Used 2020 Kia Soul Consumer Reviews
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The 2020 Soul LX...Rare: Value without Compromise
Happy Wanderer, 07/02/2019
2020 Kia Soul LX 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
270 of 276 people found this review helpful
Purchased the base model LX w/ the CVT transmission 4 weeks ago, and have already taken it "out west" on a road trip that thoroughly tested it's performance, comfort, and utility. We are pleased with our purchase with no regrets. While previous owners love their older model year Souls, the 2020 Soul is a completely different vehicle. I had previously test driven the first two generations of the Soul, and opted for other vehicles instead due to the base engine not having enough power for the frame. The current (2020) 2.0 L, 4 banger engine paired with the CVT just work well together. Where the old base model engines struggled at highway speeds, and the old transmissions clunked at key freeway speeds, the new base engine and transmission are smooth and effortless. The only thing that challenged our Soul base box at all was driving the Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park...one of the highest altitude roads in the world. Even then, the Soul did just fine, the engine just had to work a little harder, but the vehicle handled beautifully. Once you add the 2020 base powertrain to the superior engineering of the vehicle, it's probably the best value vehicle on the market. The Soul's fantastic roominess, and cargo capacity engineered into such a small footprint, combined with it's new sleeker and funky style, industry leading infotainment system (included in the base model price!), and best in the business warranty make this purchase a no brainer. Once you consign yourself to considering a value purchase, take a test drive, and the quality, comfort, and pleasure of driving the vehicle will sell itself. My recommendation is not to opt up to the turbo version. The new base model engine and transmission together are adequate to the point of feeling "peppy" in normal driving, and the base model (LX) inside and outside look and feel refined. You may want to opt up to a just slightly higher S trim to gain active driving safety features and alloy wheels. To me, everything after that is cosmetic, adding more money to the price than what you get back in value and options. The LX and S models are finished enough, with enough features and quality driving performance to feel infinitely much more upscale than they actually are. Every time we drive this vehicle, we can't help but feel pleased with the product, and thrilled by the relatively small price paid for it compared to anything comparable on the market.
2020 Kia Soul LX
techguy, 08/03/2019
2020 Kia Soul LX 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
129 of 133 people found this review helpful
I went with the LX trim with automatic transmission because I got a great deal on one at my local dealership. I've owned mine for a few weeks now. I was impressed with the space and seat comfort for being such a compact car. It feels way bigger than it is when you are inside the vehicle. I can fit 3 of my best friends in mine without issues and they are big dudes. The smallest one is around 275 pounds at 6 foot 2 inches. The vehicle handles very well, the 2 liter is surprisingly peppy, and that has a lot to do with the new ivt. It is a really smooth and the power band change is very quick when you put the peddle down. I am extremely impressed with the transmissions response time. Makes the car feel a lot faster than it actually is. The ride is a bit on the firm side even in my base trim. If you are on a bunch of uneven pavement. You are going to feel it. It is very refined on smooth pavement. I used to drive a sports car as my daily driver so it honestly feels similar to my old car. Not a bad thing, but it is a warning for people in rougher rode conditions. I live in Tennessee. We have a bunch of mountains, but our roads are decent. I've had no issues in my area. Handles slopes better than expected. The base LX trim comes with android auto/apple car play. It is a basic system, but definitely a nice addition. Play around with the equalizer for the speakers. They have a nice amount of bass if you tune it right. A surprise for an entry level model. I actually don't feel the need to upgrade the sound system. AC is important to me. I hate being hot in a vehicle. They got one heck of a good AC unit in this car and the fan speed will blow your hair back. People never mention AC in their reviews, but I do. The new redesign looks fantastic. It looks like a baby land rover. I do recommend the base 2 liter engine over the turbo from a reliability stand point. A turbo is fine if you take care of it, but a regular engine will take more abuse without all the fuss. It has plenty of power to do what you need with the base engine. Try them both out and see what you think. The LX trim does also offer remote start if purchased from the factory. Mine did not come with it, but I love that feature. Going to add remote start to mine at a later date.
