If I were a house husband who only went on the school run and to the supermarket, I wouldn’t blame my wife for wanting to buy me a Kia Soul.
It has a five year warranty from new, which gets extended when you buy used from a Kia main dealer, to maintain a minimum of 3 years. Glossing over the steep new prices, the used market (see later) is fair.
It is easy for the young and old to step up into, and then offers a high vantage point of the road, but it doesn’t carry the stigma of a 4x4. The boot space, while unremarkable is capable of the tasks as set out in my job description. The seats while no more flexible than a conventional estate are comfortable for 5 adults, with healthy height, breadth and leg room all round.
The finish, while cheap in feel has a hard wearing quality about it: The fit lines, the instruments and controls, the trim and plastics are all solid and I suspect based on Kia’s recent history and their warranty claims, it will all last well, no matter how many Happy Meals get spilt in the back.
The 1.6 CRDI engine, while noisy, delivers 37 mpg and 0-62 in 11 seconds. So you can race Fiat Panders off the line without busting the bank.
The chassis balance and handling is nothing short of astounding on a car like this. Through medium-to-low speed corners it is balanced and poised with a steering accuracy that will appeal to an enthusiast. Unfortunately that preciseness at low speed becomes over-reactive at high speeds and when trying to meander gently along Motorway curves, you are quickly reminded that this is a little car on little wheels; the driver ends up with quite a workload, continually correcting the car’s line because every little input has such a large impact.
But, in a way, I see that as a plus. As a professional house husband, I would be more likely making jam than touring the motorways. So better to enjoy the trips to the Jam ingredients store with zealous handling and tolerate the slightly choppy motorway run on the occasional trip to see the in-laws.
But I still wouldn’t want one, “Because Dear, people laugh at it.”
In particular from the rear, in the test car’s metallic orange, a majority of people have had a right old chuckle at my expense this week. A lawyer wound his window down to have a chuckle, my sister-in-law literally bent double and a colleague made several unrepeatable jokes. I’m afraid it has something of the Fiat Multipla about it.
What’s the market like?
The Kia Soul is nearly £11,000 - £14,000 new and Kia’s used cars are very carefully managed to ensure as many as possible stay within the main dealer network for as long as possible. This means that the quality of the used stock remains high, and there are some serious warranty benefits too. But it also means that Kia residuals tend to stay strong.
Surprisngly however, some Souls have made it out into the market early and so while the bulk of cars are no more than £1,000 under list price, we have seen some with less than 5,00 miles on the clock for £2,000 - £3,000 under the list price. So it’s worth shopping about. It’s usually the petrols that can be found cheaply, if you see a diesel that is massively under market value, be suspicious.
What else will this budget buy?
£9,000 is a serious family car budget, but in terms of cross-overs and small 4x4s or ‘funky estates’ there are not so many choices.
A Nissan QashQai, from 2006, starts at £10,000 (if you want a good one), the Rav 4 is a possibility, but you are looking at 4 year old cars. You can just about buy pre-reg to 1 year old Renault Scenic. But otherwise it’s the usual: Megane, Astra and Focus.
Summary
A family car that is functional, funky and a bit funny. Spacious, easy to climb in and out of and comfortable on long runs. Not especially refined and built to a price. It turns heads, but not always for the right reasons.
By: Matthew Tumbridge