Soul '2' 1.6 Petrol

A fun, unusual, practical and great value car.

The Soul is rather exclusive - I've actually only seen two others since I bought it - and mine seems to attract alot of attention (which you may or may not like). When parked people stop to look at it and I've been asked "what make is it" many times. From the expressions on people's faces Kia still doesn't have very high brand awareness.

It's very roomy, airy, comfortable, with good ergonomics and doesn't get blisteringly hot when parked in the sun (although it is white). The engine (1.6 petrol) is smooth and willing and fuel consumption is good for a not very aerodynamically shaped car. I think that it's quick enough for most people (my boy racer years are well behind me), which suits the car. Interestingly, when fully loaded with passengers it doesn't feel appreciably slower than when with one up.

Because of the upright driving position it's particularly easy to get in and out of, which might appeal particularly if you have a bad back or just want a better view of the passing countryside. The boot is actually very commodious, even with the seats up, although the loading lip is quite pronounced.

Steering is quite direct and the car feels firmly planted - my car has Hankook Optimo tyres which do a good job of helping to give a good ride.

On the down side, on sudden very rough, broken tarmac the ride gets very jittery, but grip remains. If you drive on fast roads, the relatively bluff front collects rather more stone chips than I'd like. For the same reason (and because of the colour) it's a job keeping it clean.

Overall, you get a huge amount of car for your money, it really is excellent value with a good load of kit and even somewhere to plug in your MP3 player.

I've found I like it more the longer I own it.

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