2010 Kia Soul
Should Scion and Nissan worry about their latest competition, the 2010 Kia Soul? We think so.

Model: 2010 Kia Soul sport; 142 horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and 5-speed manual transmission.

Base Price: $16,950

Options: Sunroof and destination fee

Price as Tested: $18,345

Total Miles Tested: 1,386 miles

Fuel Economy:  29.1 mpg

Editors’ Notes
Tom Appel: Roadside pundits declaiming Soul's shape as trendy are missing the boat. Scion nailed this package with the first xB, and Kia and Nissan are working wonders with the like-concept Soul and cube, respectively. This box on wheels makes sense. Packaged with both care and whimsy, the Soul is a practical delight. Fun to drive, easy on the wallet, and only modestly thirsty, Soul should be on your shopping list.
Jennifer Geiger: Look out Scion xB, Kia's Soul offers just as much funky style for less cash. It may be slower and have a cheaper looking and feeling interior, but Soul's roomy cabin, easy iPod controls, and excellent close-quarters maneuverability make it a perfect city car.
Ed Piotrowski: Soul seems to be most content working as an urban runabout. Take it out of its natural environment, make it a highway cruiser, and it gets frightened. It sways in even moderate crosswinds, and the sport model gets extremely fidgety over bumps taken at higher speeds. I'll reserve final judgment until I spend more time in a non-sport Soul. Pass on the Soul sport, and look to the less-expensive trim levels, which should provide sound competition to Nissan's incoming cube and the veteran Scion xB.
Don Sikora II: Kia's new Soul is more substantial feeling, and a bit more refined than most subcompacts. It also packs a solid degree of practicality into its tidy dimensions. To me, the Soul's funky factor seems more superficial than the quirky-to-the-bone Nissan cube, but this likable little box deserves serious consideration in the class.
Jack Stewart: Soul has great interior room for such a small package. It is also comfortable and fun to drive around town. Whether it will appeal to its intended urban hipster market or Boomers remains to be seen. 

08.31.2009