The 2020 Kia Soul is a Box of Personality | Road Test

You’ve got to hand it to Kia. When their boxy soul arrived here for 2010, it was obviously designed to counter the Scion xb and Nissan Cube. Well, not only was it competitive, it drove both of those rivals out of the market. Add in a some dancing hampsters and the Soul quickly became one of Kia’s best sellers. Let’s see if the 3rd generation still has soul.
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[@miguelircontar]

I love hearing John Davis reviews

[@davidaubin3902]

Yes he's still a great host and narrator for the road and comparison tests

[@1sttigertiger426]

0-60 in 7 secs is fast for a little box! I heard some tire squeal in the launch.

[@jjl1790]

Yeh I used to drive BMW beater the Lexus IS300 for $33,000 back in early 2000' and it ran in 7 sec.

[@GhostOfAMachine]

Imagine a 2.0 Turbo from the Veloster N in this thing

[@jakp8777]

The cube was hideous, is true Nissan fashion. The xb sold well but Toyota got rid of Scion. Too bad the soul doesn’t have optional AWD.

[@tdgdbs1]

I received a lot of stares driving my Cube; it is much more comfortable than the Kia or Scion and was the cheapest of the three, $15K out the door.

[@foxtrot685]

The scion sold well in its first generation. The second generation did worse in sales because it was the opposite of the first gen; it was neither fun to drive nor efficient. It also was pricier.

[@dannnsss8034]

@@tdgdbs1 if the Cube was cheaper AND more luxurious ad you say, and still managed to get driven out of the market... 🤣

[@arevee9429]

please remove whomever decided it was a good idea to add the over amplified "background" music.

[@watershed44]

@are vee Yes, not typical of MW.

[@mistyhunter]

I always think of RAVE MUSIC when a middle aged man is calmly explaining the features of a car to me. What were they thinking?

[@mistyhunter]

Who the hell thought that the best background music for a middle aged man calmly talking about a car would be fucking house trance music. It completely ruins the entire video, and its hilariously stupid. No music would be better, put something calm or something are you people insane?

[@altrock86]

I like the soul. The only thing I don’t like and it’s not just Kia that does this and it’s just nitpicking and ocd but I don’t like when companies call something an suv when awd or 4wd is not even an option. Just call it a car or wagon.

[@GhostOfAMachine]

I don't know why its all of sudden a cuv. I have the 2020 LX 6 spd and its a hatchback for me. Calling it an suv/cuv is just an insult to this car. Cuvs don't have manual transmission either, at least not in the US

[@AmraphelofShinar]

Storage space space.

[@muiscnight]

He’s still alive!

[@tdgdbs1]

And looking good doing what he does best; I've been the viewer since the mid 80's. This man is ageless.

[@RoadCone411]

I didn’t hear any complaints about the lack of a voltmeter or oil temperature gauge. Are we sure this is John Davis?

[@ManMak6]

Way better the Doug Demouro reviews:)))

[@rabit818]

The Xb was marketed for a younger generation, but grand ma and grand dads loved it, hence the trendy young ones avoided the Xb. The Cube looks like an aquarium with wheels..

[@ColdVsIce]

The Xb was a great little car though

[@JakeDrives1]

I had two of the 1st gen. I thought the 2nd gen was a great successor.. This one? not so much. The only one I really like is the EX premium. This turbo is kind of disappointing and I repulse the red accents.. I've also been hearing great things about their new CVT in the lower end models, so that's the only way I'd go. The styling just went too outlandish with the wrap around tail light.. idk.. I like both of the older ones way better.

[@craig.encinitas]

JakeDrives Thanks for the insight. I’m still driving an ‘05 Scion xB. Cheap and reliable daily driver. I keep all my surfboards and beach gear in it. I do like the new Soul and have thought about going EV for my next vehicle.

[@Snake-ms7sj]

The styling is overdone. The scallops over the wheel arches ....ugly. The rear wrap around tail light reminds me of a toilet seat in a rest room. The black extension from the back of the rear windows ..why? Thought the previous gen Souls were a neat design. The new one is just ugly for the sake of being trendy. Not as ugly as the Toyota Prius, but still......

[@nodak81]

$28k for the turbo? There are dozens of better options out there at that price.

[@TimLucasdesign]

Yeah, I'd take a VW GTI myself.