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The S model: my perfect car
Desert Rat, 09/10/2019
2020 Kia Soul S 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
150 of 155 people found this review helpful
Get the S model for safety features. It’s easy to slide in and out. No sinking down into a pit, no climbing up steps. Easy on the back. Neck fusion? The high roof means you don't have to twist neck sideways while tilting down to avoid hitting frame. This is exactly the car I have been looking for. Just a second car, I didn’t want to spend too much, and thought I wouldn’t get a ride as comfortable or powerful as the departing 2013 Camry for the high teen$. I first insisted the replacement have the basic safety features, blind spot and rear cross traffic monitoring. No other small car has it. I found the Soul did, and even better the S model adds Forward and Rear Collision braking, and Lane Keeping Assist. 5 star safety rating! Next requirement was comfort for bad backs. The Camry wasn’t bad but the Soul is more supportive. Then power. Was very surprised at the pep of this new engine, being significantly below 200 Hp. Totally satisfying and I really like my first CVT. It’s very smooth and you can’t hear that asinine fake shifting noise manufacturers put on CVT cars for no known good reason - Unless you are pushing the engine really hard. Roominess. AMAZED at how cavernous this car feels when you get in. The square design makes it wide and high on the inside. Leg room for rear passengers is a bit better than most larger SUVs. The rear seats just as comfortable as front. They don’t waste space with a big trunk usually never used. Put down the rear seats if you need to carry and you have a box truck to load. Fun to drive. Kind of like a souped up golf cart. You may not like Lane Keeping Assist as it keeps jarring you to get to the center. [Actually it totally steers itself as long as you have white lines defining the lane @ 40 mph+, but it releases after about 12 seconds without human input]. You can elect to use just warning instead or turn it off. Its the same in every car made with this feature so you may be used to it already. It has very little body roll and smooths the bumps out better than the Camry. They’ve come a long way in suspensions since 2013. Nice... it doesn’t have exactly the features I hate! Some of my annoyances that are usually stuck on every car aren't on this including but not limited to: Sunroof- in the hot desert I don't need the sun beating down fighting the AC through cardboard headliners; Automatic Climate Control - you know, the ones that cant get it right so you have to manually adjust them anyhow. This has the good old set your temperature out of the vents (with knobs, by the way, not flat buttons you cant feel) and that’s what the cabin temperature will be. Automatic transmission - I like smooth manuals instead of the shifting feeling of automatics so this smooth CVT is welcome. The ridiculously stupid pretend shift sound/feeling manufacturers put in CVT cars is thankfully barely noticeable in this car. And THANKS for not putting those totally stupid steering wheel shifters in the car. Try shifting in a turn when you can’t find the paddles! Stupid! Moving on, convenience features like two 12v and a USB outlet are nice, I like the Johnson bar parking brake, tire pressure monitoring and digital information center in the instrument cluster, actual knobs for the radio in addition to those controls on the steering wheel and the ultra bright monitor screen even in daylight6. Comes with Apple Play and Android, (a feature BMW charges $80 a year for after purchase). Sad that it doesn’t have Navigation in this model but the Apple map feature is great. Except here in the mountains/desert where its easy to run out of cell service. Keep a GPS handy if you travel into the nowhere lands. If you need Homelink for your garage door, buy the $250 rear view auto dimming mirror accessory that has those buttons. Seats are manual pump up, retro fun! Outside mirrors and windows are electric. No unnecessary repetitive satellite radio. All told, I love this car. It’s exactly what I’ve wanted and takes a lot less work to drive than my wifes computerized everything but heavenly Q5.
2020 is a game changer...
Don, 04/07/2019
2020 Kia Soul S 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
183 of 190 people found this review helpful
I traded in a 2016 kia soul base for a 2020 kia soul s... My 2016 only had 25000 miles and was in great shape... Absolutely no complaints... Great little car... That being said... This 2020 soul s is world's above the 2016 model in just about every way... Rides better... Handles better... Feels better... Transmission is fantastic... Very smooth exceleration... Much better pick up... This car is maybe the best on the small suv segment... And I've test driven them all... Great value as well... And the S trim comes standard with all the active safety features like lane keep assist... Emergency braking... Blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert and something called driver attention warning... Great car!
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The difference between a tortoise and a hare
Bill Smith, 08/09/2019
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
32 of 32 people found this review helpful
I traded a 2017 Soul Plus 2.0 (AKA Tortoise) for a 2020 Soul GT 2.0. Although they have the same engines. The transmission is what makes the difference. My 2017 was sluggish on take off and would wind out of gear when punched for speed. The 2020 is like a totally different vehicle. Kia really did the soul justice. It handles like a sports car and the acceleration is always there when you need it. No disappointments at all, right down to the two tone black cherry and crimson red paint job. It's a real head turner. Do yourself a favor and go buy one. You will not have one bit of buyers remorse.
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