Used 2011 Kia Soul Consumer Reviews
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A tough Little by Spacious Car!
DoctorClu, 01/30/2025
2011 Kia Soul + 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Have really liked this car in the 11 years that I've owned it. What is funny is this is where KIA was getting the ruputation as a "vehicle that God would drive". So aside from driving and driving and driving... which is fun with the door speakers that change color to the music, and the general joy of driving this car... 1) Hardly ever need to check the oil. This compared to the GDI engine cars with the direct injection for the fuel, leaving the KIAs in the years that followed to consume a quart of oil every 1,000 miles or less. But the 2011 had the better engine. There were many times the dealership said they wanted my car for the engine to replace the engines of the following years KIAs where their engines were flying apart at 70K miles. 2) Suspension needed work once. 3) Car was hit by a drunk driver doing 50 while we were stationary at a light. Caved in the passenger side corner and we spun around, but not a scratch or bruise on us. Later I got with a friend at church who had wrecker knowledge and we replaced the quarter panel with a 2010 model from a junk yard. Passenger side rear door handle is different, but the rest looks uniform again. Tire company changed the axle, so for about $3,000 less than a used 2011 KIA cost at the time ($8K) I had my KIA up and running again! 3) Currently in 2025 the clutch petal was getting loose where it would push to the floor. Transmission still worked, but was having trouble engaging the starter switch. So getting the transmission work done on the car at this time. Overall, extensive driving, from a wreck and back, it is just one amazing little car. Should mention that KIA themselves were a better company in 2014. They were fun, they were accommodating, there was a new spirit of a up and coming company. Flash forward to 2022 when the 2011 was hit and we bought a used 2017 from a KIA lot, oh we got another deal, but they gave that to me very begrudgingly. They made sure to tack on a few more hundred for cleaning and car location services that I never used, and insisted if it were not added they would not sale the car. Once the sale was made calls were not returned with questions about tags, the spare key we agreed on in writing, etc. In time it was all worked out. Not terrible, but not pleasant. Another KIA dealership told me they had a KIA Soul in the price range I was looking for. A 2019 Soul for $14.9K. Not bad. Was looking for a replacement car in the sub $20K range. As we were waiting to look at that car, we were introduced to another KIA that was $28K, but seller said he could bring the price down. Brought it down to like $26K which is still above $20K. We arranged a time to look at the 2019 Soul as it was not ready. Leading up to the appointment I asked for the vein number to research the car. Salesperson said he would provide but didn't. I made my 30 mile trip to the dealership expecting to see the 2019 Soul for $14.9K and was instead shown a 2022 Soul for like $29K. I turned off the engine to that car and asked to see the car I came to see. After a bit my wife and I were surrounded by like four other people as I was sitting with the salesperson, waiting to see the car we had an appointment to see. They asked why I wanted to buy a cheap car? We just had a car ripped from us by a drunk driver and we were looking for an affordable replacement. To this they told us of another customer that was hit by a cement truck. Tragic, but nothing to do with me. After all their insistance of me looking at other models, and me insisting I had an appointment to see a particular car THEN they told me the car had engine trouble and was not available. Something they could have mentioned on the phone and saved me a 60 mile round trip. As I was surprised that BAIT & SWITCH tactics are still be employeed in the post pandemic and bad-service era; I concluded my business and left, never to return there again. With KIA a good deal in 2014 meant I got an affordable and good car complete with keys and everything that came inside the car. A good deal in 2022 meant I got an affordable car with one key, had to scrap for the second key, no floor mats, no cruise control, evidence the oil filter and oil were not changed in quite a while. Oh, and a car that DRANK oil. At one point the oil light came on and I was FOUR QUARTS LOW on oil. Learned I had to watch the dipstick like a hawk after that. 2011 KIA Soul is a monument to what KIAs *were*. The fun, the affordability, the quality for the price. The KIAs that followed KIA slacked off from all of that. While I don't know if the hardware improved in more recent years I can only attest from two dealerships that has also slacked off. However, the 2011 Kia Souls in the age when large hamsters drove the cars in the commercials and the car's more curvey "Storm Trooper" shape design from the back is still a fun car.
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so far so good.
tegen, 01/31/2011
2011 Kia Soul ! 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
I have had my Soul for a week and so far I like it. It handles well, Takes wind pretty good, taking a little adjusting since I had a Kia Rio5 before. Its taller then my last car. but has more space for the kids. though it wasn't my first choose. we looked at everything else on the lot. had a hard time getting past how ugly it was. looked at the books for the soul in the dealer ship. dicided it didn't look so bad when it wasn't Green. So we test drove one and now its sitting in my drive way still a little ugly but not so bad since its the Java color.
18 Months... the Paint!!
hamster_rider, 01/27/2013
2011 Kia Soul 4dr Wagon (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
So I've owned my Kia Soul for 18 months, still love driving it, maintenance is a no brainer, however, while washing it today I noticed a fine rusting (white car) on most panels, even the major plastic pieces!! I will be calling Monday for an appointment, I just am putting it out there for others to watch for, I live in Florida so no winter conditions here, no road salt etc. I will update after it gets looked at. Others have posted with paint issues, better safe I guess. The only problem with the car to date is the brake light switch at the pedal failed and it took the dealer 5 days to get me in to replace the switch, which of course was a warranty repair. So no brakes for 5 days