Last month I had an awesome opportunity, courtesy of Drive Shop USA and Kia, to park my car in the garage and drive a new ride for my latest adventure. I test drove the 2015 Kia Soul! on my road trip to Fort Lauderdale for the 2015 North American TBEX Conference. I was provided with a vehicle to drive for a week in exchange for my honest feedback on my experience. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by this arrangement. Full disclosure
My Kia Soul! was a very pretty red. I remembered thinking the older models of this little SUV were a bit boxy, but they seem to have made some changes to round it out and make it a bit more sleek.
Here are the highlights of my 2015 Kia Soul! Review:
- Appearance – I loved the red version that I drove. It also comes in green and silver.
- Push to start ignition – Oh you fancy, huh?
- Gas Mileage – Pretty good on gas! It gets 31 miles to the gallon on the highway and 23 mpg city. It kept my road trip to Fort Lauderdale very cost-effective.
- Technology – Bluetooth and Navigation system were easy to use and set up without instruction
- Keyless Entry – In addition to the keyless entry controller, there was also a neat feature where you can open the door handle of the driver’s side door by touching a button on the handle. This is a good safety feature so that you don’t have to fumble with your keys, especially at night or if your hands are full. I did have some concerns because obviously anyone could just open your car door without needing a key. However, they can’t go anywhere because the push to start ignition won’t work without the key present in the car. I’m not sure if that sensor can be disabled but if you considering this car for purchase it’s a good question to ask.
- Rearview camera – The camera provided a wide view and it is a full screen mode on the display screen.
- Sound System – They sound was standard. There was a neat feature of lights on the speakers which change colors randomly or can be set to change with the beat of the music that is playing. This won major cool points with the teenager.
- Interior – The 2015 Kia Soul! had soft leather interior, electric seat controls
- Space – This little ride is deceiving, in a good way. On the outside it seems pretty small. I was very surprised to find that inside it was so spacious. It’s like a clown car! I actually drove some of my other blogger friends to dinner at the conference and everyone said they were impressed and surprised by the space.
- Safety – Dual front airbags, curtain side airbags, front and rear crumple zones
My favorite feature was the panoramic sunroof. When you open that panel and you have a view across the entire vehicle it really is an”oooh” “ahhhh” moment. I would love to have this truck on a camping adventure where you can get away from the lights and civilization and see the millions of stars in the night sky. It’s a really nice touch of wonderment.
I enjoyed my drive experience in the 2015 Kia Soul! While it had plenty of space, I don’t think it fit my personality as a 34 year old Diva Mom. It lacked that certain air of sophistication that I look for in a car at this stage in life. However 25 year old me would have bought one in a heart beat. I think this is a great option for the young twenty somethings or even your teen. I would certainly consider it when I’m in the market for car shopping for my son.
Lauren G. , Outdoorsy Diva™
“Adventure is a lifestyle.”
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