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2013 Kia Soul

header-image

Rating8.1

Ranked #1 in

Subcompact Wagon

$14,400 - $19,900

Starting Price

Year

Senior Editor,

Updated on November 3, 2023

Pros	Cons	What's New
User-friendly controls	The automatic transmission is too slow	Bluetooth is now standard standard
Spacious interior	The engine does not feel great	Revised Kia badges
Unique styling		Top Exclaim (!) model gets power-folding mirrors
Fun to drive

Specs & Features

$16,200

price

138 hp @ 6300 rpm

horsepower

123 lb.-ft. @ 4850 rpm

torque

6-Speed Automatic

transmission

1.6L 4cyl FWD 6A

engine

-

basic warranty

Overview

This year, the 2013 Kia Soul gets a few minor feature revisions and stays mechanically the same as it is expected to get a complete overhaul next year. To begin with, the Soul gets the new Kia badges for all models. The Base manual trim now gets Bluetooth connectivity while the Exclaim (!) trim gets power-folding mirrors as standard. The 2013 Kia Soul price starts at $15,200 including a $775 destination fee. The prices are up by $550 over the previous model year.

Featuring a 3-trim lineup of the Soul, the 2013 Kia Soul MSRP can be an expense of $15,200-$20,700 this season. Having said that, it simply translates to the fact that the range-leader 2013 Kia Soul Exclaim (!) will cost you $5,500 more than the base 2013 Soul for enhanced specs and assets.

We Recommend

Unless you got a very tight budget, we would recommend opting for the top-end 2013 Soul Exclaim (!) model. It gets all the creature comforts that one might need on a daily basis and yet retains its affordability.

The 2013 Kia Soul interior is as practical as it can ever get, with plenty of room for passengers and cargo. Apart from that, the impressive 2013 Kia Soul MPG rating is also what makes the wagon stand out in the budget cars segment. While the Honda Fit offers more frugal and reliable ownership, the Soul 2013 offers a more spacious and upmarket cabin than the Chevrolet Sonic. Neither of the two rivals offers the fun driving or the quirky styling element of the Kia Soul.

2013 Kia Soul for sale

The Kia Soul lease deals start at $223/month for a 36-month period and a 10,000-mile annual mileage limit. The Soul finance options also start at an attractive $264/month for a tenure of 60 months at an APR of 3.75%. Both ownership options require a $1,520 down payment while the lease option has an additional acquisition fee of $595.

For budget-oriented buyers, the used Kia Soul can be availed of with a base price of $1,999. Going for older model years like the 2011 Kia Soul could be a matter of $2,497 and Kia Soul 2011 can cost as much as $15,999 along with a listing of up to 287 in total.

Buying Advice

The Kia Soul is offered in three trims and thanks to the very close pricing the top end “!” trim is an easy pick and that is evidently seen. The trims do not have too many differences but the factor that was vital in helping us choose the trim we did was the offer of the special edition pack in that car.

Comparative Analysis against Competition

The Kia Soul starts off at a price point of $16,200 and goes all the way up to $19,400.This car is offered in three different oddly named trims like the base model is christened “Soul” the next trim goes with “Soul+” and then the fully loaded trim is named just an “!”.The price point this car is offered in is very competitive and at this price point, the car goes up against the likes of Honda Fit and Chevrolet Sonic.

Features
9.0/10

The Kia starts off at a base price of $16,200 and is named the Soul and pretty well equipped but choose to go one step higher and at $17,400 we get the Soul+ which becomes a bit mor3e comfortable car than the trim under and finally at $19,400 we have the “!” that comes with a special edition package.

Trims	Soul	Soul+	Soul!
MSRP	$16,200	$17,400	$19,400
Features	Cloth Seats	More Powerful Engine	The Signature 2.0 Special Edition Package
	Satellite Radio	Audio Package	Two-Tone Exterior Paint
	Cruise control	Automatic Climate Control	Leather Upholstery
	Air Conditioning	Leather Seats	Panoramic Sunroof
	Keyless Ignition	8-inch touchscreen system	Heated and Ventilated Seats
	Smartphone Integration	HD Radio	LED Interior Lighting

We Recommend

The Kia Soul is offered in three trims and thanks to the very close pricing the top end “!” trim is an easy pick and that is evidently seen. The trims do not have too many differences but the factor that was vital in helping us choose the trim we did was the offer of the special edition pack in that car.

