Return Of The Hamsters: The New Kia Soul TV Commercial

When you create an award-winning ad, the impulse is to go back and do it again. Which usually works about as well as your typical Hollywood sequel. Transformers 2, say.

But this? Hit. Massive home run hit. It begins airing tomorrow (Friday, May 28). But you can start burning it into your brain now.

And if you want to indulge your inner hamster, you could start by dressing like them. Go here.

Read more »

Nissan Cube SL Review

It's been nine months since our last drive in a Nissan Cube...and we've learned one thing. With this vehicle, a lot depends on how you equip it.

Last time around, it was a very sparsely equipped base model. This time around, Nissan sent the SL ($17,130), which gets you interior upgrades, a nice AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with 8 speakers, Bluetooth and premium grade seat fabric. Makes a huge difference.

                        

And Nissan went even further...the SL Preferred Package ($1800) brought Nissan Intelligent Key, a pushbutton ignition, a further upgrade to the audio system with a color display and USB connectivity, six upgraded speakers with a Rockford Fosgate woofer, XM satellite radio, a rearview camera, and fog lights.

The Ginormous Package (really...$2500) added an Aero kit, 20-color interior accent lighting, illuminated stainless steel kick plates, a custom grille, hood molding accent, chrome front fascia accent, cargo area protector and an 8-piece interior trim applique set that goes around the HVAC vents other spots on the dash with a faux carbon fiber look.

And, for $250, the Interior Designer Package gets the carpeted floormats, carpeted cargo area mat, shag dash topper and front door bungees (for securing plush traveling companions, don't you know).

Oh, yeah...and $100 for a vehicle alarm impact sensor.

That and destination charges get you to $22,330. Which is a lot of money for a car that competes primarily in the $15-18K segment with the Kia Soul and Scion xB.  But it was very, very likeable. To the point that both my wife and daughter were talking about how they'd be perfectly fine with one of these (hint, hint).

I will say that it is enormously comfortable (aided by the better fabrics), far roomier and more cargo-capable than you'd expect, and peppier (there is no better word) than the continuously variable transmission mated to an engine with a 122 horsepower rating would have you believe. But the value equation at 22 and change is a hard sell...at least to me.

EPA estimates: 27 city/31 highway.

Read more »

Kia Soul Sport Review

Soul. Korea.

Not a typo. Not talking about Seoul, the capital city...but the latest import from Korea, the Kia Soul.

Number one question I got from people during the week I had it: "What IS it?"

Answer: A very roomy, reasonably powered and very fun car.

The exterior styling looks better (at least to me) in person than in pictures. The interior, I think, deserves an award. The designer, who came from Audi, found a way to distract from a low budget with inventive textures and colors. It's a mood elevator...and probably makes the Soul feel more fun than it actually is. But that's okay. Flip through enough car magazines and you'll find automotive journalists busting very fast cars because they don't feel that fast. It works both ways.

$16,950 base. The tester had one option...a sunroof for $700. That and $695 freight gets us to $18,345. That's $351 more than the Scion xB I tested (which didn't have a sunroof). And the Soul gets better gas mileage (EPA estimated 24 city/30 highway to the xB's 22/28).

As I noted in the xB review, this segment's getting crowded...the Soul, xB, Honda Element and Nissan Cube all aiming for trendy young drivers....but I think Kia has the edge.

UPDATE: Did an additional week in the Kia Soul Exclaim (which is actually printed as just an exclamation point...as in "Kia Soul !"). Pretty much the same deal as the Kia Soul Sport, except the Sport gets a sport-tuned suspension which the ! doesn't, the ! gets body color front and rear bumpers while the Sport gets "Unique front and rear bumper fascias"...and the $700 optional power sunroof in the Sport is standard in the !. Either one's a strong candidate for the segment.

Read more »