[@IamCooper-rk5bn]

That’s an opinion.

[@jjl1790]

I rather go with basic engine. Turbo and CVT are not long term proven yet. I see a lot of used Souls in the market are more than 200k miles.

[@alexyoungberg5232]

*Put an E85 tune on it and take it roll racing..*

[@dave_riots]

I like it

[@FLJAMESFL]

David Me too.

[@dannnsss8034]

Why are these hated? Just bias? *VERY practical and spacious, *0-60 in 7s! *Decent handling and suspension (as said in this review) *Starts at a low price This should be a car enthusiasts dream... let alone your average person.

[@vegasbob]

Looks like some style was emulated from the Range Rover

[@shelmadinegalloway2480]

*👀We can see some Ford Flex Design🤔but great soul 🌞still✅*

[@ahuehuete4703]

Every time I see a car with all that gadgetry in the dashboard, I see a future expensive repair when it breaks, and it will break. I also hope that the KIA CVT isn't made by JATCO, if it is, then avoid it.

[@altrock86]

Frank K I agree but very few people want a basic no frills car. I do. For me the less tech the better but I know I am a minority in that regard. Also jatco transmissions are basically the worst I wouldn’t buy any car with one.

[@ahuehuete4703]

@@altrock86 - I don't mind some creature comforts, but some of the new cars are simply getting carried away with the gadgetry. We have a 2013 Kia Soul. When I see all the extra gadgetry, not to mention the turbo charged, GDI engines and the CVTs, I suspect that our 2013 will still be happily humming long after the newer ones end up in the junkyard, because they will be too expensive to repair.

[@hosea1320]

Frank K @ Yeah Frank, I needed a front end alignment on my 2020 so it ended up in the junkyard! Damn I wish I had your no frills 2013!

[@foxtrot685]

The only change I like with this new gen is they got rid of the panoramic moonroof. Ours creaks and rattles and groans on uneven surfaces, like when pulling into a steep driveway.

[@tonyfffuuu]

Wow thought that would be a major downgrade

[@foxtrot685]

@@tonyfffuuu honestly the biggest let down for me is the dropping of the 2.0L port injected motor. The 161hp/150lb ft of torque with the 6 speed auto was a really good combination. It was never short on power and the transmission had perfect ratios for every situation. The new 2.0 GDI engine and CVT sounds a little dull but maybe itll perform better than I anticipate?

[@tonyfffuuu]

@@foxtrot685 lots of people say bad things about the cvts I've only ever driven souls in a parking garage so all i know is the seating position is nice for a big guy like me which is the only other reason I'd get one aside from the cargo space

[@jum.878]

If only we could get the GT LINE turbo and manual transmission together for a dance with AWD. Call it the GT-X. KIA NEEDS TO HIRE MY ASS, I have some great ideas on design ques. They need to also put this front end on that Telluride on the refresh. Promise you they'll increase bank. But what do I know ?

[@toptobottom247]

Yeah...I'm waiting for the Soul EV with the new larger battery. It has the upgraded interior. The confusion is where does the EV fit in the trim levels. It's faster than the GT. But, not so GT on the outside. Also not as aggressive looking as the X-line. But the interior is too of the line. So where does the EV fit coming in at $33k?

[@latinethicalhacker]

I like it

[@RonTrimarco-or4hz]

I love my GT soul

[@paulm6481]

Good Looking and size. I hate the fact that it now has a CVT, so I lean towards a RAV-4 instead. Still, makes a good Uber vehicle.

[@calvinstrikesagain]

It's not a traditional rubber belt CVT, but rather a 61 link long, 9 link wide steel chain, so it feels more like the chain drive in a motor cycle rather than a Nissan CVT lag. The pulleys have eight preset quick ratios that are moved to by electric solenoids, so it creates the feeling of driving an eight speed auto, with ratios that are similar to the Stinger to give a similar feel in the Sportmatic mode.

[@dodieoinst4598]

@@calvinstrikesagain And that is exactly what I hate about most industry CVT transmissions... They don't let the thing be a CVT. They have to add all of these stepped gears, and quite frankly it's stupid. The whole goddamn point of the CVT is to be able to maintain a static engine speed and still change the ratio, but no... People freak out about it, because they're too goddamn stupid to know what a CVT is good for! It should just hold it at wherever peak torque is for economic driving, and redline it all the way through sport mode. People freak out about it, because 70% are missing properly wired gray matter, so companies do this type of stupid shit, and voila! All of the advantages are gone.

