Let’s be real here. With a family full of kiddos, we have no need for a luxury car or a sports car. My husband needs a good commuter vehicle to get to and from work so we can pay the bills, y’all. What we need is something that will be dependable, affordable, and hopefully fun to drive. The 2014 Kia Soul ! perfectly fits the bill.
*I was provided a 2014 Kia Soul ! to test drive for a week to facilitate this post. All opinions and pictures are my own.
2014 Kia Soul ! Rocks the Commute
With 23 City and 31 Highway MPG, it’s a great option for a commuter. Not only that, but the Kia Soul ! starts at $20,300 and comes with a ton of standard features that really rock. (Note, that this is the ! option. There is the base Soul, and then there is a + or a ! These are the different trims available. Compare Kia Soul Trims to see how they are different.) This is an SUV that drives and feels like a car, which we love!
It was my hubby’s week to do the commute to work, so he and his coworkers got to drive this baby more than I did. The comments I heard most were how comfortable the seats were, how easy it was to adjust them, and how nice it was to have heat on their butts thanks to the heated seats.
Another feature that my husband loved was the Push-Button Start and Smart Key Remote. With this feature, he could just have the remote in his pocket and the door would easily unlock for him. Then, he just stepped on the break and pressed Start to get the vehicle up and ready to roll. This is an awesome feature for him, because he doesn’t have to fidget with keys and isn’t getting poked in the side with a metal key.
I also liked that feature, because I could just keep the Smart Key Remote in my purse and be able to open the doors without trying to find it from the bottom of that purse. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about. The second you stick a key, or anything else important, into your bag, it immediately goes for a weird bottom crevice that is the last place you could possibly find it and you end up wasting all sorts of time. This feature is convenient because as long as it is close by, the door and car work seamlessly. Whew!
The Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity was amazing, because my husband uses his phone for everything on his drive to work. From phone calls to texts to directions and podcasts, he uses it a lot. The Bluetooth made this seamless and a lot easier to handle than his current system, which includes a lot of time fiddling with a cord and touchscreen. Notice the controls on the steering wheel. Smart!
Another feature that we actually both loved in this car was the Rear-Camera Display. We try to park in our garage as much as possible. When we do park in there, it’s almost impossible to really see what’s behind and a little to the side by just eyeballing it. With so many kids in the neighborhood, I’m always worried I’m about to run into a bike or scooter or child when I back out. With the Rear-Camera Display in the Kia Soul ! I was able to easily see if there was anything or anyone behind me.
2014 Kia Soul ! Pumps Up the FUN Factor
My husband said this was also extremely helpful for him at work with the parking lot situation. A lot of times, it’s a tight squeeze in there and it’s hard to really judge how far you are from other vehicles when backing out to leave. This feature was a huge help.
The sunroof is no joke! I’ve been in other vehicles that tout having a sunroof and it’s this dinky little rectangle that lets in a little inkling of light. Not this one! Oh, no, this bad boy is huge and brought some gorgeous sunlight in for every passenger to enjoy! You can even open it up a little for some fresh air and a little breeze. When it’s not in use, you simply cover it right back up and you are back to your regularly scheduled interior programming. 😉 I love how everything is as simple as a quick little push of a button and your car is stylin’.
While we had the 2014 Kia Soul, there was a bit of an ice situation. That didn’t stop me from needing to go out and get some Chinese food from my favorite local joint. When I got outside, I noticed that there was a layer of ice on the windshield. Instead of actually getting out and scraping it (and have freezing fingers!? GASP! No!), I chose to sit in the driver’s seat with the defrost and the radio on until it was melted away enough to use the windshield wipers to clear a path for my eyes to be able to check out the road.
While I waited, which was literally about 4 minutes, I checked out the heated seats – love it – and messed around with the mood lighting. The mood lighting was a really fun feature. When I left the house, it was still pretty light, but by the time my food was ready, it was pitch black.
Apparently ice storms bring out the Chinese food lover in everyone in the neighborhood, because it seriously took for.e.v.e.r. to get my food. This was unfortunate, because I had actually left the house in jammies and house slippers. Imagine how horrified my kids would have been if I had taken one with me. Thankfully, I went alone so that I could just take all the horrified stares on my own. I have 4 kids, I’m not worried about what the neighborhood folks think of my take out food clothes. 🙂 I was, however, a bit worried about getting my food. My house slippers had very little tread and I just knew I was going to fall on my butt on the way to the car. I am proud to say, I didn’t fall.
Once I made it back to the car, the mood lighting became a fun treat. Let’s be honest, I don’t get out (alone) much. Watching them change from color to color was soothing and exciting as I jammed out to “Timber” on that drive home. Again, I don’t mind the horrified stares, so my 2014 Kia Soul concert kind of rocked it.
2014 Kia Soul ! is Practical for Families
The Kia Soul seats 5, and it is easy to adjust the front seats for the ultimate comfort. Additionally, the back seats will fold down all the way, and also do a 60/40 split for carrying around large items.
Two of my kids went with my to the grocery store, and we had plenty of room for our load of groceries from Aldi in the back. Not only that, but their booster seats fit easily in the back seats. Some vehicles have a hard time with boosters because they are too narrow, but we had no troubles in the roomy back seat of the Kia Soul!
The 2014 Kia Soul holds an Overall 5-Star Crash Safety Rating from the NHTSA. A safe vehicle is a no-brainer, especially for busy families that need a reliable vehicle that will safely get them to and from their destinations!
Not only that, but “Kia Soul has a higher residual value than any other vehicle in the Subcompact Utility Vehicle Segment” according to ALG. That’s an important thing to note for families like ours where every dollar counts.
We Enjoyed Driving and Riding in the 2014 Kia Soul !
I’ll admit, it was hard going back to our regular vehicles after giving the 2014 Kia Soul ! a try. When we start shopping around for a new commuter vehicle for my husband, this one will definitely be in the running. The features are great, the mileage is good, and it’s a solid overall value that is in our family’s budget.
Oh, and because you can’t talk about the Kia Soul without thinking about it…. Here are the hamsters:
Amy Greene says
Wow I didn’t know the Kia Soul had so many cool features! I love the cool changing options, so I can change according to my mood for the day.
Amy Greene recently posted…7 Homemade Green Cleaning Products You Can Make For Pennies