2020 Kia Soul: Review - Cars.com

[@broncodeviltexas]

Have had our 2020 lx for 4 weeks. Got it for 17,388 out the door. Getting 35 mpg using the engine shut off feature. This is our 3rd Soul. We love it.

[@madcowusa4277]

All that start/stopping is hard on a little 4 cylinder engine. I'm evaluating a Soul to replace a Prius which is now consuming oil because the piston rings are worn from the constant stop/starting.

[@JBLynch]

I'm a few years out from buying another car, but I'm considering the Kia Soul LX as well. Anything I should be aware of with the Soul? I've been a Honda owner since '98, but I'm getting bored and Honda either needs to bring back the Element, or I'm gone as a customer.

[@broncodeviltexas]

@@JBLynch we had crv, civic and fit before we got a soul in 2011. This is our 3rd Soul. Love the style, comfort and great gas mileage. Car handles well. Love the hatchback. They quit xm radio but added feature where you can connect your phone to it. I don't use that. Use USB for all my music. Car is cheaper than Honda HR-V and Buick Encore, Nissan Kicks, which are all cars we considered.

[@scorpiocara6798]

@@JBLynch the transmission on the 3rd generation, 2020 and up are terrible. They go bad even after a few thousand miles. Might want to do some research

[@JBLynch]

@@scorpiocara6798 Had transmission issues with a (bought new) 1987 Mazda 323 back in the day. The kiss of death. Hope Mazda has improved on things since then.

[@mwmsjuly19]

I have the EX, which few reviewers talk about for some reason. It has the big screen and most of the driver assistance tech (and heated seats), but no interior mood lights (which I wouldn't use anyway). I've owned every generation of the Soul and my EX is pretty great. Smooth, spacious and fun to drive.

[@rfan]

Awesome. I own a 2012 Exclaim, and I'm really interested in the 2020 model. What's your thought on the X-line and GT-line (non-turbo) compare to the EX?

[@ge48421]

Rich F The S and EX trims have all the safety features, except the pedestrian detection and the adaptive cruise control, which only come with the top model. The EX has the LED lights, 10.25 inch entertainment system, back seat armrest, heated seats, automatic climate control, etc. etc. The S is a bit more basic, but the essentials are all there (except perhaps back seat cupholders 🤨), so that’s the model I chose.

[@hosea1320]

Gé Weijers @ Drive the turbo model and you will change your mind in a hurry. Just bought one and I am so happy that I didn't settle with the lower models.

[@mwmsjuly19]

@@ge48421 The no cupholders part bugged me, too. Also, satellite is a must for me, which I couldn't get unless I went up to at least the EX.

[@kevink286]

The EX is the one I'd buy too. I did drive the turbo for about a week during an extended test drive, and didn't think it was that great. Mid range power was good, but very noticeable turbo lag from a stop, and I am not a fan of the dry clutch DCT. It also hunts for gears a lot while climbing hills, and there are a lot of hills where I live. I certainly wouldn't criticize anyone who bought the turbo, but it isn't necessarily the better option for everyone. I am probably getting an EX as our second car later this year. That 10" screen is great, and I am of the opinion that Kia's infotainment is the best in the business. Hopefully, their new IVT proves reliable.

[@stephenhendricks103]

The broad demographic appeal of the Soul is amazing. Here in the Seattle/Tacoma and larger Puget Sound areas I see 20-something hipsters, senior citizens, and just about everyone in between tooling around in them. The USPS person on our island uses hers to deliver just about every conceivable package to residents and claims it's the best car she's ever owned. A couple of years ago my brother-in-law rented a Soul to transfer most of a household of belongings from his mother's home to a storage unit and was astounded the amount of stuff that could be packed in one. I think my local KIA dealer could install a vending machine to sell them and eliminate at least one salesperson. As one salesperson told me, "They sell themselves." As noted in the review the Soul "GT" is no GTI but it does an even better job of combining versatility with performance with a DCT and a turbo engine. (I own a GTI and wouldn't give it up but the Soul is very appealing to those tempted by other, less performance oriented hatchbacks such as the base Veloster and Mazda3.) The new Soul EV has been delayed by battery shortages in Korea until early 2020 but when it arrives with its 240+ mile range it's likely to be a game changer for my neighbors who commute 50+ miles every day to Seattle. I sometimes wonder if the folks at Honda and Nissan are as amazed by the Soul's success as I am. The Element and the Cube disappeared as a result of low sales while the Soul prospered. Perhaps the competitors should have considered the cache of rodents to sell their cars.

[@wordup1353]

I have a 2020 kia soul. I love it. It is reliable and safe. I recommend it to anyone.

[@miguel90744]

泓宇吴 yes they do it’s Gt line turbo

[@miguel90744]

泓宇吴 that sucks. I’m thinking of getting the turbo Soul since I get an employee discount.

[@wordup1353]

I have the X-line

[@kevink286]

@Johnson What You sure about that? I seem to recall The Straight Pipes reviewing the Soul Turbo, and those guys are Canadian.

[@dereksans547]

I wanna get one. I'm deciding between the lx or the s. Wife just got a new 19 Chevy Trax and I wanna join the compact suv market.

[@GhostOfAMachine]

My 2020 Soul LX with 6 spd manual is so impressive, simple and fun. For the price, it actually feels sporty, rides almost like a sports car I used to own, and the shifter and clutch has a nice feeling to it. The halogen lights is also a big plus, lets me see much better in heavy rain and fog, and in any condition, and is much easier on the eyes than the leds that seems to be pushed lately. The interior feels very high quality for a car under 20k. And it was designed by a guy named Peter from Audi.

