Kia Soul - What should I know

[ben4watches]

We are thinking of changing our currant car, a Mercedes Vaneo W.A.V. (Wheelchair accessible vehicle) and are really don't like the usual offerings for our needs namely, Kangoo, Doblo, Berlingo etc etc.

However Sirius Automotive do a Kia Soul W.A.V. which bucks the trend of van based conversions and looks OK in my book with a price that's quite competitive for such a vehicle


https://sirusautomotive.co.uk/vehicles/kiasoul/

Obviously a big plus on the face of it is the 7 year warranty especially as the car will be kept for quite some time but generally how are Kia in terms of general reliability, engines chassis and so forth?

Is the Soul based on the chassis of another car, is the engine from another manufacturer, or any other salient points I should be aware of.

[kungfugerbil]

Obviously a big plus on the face of it is the 7 year warranty especially as the car will be kept for quite some time but generally how are Kia in terms of general reliability, engines chassis and so forth?

I used to have a Kia Sportage and the missus has a Hyundai i30. Kia are a Hyundai group company but offer 7yrs compared to 5yrs for the parent company..never understood that!

The Kia dealers were great for me and the car very reliable. Some parts were restricted to main dealer, but if buying new that's not really an issue.

Is the Soul based on the chassis of another car, is the engine from another manufacturer, or any other salient points I should be aware of.

It's all in house Hyundai group. The platform will be shared with other compact group cars - possibly Hyundai i20. The engines are similarly offered across the range. The 1.6 diesel is the one that my wife has in auto form in her i30 and it does a good job - genuinely. It doesn't have the highest output or the latest tech but is a good all rounder.

I would have zero concerns buying a new Kia whatsoever.

[ben4watches]

I used to have a Kia Sportage and the missus has a Hyundai i30. Kia are a Hyundai group company but offer 7yrs compared to 5yrs for the parent company..never understood that!

The Kia dealers were great for me and the car very reliable. Some parts were restricted to main dealer, but if buying new that's not really an issue.



It's all in house Hyundai group. The platform will be shared with other compact group cars - possibly Hyundai i20. The engines are similarly offered across the range. The 1.6 diesel is the one that my wife has in auto form in her i30 and it does a good job - genuinely. It doesn't have the highest output or the latest tech but is a good all rounder.

I would have zero concerns buying a new Kia whatsoever.

Thank you for taking the time to give your input Mike 👍

[mikiejack]

I've had a Kia Ceed for 5 years, and my father-in-law a Soul. He got a Jaguar R badge to put above the Soul badge, which made me laugh.

Anyway, I have done 60k in mine, and whilst it hasn't been faultless, any issues have been corrected with zero fuss. Previous warranty issues on brands such as BMW and Mercedes were not as easy.
The Soul was completely faultless.

I'm picking up an Audi A4 Avant tomorrow. I'd have another Kia any day of the week, but they don't do a nice looking estate. I wouldn't hesitate on the Soul, it's a nice car for the money.

[AndyMilts]

We have a Kia Soul EV and have had it for a year, been perfect Mrs loves it and has been a great runaround. Build quality is good and everything works well. Had our yearly electricity statement through and was amazed to see it has cost us just over £230 for 9000 miles, cheap motoring.

The EV spec is very different from the normal ones, plus the petrol are a better choice on the engine if going for a conventional engine, according to a couple of reviews. It is a comfortable, easy to drive car and sure you will enjoy it. I do find it tricky to get the seat comfortable on a long trip, well 100 miles.

[Mikes1]

Have you considered the Ford alternatives adapted by Allied in Scotland. Worth a look....

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

[Dudlei]

My daughter has a Kia Soul 1.6 Diesel and I have to say it has been completely faultless in the 10 months she has had it. Good economy with enough power and enough space. Coupled with the 7 year warranty you can't go wrong


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Franky Four Fingers]

Dont know much about the Soul however have had the Sportage and now have the later Sorento.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Kia and would have no issue in recommending them.

[Dave O'Sullivan]

Nothing wrong with Kia. My only concern with that would be the headroom for the wheelchair user.
The blurb says a lowered floor / scalloped head lining but I suppose you'd need to see it in person.

[ben4watches]

Nothing wrong with Kia. My only concern with that would be the headroom for the wheelchair user.
The blurb says a lowered floor / scalloped head lining but I suppose you'd need to see it in person.

I don't see headroom as an issue, Mrs B4W is only 4'11"

Nice to hear positive comments about Kia from owners past and present.