2018 Kia Soul EV Initial impressions & hints/tips requested

Discussion in 'Kia Soul EV' started by Mattsburgh, Aug 6, 2020.

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  1. I bought a 2018 EV+ with the Sun & Fun package yesterday and thought I'd give a short review, while also asking if anyone has any hints or tips. Just things like.... paint you've used to fix rock chips, settings that people sometimes miss or aren't aware of, common problems and fixes, etc.

    Anyway, 2 days in I have to say I really love the car. I have a 2019 Kona Electric so I guess it might help to compare the two a bit as well. The Soul is extremely easy to get in and out of, very comfy seats and great driving position. I'd even say getting in and out is easier than it is with the Kona, but the seats in the Kona might be a bit nicer. The Soul has auto folding side mirrors - very neat (my Kona doesn't do that!). Trunk space is excellent, great storage underneath for the charger.

    Range seems quite good, full charge GOM gave me 116 miles but I can see from the history the former owner (and Carvana too) were getting 3 miles per kWh and I typically get more like 5, so I hope to see GOM readings around 130 or even 135 in a few weeks once it adjusts to my driving. Plan to hook up my ODB II reader and use my phone to check the battery capacity and other stats but that's a weekend task. The backup camera on this thing is amazing, I haven't put my finger on it yet but I'm pretty sure it's better than my Kona's, I just don't know why. I have to drive both and compare while thinking about it.

    I'll give a longer review in a month or two after I have more to say, if people are interested. It does have several decent rock chips, I'm thinking of buying a kit from "Dr. ColorChip" - my friend did, and said it works really well. But it is pricey, so if anyone has suggestions or has tried the Kia paint pen, I'd be happy to hear about it.

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    Domenick and electriceddy like this.
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  3. I've always liked the Soul well before it was even an EV, especially liked the original as it was much smaller of a car which always gets my attention. They did a nice job with the first EV iteration and you're right about some niceties which the Kona doesn't have, like the charging door and hinged caps over the plug ports. Looking forward to reading more about your experiences with the car. Enjoy!
     
    Mattsburgh likes this.
  4. Paint pen works well on my Kona, I have always gotten the dealer to include a free paint stick upon purchase - or No Sale;)
     
    Mattsburgh likes this.
  5. That thought already went through my head, too! "I like these caps better, wish the Kona had this"
     

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