[@UltimateAnarchy]

One thing I do not understand... is it orange or is it red? In most shots in the video it looks orange then in other shots it looks red. Does it change color? This is really confusing as I don't see an orange color choice on the website for any but the first generation.

[@madcowusa4277]

Didn't notice just how many Kia Souls there are on the road until I became interested in a 2020 EX. Now I see them everywhere!

[@chuckwalla2967]

Had the 1st gen 2011 Soul for 7 years and 140K trouble-free miles. Easiest car to get in and out of and drive.

[@coronabeercalifornia2793]

140,000 miles and no issues?

[@chuckwalla2967]

@@coronabeercalifornia2793 You heard that right.

[@ohtiki]

Is this a 2020 GT or 2020 GT-Line? I can’t find that orange color anywhere. :(

[@BruceTheSillyGoose]

please talk about its rough-road ride quality.

[@mrpell83]

God I love this car. I own a 2013 Soul and love it, have had no problems with it and put on almost 100K in 7 years. Next car will undoubtedly be a new Soul.

[@TheMichaelRN]

No AWD was a huge miss, one of the most requested feature from last gen. The trim pricing is a mistake too.

[@stephenhendricks103]

According to KIA that's not true. They claim their market research that includes both current owners and potential customers indicates that AWD is a very low priority for most consumers interested in the Soul. Perhaps that's because about a quarter of all Soul owners believed their vehicles were already AWD! That result may not square with those who believe that KZbin comments are accurate reflections of public sentiment but KIA knows better. Furthermore, in a small, light FWD vehicle with engine weight over the drive wheels a good set of winter tires accomplishes about 95% of the mission most buyers will encounter with AWD. A feature that's more a marketing tool than a true advantage. And in a vehicle where the actual priorities of owners and potential customers is improved fuel economy adding weight equivalent to an NFL cornerback to the rear end is no advantage. As for trim pricing, the relatively modest price increases over 2018 sales don't seem to have been an obstacle. In the first four months of 2019 sales are up over 19% compared to the same period in 2018. carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/kia/kia-soul/

[@ledwinka]

For that, there will be Stonic or the new SP2 which I believe will be sold in the US market as well. The SP2 is a B-segment SUV a la Hyundai Kona. You would be well suited to go with that.

[@Max4Life84]

Hey for the interview portion of the video. Were you folks at Road America?

[@imnicetoo34]

Hello. Great video! Thank you. Question. What is the speaker-looking grill on the dash (LX), right above the screen? I saw that but I can’t figure out what it is.

[@kinghulk4142]

Thinking of getting the EX model.i have my 01 ford expedition to trade for some down on it.hmmmm Yay or Nay??I'm tall though.so don't know about the keg room?

[@seannnn_]

Really love how the X-Line looks. I even prefer the more basic interior compared to the GT. Would’ve liked some LED headlights and the mood lighting though.

[@chuckdriver7741]

chanyeol burger - I just bought a 2020 Kia Soul x-line in undercover green. The best purchase I’ve ever made. 🇺🇸🇰🇷

[@jimtohmas898]

You better start keeping a Eye on your oil level I never had a brand new car that I had to. Check oil every few hundred miles and There telling me this is normal I'm in ohio and it's cold out what happens when it gets 90 deg and I start running the AC

[@MrNemo721]

When's the E V version coming out?

[@alliejr]

DangerousDan Per AoA likely not before calendar 2020. Battery shortages (same story for all manufacturers not named Tesla).

[@limpunsing224]

impressive, both car & review

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

KIA has been stretching out over the years! That new Soul looks even better than the last one! And it looks more serious, yet still has its original shape. Only this time, without those dancing hamsters (those old commercials were cute, though!).

[@emmettmitcham1958]

2 . O Turbo world be nice more power and a bed in the back with all seats down, and forward and might get all most 3 hundred horsepower, Think about KIA

[@quietguy1948]

Suggestion - Review the model 98% of buyers purchase!

[@jimtohmas898]

Yeah he drives it for a couple hours and they refuse the car I bet you sure don't own one

[@jimtohmas898]

No only for to tell you that burns oil in V the one to tell you it's a piece of junk when you take your key over 3000 Miles you better take a case of recycled oil and throw it in the backseat of that thing so you can top up your oil every couple hundred miles I didn't look in the glove box I wonder if it comes with chopsticks it should at least come with a funnel so you can pour the oil in it that it burns I think twice about buying one of these you're better off to get a Toyota or a Honda spend the extra money cuz these cars are substandard

[@jimtohmas898]

If it's a little Breezy that cars all over the road that's a good car for a woman

[@KipInTuch]

Ughly front grill. the beloved signature grill is almost completely gone. Terrible!

[@swanblake]

So no IRS, no AWD, they added a cvt, and now to get a turbo you have to pay $29k. Yeah this was a step backwards Kia. Charging more formthe same product is not moving the needle

[@GhostOfAMachine]

My 2020 doesn't have the cvt, it's a 6 spd manual and offers more than what I can possibly ask for

[@Chuppakabras]

just make sure you do your research before walking in the dealership as I was able to acquire my GT-Line Turbo for $24,101 with 60 months and 0% APR back on Valentine's Day of all days. Happy Valentines Day To Me. Love my Hamster Wagon.

[@jimtohmas898]

Buy a Honda or a Toyota if you got to buy an import Kias are junk water problems with those cars they get a bad one you'll wish you didn't buy it