When it comes to buying an affordable and quality car, the Kia Soul is quite a popular choice. However, as an off-road enthusiast, you would wonder are Kia Souls all-wheel drive or not.
The answer is no, they are front-wheel drive which isn’t the best choice for offroading. So, is it still worth buying a Kia Soul?
Let’s get down to the details and see whether you should still get a Kia Souls even if it’s not an AWD. And if you are a hardcore offroader, what are the other choices from Kia with AWD?
Why Should You Get a Kia Soul?
The thing about Kia Souls is that it’s a pretty good car, even though it’s an FWD. Several different reasons make it an option worth trying out. Let’s check out some reasons for buying a Kia Soul.
Powerful upgradable engine
The latest 2022 Kia Soul has a 147-HP four-cylinder 2.0-liter in-line engine, which is pretty decent. But the fact that you can upgrade the engine to a 201-HP turbocharged 4-cylinder engine just makes it even better than usual.
Available in gas and electric versions
Kia Souls used to come in two different versions, one that ran on gas and the other electric. The electric versions aren’t available anymore. Still, you can get a used one, specifically from the 2020 model, as they were the best KIA Souls EV.
If electricity is not your thing, you can get the gas version like usual. Both versions drive very well and provide a great experience.
Excellent budget-friendly choice
One of the key factors for purchasing a KIA Soul is its value for money aspect. The car isn’t expensive at all, considering the kind of value it’s able to provide.
KIA Soul lineup in 2023 starts with pricing lower than $20,000, which is surprising considering the quality and performance it provides. You can hardly find a car of such quality at this price.
Advanced safety features
Safety will never be your concern with the Kia Souls because of all its safety features. In the 2022 KIA Souls version, you will get safety features like driver attention warnings, electronic stability control, lane change, and keep assist.
Along with that, you get a tire pressure monitoring system, anti-lock brake system, and hill-start assist control. And there are even more safety features after that.
Related: Are Stretched Tires Safe – Should You Go For It?
Comes with a great interior appearance
The stylish interior appearance is another factor that makes the KIA Souls quite popular. It has a very nice feel to the interior of the car, considering how low the price of the car is.
Especially in the new 2023 KIA Souls, the new steering wheel, combined with the digital instrument, gives it a futuristic look. Overall, the car has a very funky and stylish appearance inside.
Smart features available
The technological advancement in the Kia Souls is truly beyond expectations. In the 2023 KIA Souls, you can expect the latest infotainment system, which includes plenty of connectivity features like Apple car play. It also has support for Android Auto.
Besides that, a Harman Kardon audio system is available, and a very high-resolution camera as backup. You also get a wireless charging pad on the car, which is a sure surprise. And finally, the ambient lighting just brings up the car’s aesthetics.
Large cargo space
Kia Souls has more than enough space for 5 people to fit comfortably in the car. The cargo is also quite spacious. On the back of the seats, you can get about 18.8 cubic feet of space. And the best part is you can increase that to 61.3 cubic feet. It’s more than you can ask from a car this size.
Good fuel economy
On top of everything else, the fuel economy is exceptionally good on the Kia Souls. With the intelligent variable transmission on the car, it can provide great fuel economy along with a smooth driving experience.
Also, if you upgrade the 6-speed to a 7-speed dual-clutch, you can get the best of everything. It becomes thrilling to drive and saves fuel at the same time.
Are the Kia Souls Good for Snow And Off-Road?
Since the Kia Souls aren’t all-wheel drives, they aren’t the best-suited car for snowy or off-road conditions. Although, you will still have a decent experience while driving the Kia Soul in regular off-road and moderate snowy conditions.
First of all, the ground clearance on the Kia Souls is pretty good, being 6.7 inches. It allows you to drive through snowy roads without getting stuck. The ground clearance also helps out a lot in some moderate off-road conditions.
As long as you are using well-treaded tires, you can drive in both snowy and off-road conditions. But that’s only suitable for light conditions. You can’t get by with a Kia Soul in heavy off-roading or heavy snow conditions.
So, if you want to drive in such conditions, getting a car with a wheel drivetrain is better than Kia Souls.
Who should avoid the Kia Souls?
Well, we talked about the reasons for buying Kia Souls, and there are many of them. However, not everyone will enjoy having the car just because of its affordability. Below are some aspects of the car that some people might not like about it.
No all-wheel drive option
Of course, any hardcore off-road enthusiast will sway away from the Kia Souls, because it’s not an all-wheel drive. No matter how good the car performs, it just can’t match the capabilities of an AWD when it comes to off-roading or driving the car through heavy snowy roads.
Not the greatest of looks
Even though the car’s interior is astonishingly good, the exterior is just as ugly. It doesn’t have any appeal to it from the exterior and has a pretty boring appearance to it. Young people won’t enjoy the looks of the car at all and if you are someone like that, you might avoid it as well.
Too much wind and road noise
One of the major drawbacks of the car is its excessive noise whenever driving at high speeds. If you have some people traveling with you at all times, then this issue may be a bit annoying for them.
May have several issues
If you are someone who can’t like to deal with oil leaking issues and clicking issues, this is surely not the choice for you. A lot of Kia Souls users frequently talked about having oil leaking issues and clicking noises in their cars. So, it’s a pretty common problem with the car.
Questionable build quality
Anyone who cares about build quality specifically plastic parts on a car, should avoid the Kia Souls. Several components in the car are made of plastic taking away from a solid build quality. So, it surely is a deal breaker for such people.
What Are Some AWD Options from Kia?
It’s okay if the Kia Souls aren’t all-wheel drive. There are several different AWD models from Kia. You can check those out for the Kia reliability with the all-wheel drive feature simultaneously. Here are some AWD options from KIA-
| Model | Type |
|---|---|
| Kia Sportage | Compact SUV |
| Kia Seltos | SUV |
| Kia K900 | Full-size sedan |
| Kia Stinger | Compact Sedan |
| Kia Telluride | Full-size SUV |
| Kia K5 | Speedy Sedan |
| Kia Sorento | 7 seat SUV |