My neighbor has an old Volvo wagon, an older Saab, and a spring chicken Nissan truck that has to be around 13 years old.

The first two are very safe unless you crash into a Renault Modus or some other modern ‘very high strength steel’ structure traveling at 35+ mph speed.

The later is a truck. ‘Nuff said.

If you must have safety, buy an old Volvo wagon. Preferably one with the turbo. Save your money for vacations and diapers.

Aren’t they dimmable?

I’m ok with ‘low slung’ in a sports car or sedan, but there’s nothing sillier and less pleasant than the ass-on-the-road seating position of a late-nineties Civic or Corolla.

A Corolla. Think about it. Why the hell should a Corolla be low and sleek? Low and sleek translates to cramped and uncomfortable for most people.

I’m ok with high-roofers like this, but what I don’t like is when manufacturers raise the ride height and floor to give the sensation of butchness. Compare the useless interior space of lifted wagons liked the Outback or high-floor crossovers like the CRV next to the 5, Rondo, this Kia or the upcoming Cube. Tall roofs are great. Eight inches of ground clearance on a car that’ll tackle nothing more serious than a lump of snow at the end of the driveway is not.

I tried to do the same. We’re expecting more children—we have one already, another due in two months and we’ll likely try for a third two or so years from now—and I tried so very hard to avoid a minivan not because they’re uncool but because they’re just so damn big.

At the time, I owned a Saab 9-3 (the first iteration, with the hatch) and it works for one or two kids assuming they’re both in front-facing carseats. As soon as you have one rear-facing (and most people will and should, as it’s a safer position) you lose front-seat room for any but the shortest drivers. I looked at cars like this, such used xBs that are available in Canada, the Element, small crossovers, wagons, and such as a solution to the rear-facing problem and tall cars like the Soul and Element do work.

The problem is people and stuff: a stroller is large, and you’ll likely be taking it around a lot in the first year or so. And then there’s the stuff that children require you pack, especially for more than a day’s trip. The token, little space in the back of something like the Soul or Fit will not cut it. I stuffed the Saab to the rafters on trips to see relatives (40cu.ft). The Soul? No chance.

So I looked at a Sienna and said, effectively, screw it, it may be big, it may be dramamine on wheels, but as a parent it works so well on so many levels that it’s just not worth compromising on. I picked up a used one last week, and it’s brilliant. Little touches like sliding doors, space for friends, four sets of childseat anchors, zillions of storage nooks, tons of space. If you have three or so kids on the way, there’s a reason why minivans just work.

My suggestion. If you’re expecting two or three kids, get a real van at best or a Rondo/5 if you must (the cargo space in either microvan is problematic). The Soul will just piss you off as a multiperson carrier.

I figured I’ll get through parenthood and buy myself something nice when everyone starts moving out. My neighbour subscribed to that, and I think he likes his Miata all the more for having driven Caravans and Astros for the last twenty years.

Down here we have some other options in terms of boxy cars. Would much rather get a Fiat Doblò Adventure or Renault Kangoo (and in fact would love to. Think they fit my moment in time much better than that overpriced Fiat thingy).

Nice write-up. Though I think many are overlooking how Mr. Nierdermeyer said the ride is onone too great. If in US I’d look at the Nissan Cube 1st if i were in market for this kind of car.

By marginally educated I was thinking of State School student who majored in something usefull.

http://www.vw.com/myvw/vwcredit/firsttimebuyers/en/us/

That’s the plan I used back in ‘98 and it’s still bbeing offered. It’s far more generous than any financing deal you could get on a used car.

$400 a month is a TON of money these days for a young kid. The ones right out of college have student loans to pay, if they can even find a job. The ones who didn’t go to college are unemployed or making $12/hr at some menial job. And good luck getting financing in the current climate. The ones who Mummy and Daddy will buy a car for would not be seen dead in a KIA, they will get VWs and BMWs just like they always have. The lucky few who didn’t go to college AND have decent jobs probably drive pickup trucks.

I mean, I’m a 39yo well-paid computer engineer and “I” don’t fancy a $400/month car payment. I certainly COULD, easily, but I won’t. I’d rather spend the money on my mottly yet interesting fleet of Euro-toys. For what the KIA costs, I could about buy my current Volvo 965, Saab 900SET, Saab Sonnet, and Triumph Spitfire, with some parts money left over.

Huh? Any marginally educated 24 yo old can easily afford a new car. How hard is it to come up with $400 a month?

I predict by next month GM will be gone.
They killed the electric car, they killed their own company.

In other words the Elantra touring *should* have both more passenger space and cargo space.

I hope the speaker lights are easy to disable because I sure as heck would not want them on all the time (or at all for that matter)…nothing a quick disconnect wouldn’t fix, but you shouldn’t have to take them out to turn them off.

KayakerNC: 24/30 with the manual or automatic 2.0 liter. 26/31 for the 1.6 which is manual only and gives up 20 hp.

Full specs available at the Kia site.

Student Driver: Yes, there is a knob with which to control your pulsing speaker lights.

Sitting beside it was a new Borrego with the 4.6l 32v V8. I don’t usually care much for SUVs, but that one was a very nice vehicle inside and out.

God no.

Nice review, Ed.

How does the Soul compare (size wise) to the Elantra Touring? I was always under the impression that the Soul’s underpinnings were based on a smaller, newer platform, but this thing sounds like it’s nearly as big as the Touring.

If this is the case, why would Hyundai cannibalize the sales of the soon-to-be-released Touring with the Soul?

I think that the “old farts” would gravitate towards the Touring (though it will be more expensive), because of its more conservative styling.

i miss the cars of the 90’s, they were so much lower and sleeker. everything is so tall and upright these days, we now have 4 door coupes (CLS, Passat CC etc) to try and bring some sleekness back