[@redcoch36]

@@dodieoinst4598 you should work for them car manufacturers you seem to know more. They could really use your expertise.

[@henrygraterol]

I agree, there should be an option to turn on/off the fake gear changes. What is the point of a cvt if not fuel economy. Nissan's cvt has proven that cvts are not necessarily more economical to maintain. As far as being more economical to produce, I don't know. Maybe also better for manufacturers since they can electronically tune these fake changes across the line in different ranges.

[@mikemiller5839]

Still no awd, why i bought a renegade instead. Lost my business.

[@Yondaily]

No one cares.

[@mikemiller5839]

@@Yondaily obviously you do 🖕

[@Yondaily]

mike miller I don’t care have fun 🖕🏽also I have bigger balls than you..

[@GhostOfAMachine]

Awd is overrated and unnecessary

[@gyneve]

The xb and cube weren't driven from the market by the soul, they died off because Toyota and Nissan didn't understand why people liked them.

[@303nitzubishi4]

Yeah the 2nd gen xB was bloated and lost most of its personality. The cube was niche and late to market compared to the first xB and customers had started moving toward CUVs by then. My sister and a co worker both have 1st & 2nd gen souls and they have held up well.

[@RoadCone411]

Not really. The Cube was a Japanese variant sold here in a niche market but it was too weird and impractical to gain a following. The first-gen Soul was more like an everyday car compared to the other two and for that it sold well, even thrived.

[@thephranc]

Have one, base because I like to shift, and it has its issues. The infotainment is a step down from the last gen, I had a 16, but I will deal with that for the non-gdi engine. They say the chassis is better but it feels sketchy around turns I could go faster in the last gen. The cargo area has a huge step up when last gen was more flat. I do get better mpg. Base 1/4 mile is 17.4 .

[@chuckers40]

The Kia Soul finally will have competition again with the Nissan Kicks, Toyota C-HR, and the Hyundai "version of the Soul" the Venue. The Kicks looks better in person. The C-HR has an acquired taste. The Hyundai Venue will be the interesting one because it's their version of the Kia Soul. I hope Toyota reboots the XB and Honda reboots the Element. They will just be sub-compact CUV's without the AWD.

[@willbetruckin3545]

We have both the kia soul, and nissan kicks! The kids love them both

[@Tinrs80]

Start at 4:15... Sounds like I'm hearing 27 city " 32 Highway " not 33 as screen says. Hmm

[@calvinstrikesagain]

Kia guy here. LX, S, EX designer, and GT Line 2.0 with 2.0L engine and IVT are 27 City, 33 Highway, 30 combined. EX Eco Dynamics is 29 City, 35 highway , 31 combined. The GT Line 1.6 Turbo is 27 City, 32 Highway and 29 combined, which is what he said about their GT Line 1.6, but showed the 2.0 motor numbers on screen. Hope that helps!

[@93remix]

All SHOW and NO GO... the engine should be a 2.0L Turbo with 210HP/200TQ

[@spazzman90]

These will be fine for the grocery getter crowd. The EV is where the fun will be at! Go Kia.

[@BruceTheSillyGoose]

it would ride even better over the rough stuff if they ditched the wagon wheels and rubberband tires. my small town cratered roads would rattle this thing to death in no time.

[@alanburgess7519]

The Soul was around before the Nissan and the Scion.

[@chuckers40]

It's reversed, the Scion XB came out in 2008, Nissan Cube in 2009 and the Kia Soul was last to come out. it came out in 2010

[@brittoncoil2518]

Charles allen jr nah xb came out in 04

[@chuckers40]

@@brittoncoil2518 thank you

[@mattwolf7698]

@@chuckers40 The Cube actually came out in 1998 if you want to count the JDM models.

[@marshalmagooo3899]

Drove one.. it had no Soul. Crap

[@watershed44]

@Marshal Magooo Indeed seems like this soul is riding on the coat tails of the original one which did have a real personality and a very low price. Just like a smash hit movie, the remakes never measure up and always disappoint. This seems the same here with the newest soul.

[@goclunker]

28k of 🤢

[@Ihateironyanddumbusernames]

looks like the camaro front end from 2018