2012 KIA Soul

I'm falling in love with this little Kia

Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 32

I've always hated the "boxy" wagons(Scion, Cube, Element, etc), but the only one I've liked was the Soul. Couldn't really give a reason they just looked cute. So naturally when we needed a 2nd car, I bought a 2012 Exclaim model. I'm gonna start with the few things I don't care for. It's kinda harsh NVH when accelerating anything more than softly. Not sure if this is just an unavoidable 4cyl econobox(pun intended) trait, but just saying it's more noticeable than other vehicles I've had. Second gripe, the inside door panel sills are so thin you can't rest your forearm on them when the windows are up. No big deal, just a quirk I'm not a fan of. Third, the damn sunroof doesn't tilt up like almost every other car. Fourth, the car has a backup camera but the screen is really small and the lines don't move with the steering wheel. All those small things aside, I still love this car. It's a dream to park, I average 29.6/33.6 mpg city/hwy. It has a great Infinity sound system w Bluetooth, Sat radio, and subwoofer. It's punchy from a stop(but only about average once you're out of 1st gear). It's damn cute and just all around excellent for a small family. It's like the perfect combination of cargo space, fuel economy, passenger space, and just an excellent city car. I highly recommend it if you get a good price(they don't have super resale value).