He said, she said: Kia Soul 2012 car review

The Kia Soul arrives for a week to help us with some transportation issues. My first thought is “It’s so CUTE!” The kids agree. My husband says, “It’s interesting.” Interesting looking? Hmm . . . and so begins our he said, she said review of the Kia Soul 2012 Exclaim.

My parents are visiting and we have planned a family get away and visit with the cousins in San Antonio as well as a stay at the beautiful Hotel Valencia on the Riverwalk. The girls have decided on a girls car and a boys car so the kids, my mom and I get loaded up and on our way.

Let’s start with the loading. Two booster car seats fit nicely in the back seat and the kids did seem to have plenty of room (at least they didn’t argue about it on the approximately 3 hour drive to San Antonio so that’s a good thing isn’t it?) On the floor in front of them they had their backpacks with toys, the portable DVD player and a few other items to keep them busy. In the front passenger seat was Grandma, in charge of the mini cooler that rested at her feet. She said she had plenty of space for her feet, purse and legs and she would know because she actually got in the car after two flights so if she says she is comfortable then she really is!

In the back “trunk” we had one carry on size bag, my laptop case (don’t leave home without it) and one larger size suitcase. They fit nicely, but I think a little more space would be needed if I was doing a grocery shopping stock up trip or if we were staying longer than a couple of days.

Here are some Kia Soul features that we really liked both as we made our six hour road trip (3 to San Antonio and 3 back the very next night) and drove it that week:

The rear backing system with screen makes it so easy to park and reverse. We were parking downtown San Antonio so this was a big help.
Love the on screen Sirius radio as well as the GPS system which offered full size maps and turn by turn directions.
Everything was at my fingertips – from windshield wipers and lights to seat adjustments, interior lights, and console.
It’s very comfortable – I mean really comfortable. My mom is 67 years old and even she said how comfortable she was riding in it and this was a great deal of in city (Houston and SA) as well as interstate driving.
It’s not fancy. To me that means there are less things for the kids to mess up and less “features” to go wrong – like heated seats.
Fuel efficiency and with as much driving as I do that is a huge plus! (He says, “2.0 liter engine offers city/highway MPG of 26/34 while the 1.6 liter engine is only one MPG better on both counts, with a 27/35 rating. Those who wish to push the fuel economy to higher levels should consider the Eco Package, which increases the MPG levels to 29/36.”

Kia Soul 2012 features include: push- button starting, automatic headlights, power windows and locks, Bluetooth stereo with USB, and a telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, three- point safety belts for all five passengers, dual front airbags, and a full length side curtain airbag.

Exclaim trim level includes: a navigation system, backup camera, Infinity sound system, Sirius Radio, and more. This trim level is priced only a few thousand dollars above the base and I think it is worth the added cost.

Does the Kia really have soul? Mr. Money Saving Parent may not agree with me entirely – but you can find out for yourself at his review of the Kia Soul 2012. Maybe, maybe not, but one thing it does have is savings. It’s a steady, dependable, mid-sized family car that (and this may be its best feature) that is priced at under $20,000.