Disclosure: I test drove the Kia Soul free of charge in exchange for this unbiased review.
Holy cow have I had a great time last week! I got to take a lovely trip to Orlando, FL and hang out with some great ladies. I even got to spend some time with Global Resorts making some promotional videos for them. You all know I LOVE to talk and this was a super fun opportunity for me. But one of the absolute coolest things I got to do was drive a beautiful, new Kia Soul.
I had never driven a Kia Soul before so I was sort of psyched to try one out. And although this isn’t the most important part of the test drive, I was really excited to see it was a fantastic shade of red called Molten. Basically, it was HOT. It was a great way to introduce me to the car.
When I first picked the car up I was still at the Orlando airport, so I was thrilled to find the Kia Soul had a Navigation package with SIRIUS Traffic. It came in handy while trying to locate my condo, and I used it later in the week as I went to Downtown Disney and my favorite Orlando restaurant – Cafe Tu Tu Tango.
The Kia Soul has a neat feature I have never been introduced to before, and that is Push Button Start with Smart Key. It was kind of crazy. When I picked the car up it had been valeted so the car was delivered to me with the engine running. When I had to start it for the first time myself I sort of lucked into the proper way to start the vehicle. I drove it to a well known pizza place and when leaving I couldn’t start the car. I ended up having to look in the book to see that you have to put your foot on the brake and THEN press the start button. From that moment on I had no problem.
The Kia Soul is a very roomy with 4 doors and rear hatch. There was plenty of room for my luggage and although I didn’t have any passengers that needed to sit in the back seat, I think if I had, they would have been very comfortable. I was completely impressed with the whole interior. It was installed with the Premium Package that included:
- Navigation with SIRIUS Traffic
- Push Button Start with Smart Key
- Leather Seat Trim
- Heated Front Seats
- Automatic Climate Control
I think one of my favorite features is the UVO Posered by Microsoft with Rear Camera Display. My husband’s car had a rear camera and I totally covet it every time I drive his car. Having it while on vacation, in an area I am unfamiliar with, was just perfect because it allowed me that additional sense of control. And provided me with additonal “eyes” in the back of my car.
I worked with some wonderful people at STI to allow me to be part of this fun review, and I can’t thank them enough. The Kia Soul was a really fun vehicle, but it was also a very practical car too. The car I drove had an MSRP of $23,575.00 and got 25 MPG. Overall, I liked this car a lot and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a 4-door vehicle in this class. Totally, 2 thumbs up!
