Find Kia Dealers in East Elmhurst, New York

No, I don't own a Soul nor have I sold it to the devil. :D I was merely expressing my opinion that while FWD w/traction control is tolerable in winter conditions, AWD makes it a whole lot easier to handle. My wife has a '12 Elantra (FWD, of course) and I have a '10 Outlander GT (AWD). In winter the Outlander can be driven almost like it's on dry pavement. It handles and accelerates just fine. Braking, of course, can't be helped by AWD so you still have to be an aware driver & allow appropriate distance. You mentioned in your OP that you had a steep driveway. I would think that AWD would make it much easier to handle when the driveway is slick or there are icy patches (that always seem to elude our best attempts at clearing away). That said, if you anticipate the vehicle mostly being driven on roads after they've been cleared then AWD wouldn't be necessary. As to the cost difference, in your area I would think the added cost of AWD would be returned when you sell the vehicle so that's a wash. You're mostly left with the 1-3MPG penalty AWD systems impose over their FWD brothers.

Fushigi, I take it you have a Soul, though? How has it been handling the roads with snow and bad weather?

Well, if your dealer has an F from the BB and you don't want to do business with them, that shouldn't sway you from considering the Soul. Just consider one from another dealer. After all the BBB rating is for the dealer, not Kia. As a snow belt occupant (Chicago area) I can understand your concern about the lack of AWD. A couple of weeks ago I dropped $900 on a snowthrower. For small CUV alternatives, you might also look at a Nissan Rogue or Juke, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, and so on. All can be had with AWD. I'm assuming price is at least something of a concern since you mentioned the CR-V alternative would be used, so you might also look at, say, the Ford Escape which should be reasonably priced used.

Was seriously considering buying the Soul ! w/premium package from Kia dealer in East Meadow, NY, but then saw that they got an "F" from the Better Business Bureau for lots of complaints, so now I'm asking myself -- and anyone out there with experience -- am I crazy?! Also, I have 2 teenage boys who will be driving this car (altho it will officially be MINE). Concerned about visibility & blind spot, and lack of 4WD. Any comments, anyone? If I don't get the Soul, may well go for a used certified Honda CRV, which would be the 2nd in our steep driveway. Welcome anyone's thoughts.

>...Working on a deal on an '07 LX, new, two-row, I-4. Louisville dealers all connected and TOUGH! But, we may be able to swing the full $4K in rebates ($2500 for the 07 and $1500 "loyalty".) [Gill] Please visit lastchance. com and spend $35 to learn all the facts behind buying. I used their advise and got my Rondo for $1,099 under INVOICE. Becareful of that "loyalty" program because it has disappeared here in the west and is only available in selected mid west and east coast areas. >...The Rondo tags at $18,400. That's $14,400 after the rebates. I'd like $8K for the Sedona but I'm betting they'll head for $7K. Still, this sounds okay to me. [Gill] That seems a little high to me. I can't confirm since my sales contract is in the safe deposit box. >...Ideas? (We want out of the Sedona and the only place we're going to get any trade around here is back at a Kia dealer. Other dealers around here would rather handle anthrax than a Kia.) [Gill] You might want to sell privately. Out here in the Seattle market, next to Subaru, KIA is all you see. >...It'll be the wife's car as is the Sedona now. She sat in it, drove it, and declared it not just "nice" but that she loved it. Easy car to love, and for some odd reason it just "fits like an old shoe". She notes she sits a little lower than the Sedona and liked the old "view" better, but I'm betting she'll adjust quickly, and it sure is better still than a sedan. [Gill] We love our I-4 LX. After we picked it up, we drove to upstate NY, down to D.C, then back to Seattle. The car will be 1 year old the end of this month and we already have 17.5K miles on it. Gas milage is great; 25 in town mixed and 29 on the highway loaded with people and luggage. The only problems I have is that there is a lot of suspension/road noise. Also, the paint is very thin. I have scratches all over my car from the car washes. >...I'm 6'2" at 215 and I fit easily in the back seat, where I was quite completely comfortable and well insulated from road noise and bumps. The Rondo is MUCH less harsh than the Sedona. [Gill] We had two 17 year olds in the back and they were comfortable. Road noise, I would have to disagree with you. >...One item of note: the "extras" at dealers tagged on for margin are simply embarrassing and insulting! [Gill] If you use the fax system from lastchance, you might avoid these items. Also, if they is a Costco near you, ask for a Coastco Automotive quote. Out here is is $100 over invoice. Thay will establish the upper limit of your trading range and represent the worst deal you can get.