Getting some Soul in Quebec and having a whale of a time

Some cars make you feel like a speed demon, others turn heads as they past you.  Some are simply anonymous work horses, and yet others are so poorly made you feel shy telling others what you drive. 

But how about a funky little number that makes you feel like Noddy and is fun to look at, fun to drive and makes you want to go on an adventure?

So I recently went over to North America and I was supposed to get a full sized sedan, and they offered me a Nissan Ultima, a typical workhorse of the rental car fleet... reliable, spacious and utterly boring... 

So I did the Oliver Twist thing and asked, “are there more choices?” Coincidentally someone had just returned a car and the kind man at Thrifty car rental allowed me to choose amongst the other cars he had, and I spied that unmistakable form in bright red, newly washed, sitting next to the grey Nissan Ultima. The choice was obvious, and I took the keys to the car and put all my gear in it.  

Now there are many names for this kind of vehicle, crossover, minivan or even hatchback, and its not dissimilar to my own bread van back home. 

The Kia Soul has a high roofline, measuring around 1.6m high, a short length of 4.1m with minimal overhang and a cliff like front, plus a pert rear. This car was supposed to be shaped like a bear with a backpack, but it looked more like Noddy the cartoon character’s hat. 

Despite the short length, the interior is quite spacious, and will sit a six footer in front and another behind him. It will take three abreast at a pinch, but for longer road trips, it’s best to stick to four people in the car.  

You do get enough space for two large bags or suitcases and another carry on, more if you fold the rear seats down. The rear floor is flat and you can slip your feet under the front seats. This plus the fact that you sit quite upright, allows surprising amount of legroom and space. 

At first glance, you will find most important instrumentation in your sight, and you will find a comfortable sitting position quite easily. However as mentioned, you will sit more upright than in a sports car, and whilst some prefer to slouch, I found this to be far more comfortable especially for long distance driving. The view out of the vast front widescreen is good and visibility all round is excellent. 

The kit provided will vary, but you should get passive safety gear like ABS and airbags, and a useful reverse camera as standard. Depending on the trim, you may get more extra. I drove the EX which has a 2.0 liter naturally aspirated engine mated to a six speed auto and this combination is also found in many other Kia cars like the Optima and cousins in the Hyundai family too. If you get the top SX trip, you will get a sweet 1.6 turbo that will turn this cute car into a hot hatch. 

The interior is well screwed together and the materials used are quite good. Not as impressive as the top conti cars, but a far cry from even Kia cars one generation ago. Switchgear is decent, and should last for years. 

So having given you a run down of the basic gist of the car, how does it drive?

Well I took it across the province of Quebec, up some mountains and down to the seaside, and in short, it was a blast !

I started out in the city, so the more diminutive proportions allow it to squeeze into smaller spaces and it was also easy to park. The higher sitting position, coupled with the good all round visibility made it an easy drive around town. 

Now after a quick lunch, we took it out to the highway and tested the 163 horses more. It’s no Stinger, and the engine is no honda VTEC, so you get a more agricultural sound, and you will find the gearbox tends to drop gears with anything more than a light tap on the accelerator. However whilst the engine is vocal, it doesn’t lack oomph and will keep up with traffic on the highway nicely. 

However it does lack good insulation and when you take it onto cobblestone roads, the din prevent proper conversation. It’s better on the highway, especially if you have the radio on. Even so, you will find better sound insulation on more expensive cars. It’s alright for the money. 

Despite the smaller and light body, fuel consumption is not much to boast about. You can around 8.3 l per 100km on highway driving. I suspect the form factor does not cut through the wind well. It’s stable on the highway at three digit speeds, but it feels reluctant to extend itself and gets pushed back by the wind. This car also need a longer last gear or a seventh gear. 

No one is going to traipse through mud and forest in this, but the higher ground clearance helps when you go off the tarmac on the odd occasions. 

At the end of the day is it a car you will buy? Well if you tire of those typical sedans, don’t need another sports car or even the current craze on SUVs then here you have a cool, funky, small but spacious car that will stand out in any car park. Get it in bright colors like red and yellow. 

Pros 

Spacious funky looks in a small and affordable package. Good interior and fittings

Cons

Could do with a smoother engine and longer gearing

Sound insulation basic

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 I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.