2024 Kia Soul review
Kia Soul highlights
Customer rating
Pros
- Lower trims are packed with features
- Roomier than rival subcompact SUVs
- Confident handling
Cons
- Wind and road noise can be excessive at highway speeds
- All-wheel drive is not available
Mileage (EPA estimate)
28 city, 33 highway, 30 combined
Pricing for current inventory
(no current inventory)
The 2024 Kia Soul is the last of its unique kind
The Kia Soul is one of the few remaining boxy compact hatchbacks that emerged roughly a decade ago. Competitors like the Scion xB and Nissan Cube are long gone (though still available used), which leaves the current Kia Soul to compete with subcompact SUVs such as the Hyundai Venue and the Chevrolet Trailblazer. This third-generation Kia Soul was introduced in 2020. It continued Kia's trend of smoothing out the Soul's boxier edges and further evolved the styling when it was lightly updated in 2023.
The 2024 Kia Soul is mostly unchanged from the prior year. An EX Designer package was introduced this year. It adds 18-inch alloy wheels, combination cloth, and synthetic leather seats, plus the Umber Interior Color package. Additionally, Soul models equipped with a smart key also include a new sleep mode that activates 40 seconds after locking the vehicle, to prevent hackers from duplicating the smart key frequency.
Overall, the Soul is still a budget-priced small car that offers tremendous value from its available features, spacious cabin, and useful cargo area
All Kia Soul years
5 reasons to buy the 2024 Kia Soul
What We Like
Roomy cabin: Though the Soul is a subcompact car, it has a surprisingly spacious interior. There is plenty of leg- and headroom in the front and rear. Four adults should have no problem taking trips in this car. While the middle seat is narrow, the center passenger's legs should be relatively comfortable since the transmission tunnel does not intrude on the floor.
Cargo space: The Soul's cargo area measures 24.2 cubic feet without its false floor, which is class-leading. However, it does create a large hump at the base of the rear seats when folded. Using the false floor creates a nearly flat load surface with the seats folded, but the space behind the second row decreases to 18.7 cubic feet.
Drivability: Maximum acceleration from the 2.0-liter engine is a bit lacking, but its power feels perfectly adequate around town. The Soul's steering feels responsive and its cornering abilities are better than you might expect. In most cases, the continuously variable transmission (CVT) feels like a traditional automatic, which means smooth shifts and acceleration.
What Needs Improvement
Fuel economy: The EPA estimates the Soul gets 30-31 mpg in combined city and highway driving. While these numbers are on par with most competitors, the Soul's mileage figures came up short during Edmunds' real-world driving evaluation test.
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Ratings & reliability
RepairPal gave the Kia Soul an overall reliability rating of 4 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Excellent. This rating ranks Kia Soul 3rd out of 8 among Subcompact SUVs.
RepairPal reports that the average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a Kia Soul is $401, compared to an average of $442 for Subcompact SUVs and $591 for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
According to RepairPal, Kia Soul owners bring their vehicles into a repair shop for unscheduled repairs an average of 0.7 times per year, compared to an average of 0.7 times for Subcompact SUVs and 1.3 times for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
RepairPal reported that the probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 10% for the Kia Soul, compared to an average of 12% for Subcompact SUVs and 14% for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Kia Soul features and specs
LX 2WD 4D Hatchback
Standard Features
- ABS Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- AM/FM Stereo
- Automatic Transmission
- Cruise Control
- Lane Departure Warning
- Overhead Airbags
- Power Locks
- Power Mirrors
- Power Windows
- Rear Defroster
- Rear View Camera
- Side Airbags
- Traction Control
Drive Wheels
Front Wheel Drive (2WD)
Engine size
2.0L
Horsepower
147
Torque (ft-lbs)
132
Engine type
Gas
Fuel capacity
14.3
Wheelbase
102.4"
Overall length
165.2"
Width
70.9"
Height
63"
Leg room
F 41.1"/R 38.8"
Head room
F 39.9"/R 39.5"
Front tires
P205/60HR16
Rear tires
P205/60HR16
Seating capacity
5
Transmission
Automatic
2024 Kia Soul FAQ
The 2024 Kia Soul is available in multiple trims, each with its own estimated fuel economy, here are the EPA estimates for each trim:
- LX : 29 MPG City and 35 MPG Highway
- S : 29 MPG City and 35 MPG Highway
- EX : 28 MPG City and 33 MPG Highway
- GT-Line : 28 MPG City and 33 MPG Highway
The Kia Soul received a rating of 4 out of 5 stars from RepairPal, which RepairPal describes as Excellent. This rating ranks the Kia Soul as 2 out of 8 among Subcompact SUV
The 2024 Kia Soul has received an average 3.0 out of 5 stars from our customers. If you're in the market for a 2024 Kia Soul, check out reviews from customers just like you. 2024 Kia Soul Reviews.
Here is what's new for the 2024 Kia Soul:
- Tow Hitch
- Lane Departure Warning
- Power Seat(s)
We hope you found this information helpful. This content is intended to inform and is not meant to indicate that a particular vehicle is currently available or recommended for you.
Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.
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