I Want SoulFollow

This is my third time car shopping. The last two time were like false pregnancies. This is the real deal. I'm getting a new car. I figure I've got two weeks before the hubby slams the window shut on me.

I'm going little as opposed to hybrid. I really like the Soul. Anyone know anything about them?

Other considerations are the Hyundai Elantra, the 2012 Focus, Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2 or 3, Honda Fit.

The Soul's pretty cute eh?

There's the whole 'Kia' thing though. I looked at one once at a dealership like 10 years ago. I broke the back seat. I'm a bitty little-weakling, so this has never sat well with me.

I expected references to fried chicken.

Edit: I was way too distracted by the dancing BBall Hamster.

Edited, Jul 21st 2011 2:02pm by lolgaxe

I have a Honda Fit. I've had it for almost a year and I love the crap out of it. It's a great little car, and perfect for what we need. I wanted to go hybrid, but we just couldn't afford it.

I currently drive a 2007 Mazda 3 that I bought new in the model year. I have had no major maintenance problems with it, it gets great gas mileage, it's actually fairly roomy for a compact, and it has more get-up-and-go than comparable cars that I test drove (Corolla, Civic, etc.).

I fall short of highly recommending it only because I don't know how the model has held up in the past 4 years, but consult the annual Consumer's Report car issue; that magazine is priceless when shopping for a new car.

I drive a Mazda now. I like the way they handle. I've never had any serious problems with it. It's a Protege which is basically the same size as the Mazda 3. I've had snow issues with it. It's ten years old now with about 175k miles, and rust.

The Soul has a bit longer wheel base, and bigger tires than the other teeny cars. Seems like it might do a little better with adverse road conditions. Also, it supposedly has good passenger room. We'll see. And it's cheap inexpensive. My husband will attempt to sit in the back seat. If he doesn't fit, it'll likely be a no-go.

It's so cute.

KIA = killed in action

Which means you and your passengers' bodies will absorb the force of the change in momentum... instead of the car's crumple zone safety-cushion outside of a roll cage.

Your heir can inherit your lovely unscratched car.

That's really not the direction I saw the post going.

The Soul is not appealing to me. I think you're responding to the dancing rodent.

IIRC Kias got an overhaul around 2005 so they have gotten better. I have a 2006 Kia Sedona and it still runs like new and have had no issues with it.

Me too! :)


On the whole "smaller/cuter car" angle though, I know a couple people who own a Honda Fit and they're pretty happy with it. It's got decent room inside for the size outside, and lots of little gizmos inside (although I suppose some are optional). That's kinda the angle that market is going for. For the most part, the issues with some brand reliability problems are resolved these days. Global economy means that the parts in a car are often made locally anyway regardless of the national origin of the company/brand.

So pick what you like that fits in your price range. Nowadays, unless you're buying some exotic off-brand, you're going to get pretty similar service/performance on any car. In many cases, the same parts are used in multiple models often even across companies. In many cases, the only difference between a half dozen different cars is appearance.

Shame they don't make these cheaper, considering.

My Soul is denim. It's got a pretty kick-*** stereo, but no sunroof.

Edited, Jul 25th 2011 3:30am by Elinda