BY CRICKET COLLISTER

Everyone has a dream car. Some may be a cool convertible, others a Jeep. My dream car is a Kia Soul. Despite my personal admiration for the cube sized vehicle, they are generally disliked. “They are literally so ugly,” says Mariemont High school Senior, Cali Curro. Other opinions are less aggressive, like those of Junior Braylin Ludwig. “They’re not the worst, but bright colored ones are tacky,” says Ludwig. While most people can only admire the outward appearance of these cars, let’s take a deeper dive into their function. 

The Kia Soul was released in 2008 by the South Korean company. Since then, the model has stayed pretty similar with new yearly features. The 2021 model has Apple Carplay, a backup camera, Bluetooth, USB compatibility, cruise control and more, according to the official Kia website. The gas tank can be filled with 14.3 gallons of gasoline, giving you 25-27 city miles with 31-33 highway miles. The car has an Automatic Braking System, child locks, Vehicle stability management along with airbags. All of these features contribute to the amazing functionality of the vehicle.

Along with this, the new model has 6 new colors including: Inferno Red, Snow White Pearl, Mars Orange, Sparkling Silver, Cherry Black and Gravity Grey.  Other colors include Solar Yellow, Platinum Gold, Neptune Blue and Undercover Green. 

Beyond its features, it has strong reviews. U.S News & World Report gave the Soul a 8.1/10 ranking, and it also won their best compact SUV award. The car also won their 2019 best new car for teens. Praises also include large cargo capacity, user friendly technology, and comfortable, roomy seating. Car and Driver gave the car a 8.5/10 overall review. They complimented the Kia’s gas mileage, its warranty and again it’s cargo space and comfortable seating.

The Kia Soul runs at about 17,490 thousand dollars, with a ten year warranty. Overall, the Soul is well liked by not only reviews but also driver reports. Despite the funny jokes and peoples personal opinions on the car, it proves itself to be a strong vehicle. “After seeing ratings and features, I definitely would understand why people would purchase this car” says Natalee Shriver. With strong specks and safety, the car, despite peoples jokes, is a fantastic car for future consideration. For more interesting Kia Soul and other cube car content, follow @cube.cars.cincinnati VIA Instagram.