5 Reasons the Kia Soul Is Severely Underrated
The Kia Soul doesn’t get the credit that it deserves. Is it the best subcompact SUV in its segment? Maybe not. It surely isn’t the quickest or even the most efficient. Still, the Soul has a certain wow factor that allows it to stand out from most other subcompact SUVs. Here’s why the 2023 Kia Soul is underrated and why more consumers should consider the quirky SUV.
Why the Kia Soul is underrated
- Incredibly affordable
- Great trim options
- Very efficient
- Wide variety of colors
- Great standard safety features
How much does the Kia Soul cost?
The Kia Soul starts at $19,890. It’s one of the few subcompact SUVs with a starting price under $20,000 before taxes and additional fees. The table below shows the different prices of Soul configurations before taxes and additional fees:
| Kia Soul LX | $19,890 |
| Kia Soul S | $22,390 |
| Kia Soul GT-Line | $23,490 |
| Kia Soul EX | $24,190 |
The subcompact SUV comes in four trims. Its LX configuration is the most affordable, but it’s also the most barebones.
Kia’s Soul EX configuration offers the most value for the money. It comes standard with Tricot cloth seat trim, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and heated side mirrors. Additionally, the Soul EX features a smart key with a push-button start, a power sunroof, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
If you want the best the Soul nameplate has to offer, the EX is the way to go. For those who don’t want to spend upwards of $24K on a 2023 Kia Soul, the subcompact SUV still has plenty of great standard safety and driver assistance features on lower trim levels.
Kia Soul: Standard safety and driver assistance features
The 2023 Kia Soul has standard forward collision avoidance assistance with pedestrian/cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, and electronic stability control. Furthermore, it has standard hill-start assist control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and electronic brake-force distribution. Just because a subcompact SUV is cheap doesn’t mean it has to skimp on the standard safety and driver assistance features. This is yet another reason why the Soul should get more credit.
How many miles per gallon does the Kia Soul get?
Kia’s subcompact SUV gets 28 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. It achieves 30 miles per gallon combined. Additionally, the 2023 Kia Soul has a 14.3-gallon tank size. It can travel for roughly 436 miles on a full tank of gas.
What are the Soul paint colors?
A vehicle’s color options may not be a big deal to some consumers, but many drivers are very particular about the color of their vehicles. After all, drivers can keep new vehicles for over a decade. If you plan on driving something for years to come, it’s nice to have a few good color options to choose from.
The 2023 Kia Soul LX base model comes in Steel Gray, Inferno Red, Mars Orange, and Gravity Gray. Consumers can pay an extra $345 for the Snow White Pearl or Fusion Black colors. Kia’s subcompact SUV is a shining star in its segment that shouldn’t be underestimated.
