Disclosure: DriveSTI loaned us a Kia Soul for our time in
Orlando. No other compensation was received. As always, opinions and thoughts
are my own.
This post was
written by Joseph Cheo Fontanez aka Atypical Dad
As the valet pulled up to us, upon our arrival in Orlando,
in the Kia Soul, the first thing I took notice of was how much it looked like a
Stormtrooper helmet on wheels. I think because we were in Florida for Star Wars
weekend at Disney I may have had Star Wars on the brain.
My son, Norrin, however noticed something else. “That’s the
hamster car,” he said looking like he was expecting the valet to be just that.
The fun part of driving the Soul was discovering its
features on the fly. I, like many men, dismiss reading instruction manuals and
reference them only in a bind. With the Soul it was one welcome surprise after
another. I have to admit I was not very familiar with the Kia Soul, other than
the aforementioned commercial, so its features were all a mystery to me.
Our initial drive to our hotel was made that much easier
with the in dash navigation unit that was equipped on the Soul we had. It
easily paired via Bluetooth with my iPhone and accessed my contacts making it
easier for us to set destinations either using voice activation or manually.
The head unit in the Soul is also SiriusXM satellite
compatible, and the HD radio provided a crisp clear sound. My favorite feature
was being able to access and play music apps and playlists already on my cell
phone using the Bluetooth audio feature. The dash mounted center speaker
combined with a rear subwoofer and four door mounted speakers were excellent in
being able to handle low bass exceptionally well. If it was Lana Del Rey or Wu
Tang Clan the sound was phenomenal. Add to that the two tower mounted tweeters
which projected clear highs which made my listening to Sinatra feel like I was
in a concert hall.
I was delighted to find at night how much the mood lighting
adds to the driving experience. I only discovered this feature by happenstance
when I spied the lighting knob to the left of the steering column. After I did
driving at night without it on was not an option.
What impressed me most was how much luxury Kia packed in a
car so economical. When I activated the sunroof for the first time I had no
idea that it stretched all the way to the rear seats. It was not only a
surprise to me, but also to my son who was seated in the rear. It made driving
under a starry night sky that much more engaging. In addition to the comfort of
the plush leather seating of the Soul my boy had a hard time staying awake
watching those very stars.
The electronic power steering was intuitive and made for a
driving experience that felt more at home in a car that possesses a higher sticker
price. I was also surprised at how smooth and comfortable the ride of the Soul
was. At times it felt as if it was driving itself.
I have to say that the week we spent in Florida provided us
with some great memories and some good times. Driving the Kia Soul added to
those good times. It’s just a fun car to drive.
Disclosure: DriveSTI loaned us a Kia Soul for our time in Orlando. No other compensation was received. As always, opinions and thoughts are my own.
Labels: #FamiliaTravels, Atypical Dad, Kia, Kia Soul, Sponsored Posts