Engine and Performance
7.0/10

The 2013 Kia Soul Wagon is offered in a 1.6L Inline-4 engine which churns out 138hp and has a torque of 123lb-ft. The ride quality of the car is quite smooth despite having a relatively weak engine but the engine makes up with its comfortable ride. The good engine is also mated to a 6-speed e automatic transmission. The acceleration is a bit dull and not too quick while the handling also is not a force to reckon with.

Model	Kia Soul Wagon	Chevrolet Sonic	Honda Fit
MSRP	$16,200	$16,925	$16,225
Engine	1.6L Inline-4	1.8L Inline-4	1.5L Inline-4
Drivetrain	FWD	FWD	FWD
Transmission	6 Speed Automatic	6 Speed Automatic	5 Speed Automatic
Power	138hp@6300rpm	138hp@6300rpm	117hp@6600rpm
Torque	123lb-ft@4850rpm	125lb-ft@3800rpm	106lb-ft@4800rpm
0-60 (MPH) (seconds)	9.7	8.1	9.7
Quarter Mile (MPH) (second)	17.1	16.1	18.2
Top Speed	90 MPH	125 MPH	N/A

All the engines offered in the car and its rivals are pretty good in terms of power. The Kia and the Chevy both make similar power and torque figures however, the Honda is the least powerful and slowest while the Chevy turns out to be the fastest. The least powerful Honda manages to equal the Kia in terms of the 0-60 acceleration and that is a good thing as the less powerful Honda engine is more fuel-efficient than the one on the Kia and can accelerate as good as a car more powerful.

Fuel Economy
7.0/10

This is the Kia Soul’s weakness, the Kia has a small engine that was expected to be efficient with fuel but it turned out to be a disappointment. The Kia Soul Wagon returns a mileage of 25MPG within city ranges, 30MPG on the highways, and a combined mileage of 27MPG, and has a fuel capacity of 12.7 gallons.

Model	Kia Soul Wagon	Chevrolet Sonic	Honda Fit
MPG (City)	25	25	28
MPG (Highway)	30	35	35
MPG (Combined)	27	28	31
Range	317.5/381.0/N/A	305.0/427.0/N/A	296.8/371.0/N/A
Fuel Capacity	12.7	12.2	10.6

It can be clearly seen that even with the largest fuel tank the Soul is unable to keep up with the rival’s mileage figures. The Honda Fit returns the maximum individual mileage but it has the minimum fuel capacity leading to its low range in mileage. The Kia Soul, on the other hand, offers the maximum range.

Interior
8.0/10

The insides of the Soul are very attractive, delicate, and a bit interesting as they have an almost perfect balance between form and function. The materials used in the cabin are very refined and are selected and put together to give it a modern look. The Base model has cloth upholstery that looks quite good too. The cabin does have a lot of features that help in making the ride very comfortable. The Soul has seating for 5 people and a cargo space of 23.7cu.ft.

Model	Kia Soul Wagon	Chevrolet Sonic	Honda Fit
Seating Capacity	5	5	5
Front Row (Head/Shoulders/Legs) (.in)	40.2/55.5/40.9	38.7/53.4/41.8	40.4/52.7/41.3
Second Row (Head/Shoulders/Legs) (.in)	39.6/54.7/39.1	37.8/53.0/34.6	39.0/51.3/34.5
Cargo Capacity (Cu. Ft)	23.7	14.9	20.6

The Kia offers the most space in comparison with its rivals. It also offers the most cargo space and has an amazing and rich interior. The Honda follows Kia’s lead and then comes the Sonic with the least space and the cargo space. The Chevrolet that is on the lead in terms of the power and speed figures is not so dominant here as the space offered by it even in the front seating row is way too less than the other two cars we have. The Important interior features of the car are:

Cruise Control
Keyless Ignition
Leather Steering Wheel
Front And Rear Cupholders
Electric Power Steering
Dual Illuminating Vanity Mirrors

How intuitive is the 2012 Nissan GT-R’s infotainment unit?

