better than I would have expected, and has a solid rowing experience. There's not a lot out there that you can get brand new for just $16k dollars, and that price leaves you with pretty low expectations. Consider those expectations broken.
