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Kia Soul

208 messages,  Last post on Apr 21, 2013 at 4:09 PM

You are in the Kia Soul Forum.

What is this discussion about? Kia Soul, Hatchback

Messages Page 2 of 21

#8 of 208 Motor Trend rates the xB first by so_cali

Apr 11, 2009 (12:38 am)

Motor Trend rates the xB first between the Kia Soul, the Nissan Cube and the xB. After driving all but the Cube (I think Nissan is floating them here on row boats - how else can you explain why there are taking so l-o-n-g to get to market?), I'd have to agree. The xB drives much nicer.
 
Back to the Cube. How can a car company be so cubeless, er clueless? These are 2009 models but coming to market when the year is nearly half over? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know they should be 2010s. No sunroof either that I could find. (Shakes head from side to side and exits).

#9 of 208 Re: Motor Trend rates the xB first [so_cali] by csandste

May 02, 2009 (1:15 am)

Replying to: so_cali (Apr 11, 2009 12:38 am)
I agree about the Cube being a year late and several dollars short. That's almost a typical Kia move-- remember the 06.5 Optima and the duplicate new and old Spectras. Like the Soul's look, and am looking forward to seeing the Cube but would never buy an 09 at this time of year.
 
Drove around with a developer in an xB this week. Hate the look of the vehicle (liked the first generation) but would probably agree with Motor Trend that it's a very agreeable car at least in my short ride. Seems almost a class larger than the Soul, at least in the engine department.
 
Will have to drive the Soul in the next month or two. Have great luck with our Optima. No troubles what so ever in 2+ years, although it's my wife's car and she doesn't drive that much. The Soul's front seats seem roomier than the Optima in the few seconds I sat in the Korean car.

#10 of 208 Cube v. Soul.. by csandste

May 09, 2009 (11:58 am)

Saw the Cube on dealers lot, although I didn't get to sit in it. Seems smaller than Soul to me and both seem a class down from new (ugly) xB. Cube's optional shag carpet grill is a bit too cute for me. Probably like the Soul better than the Cube as an all around car, although it's hard to say without driving both.
 
If my Maxx gave it up, both the Cube and Soul would be on my short list, although buying an 09 Cube at this time of year would strain my common sense unless they come out of the chutes with huge discounts.

#11 of 208 A Soul in that Tomato Red... by iluvmysephia1

May 09, 2009 (6:53 pm)

with a 5-speed tranny, those glowing red lights around the stereo speakers, that would do me fine. The Cube is just too weird of a car, every time I look at it to give it some due, it disappoints me within a few moments. The Soul is a more funky, yet exciting car than the Cube, or the Scion xB, for that matter.
 
Kia makes nice driving cars for people that love cars. Scion falls closer to that mark, though not on the same par as Kia. Nissan is way back there floundering around, wondering what's going on with the big boys.

#12 of 208 Re: cssandste... [iluvmysephia1] by irritatrix

Jun 03, 2009 (9:48 am)

Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Jan 30, 2009 10:13 am)
The Soul is a cutie. But I'm hear to warn you - quality awards? My brand new Sedona has been in the shop twice in the 30 days I've owned it; this time we're going on 7 consecutive days now with no end in sight...can't start it because the battery goes dead and they can't figure out what's draining it. Have had 4 jump starts and a new battery installed already. I love driving the thing, but 8 days in the shop in the first 30 days of ownership? It doesn't even have 400 miles on it yet. I'm not sure I could ever recommend a Kia to anyone. I'm half-seriously going to ask my mechanic to keep the thing another 3 weeks so I can qualify for a manufacturer's refund under the CA Lemon Law Act. Or hire Guido to "steal" it. ">

#13 of 208 Re: cssandste... [irritatrix] by csandste

Jun 06, 2009 (11:29 am)

Replying to: irritatrix (Jun 03, 2009 9:48 am)
This seems like a dealer problem. Obviously you have something that is draining the battery, find it and it will probably be easy to fix. No excuse for keeping it for seven days and not knowing what's wrong with it.
 
I can't judge our local dealer because we have had no problems with our Optima in 2.5 years-- it hasn't been back to the dealer. Wasn't that crazy about Hyundai dealer with my 01 Elantra, although I had no real problems-- just some money grubbing behavior in the service department and sleezy (increasingly) sales practices. I think Kia needs to spend some more time improving their dealer network. Any thoughts to taking the car to another dealer?
 
I don't read the Sedona boards but are there electrical complaints that match yours? Love my Malibu Maxx but lots of people have had electrical steering component failures so that when mine failed I had no problems figuring out what it was.

#14 of 208 Re: cssandste... [csandste] by irritatrix

Jun 08, 2009 (8:31 am)

Replying to: csandste (Jun 06, 2009 11:29 am)
Well, now we're on Day 13 and I still don't have my van. They cannot find out what's draining it. There are several electrical modules that control a number of electrical functions in the van and they've tested all of those, so now I think they're tracing each electrically-controlled device on the car back individually to the modules. There are no complaints on the Sedona boards of a similar problem and the dealer has had no other vehicles with this problem, and Kia is not much help, either, he said.
 
I'd have to drive 25 miles to another dealer, so I'm not ready to do that. I own two cars, so I'm just driving my Rabbit while the Kia in is the shop.
 
At this point, I'm halfway to meeting BOTH of either of the requirements of the California lemon law (4 attempts to repair same problem, 30 days in shop within 18 months) within 5 weeks of purchasing the car, and I have a friend who's an attorney who will handle it for free for me if it comes to that. So I'm actually not pushing them to finish the repair. As the clock ticks away, my chances of recovering very close to my full purchase price (because there are so few miles on the van) increase.

#15 of 208 Re: cssandste... [irritatrix] by csandste

Jun 08, 2009 (11:51 am)

Replying to: irritatrix (Jun 08, 2009 8:31 am)
I assume they're giving you a free rental car. I've always been given one for problems on a new purchase. If they're not you REALLY have a bad dealer. I'd be posting this on the Sedona boards.

#16 of 208 Re: cssandste... [csandste] by irritatrix

Jun 08, 2009 (2:15 pm)

Replying to: csandste (Jun 08, 2009 11:51 am)
They would have, but I have a second car which I'm using instead. I bought the van for camping so I'm a single person with 2 cars...my Rabbit will be going off to college with my son next fall. So for now I don't need the rental.
 
The dealer has a great reputation. I live in a smallish town (50K) and many of my neighbors have purchased from them. I haven't heard any complaints about them at all. They've been most understanding. They just can't seem to fix it in a timely manner.
 
I will post on the Sedona board.

#17 of 208 Re: cssandste... [irritatrix] by jyym

Jun 18, 2009 (3:13 pm)

Replying to: irritatrix (Jun 03, 2009 9:48 am)
Keep in mind that the 2 minivans from Kia and Hyundai don't have the greatest reliability records, unlike many of the other Hyundai/Kia models (just like how the BMW X6 and Mercedes E and M Classes were significantly lower than the rest of the models in the BMW's and Mercedes's lineup).

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