The 2013 Kia Soul Wagon comes equipped with a 4.0-inch Uvo touchscreen display which holds a lot of its infotainment features. The infotainment unit is handy and easy to use. The graphics in it are quite crisp and advanced as well. The touchscreen is small, but it does not take much time to respond. The infotainment system comes paired to a 6-speaker Infinity audio system which gives an enthusiastic feel to the unit but occasionally the audio input might not feel too great. The important infotainment features are:

Satellite Radio
Bluetooth Connectivity
Navigation
USB Ports
Wireless Charging
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Exterior
8.0/10

The car is more of a boxy-shaped design and sets right in the modern urban surrounding. The Soul is a bit fashionable while being space efficient thanks to the design language. This design helps it stand out in the crowd too. The design does not have a front end that is sharp and the taillights dominate the rear end. The headlights have a bug-eyed design. The size of the 2013 Kia Soul is rather small and compact which makes it easier to maneuver in the hustle-bustle of the city.

Model	Kia Soul Wagon	Chevrolet Sonic	Honda Fit
Curb Weight (lbs)	2690	2745	2577
Length (.in)	162.2	173.1	161.6
Width (.in)	70.3	68.3	66.7
Height (.in)	63.4	59.7	60.0
Wheelbase (.in)	100.4	99.4	98.4
Ground Clearance (.in)	6.5	N/A	N/A

The Honda Fit is the lightest model here and the smallest one too. The Sonic is on the opposite of the Honda in both weight and dimensions. The Kia however finds a sweet spot for itself and is moderately weighted and compact in dimensions. The Kia has a ground clearance of 6.5” we cannot compare it with the other two cars since we do not know their figures but what we do know is that this measurement is a pretty good one in the segment. The main exterior features are:

Cross Bars
Puddle Lights
Rear Spoiler
Mud Guards
Hood Film
Wheel Locks

Safety
6.0/10

The Kia Soul Wagon is well equipped in terms of its safety features. It comes equipped with a lot of features like airbags, LATCH system of use, pretensioners, and post-collision safety system along with others. Based on how the car looks it might not appear very safe but it might be the most deceptive one you can find, it has a really good score on the crash test ratings by the authorities with a 4-star rating from the IIHS and a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and that is a very reassuring result. The main safety features include:

Stability Control
Emergency Braking Assist
Tire Pressure Monitoring
Traction Control
Blind Spot Monitoring
Lane Keep Assist

Final Verdict

The Kia Soul might not be the most beautiful looking, most aesthetically pleasing, and the most performance-packed wagon you can find in the market, but it clearly is a car that is good enough to haul your family around in comfort and be a great daily driver. It also has a really good interior and safe build. This car if your next buy is a really good deal.

Trims

Base
$14,400 onwards

15-inch steel Wheels
A-Spec Sport Seats
Cloth Seat trim
Front manual air conditioning
Seek-Scan Radio
Siriusxm AM/FM/Satellite

+
$16,700 onwards

Engine: 2.0L 4cyl 6M
Horsepower: 164 hp @ 6500 rpm hp
Torque: 148 lb.-ft. @ 4800 rpm
0-60 mph: 8 sec
Top Speed: 114 mph
Fuel Economy Combined: 26 mpg

PLUS
$16,700 onwards

16-inch silver aluminum Wheels
Heated mirrors
Remote keyless entry

!
$19,900 onwards

18-inch machined aluminum Wheels
1St row LCD monitor
Front Fog/driving lights
Parking assist
Siriusxm AM/FM/HD/Satellite
Sliding and tilting glass Sunroof

Compare to similar cars

2013 Kia Soul

8.1

Price

$14,400- $19,900

Engine

Gasoline

Rating

8.05

Horsepower

164 hp @ 6500 rpm

Torque

148 lb.-ft. @ 4800 rpm

Capacity

7

Read Review

2013 Nissan Cube

7.3

2013 Nissan Cube

$16,760- $18,860

Gasoline

7.26

122 hp @ 5200 rpm

127 lb.-ft. @ 4800 rpm

5

Read Review

2013 Scion XB

7.8

$16,970- $20,160

Gasoline

7.78

158 hp @ 6000 rpm

162 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm

5

Read Review

2013 Kia Soul vs competitor's 0-60

	Car Name	0-60 MPH	Quarter Mile	Top Speed	Source	Compare
	2013 Kia Soul Ranked #2	8.6 sec	16.8 sec	108 mph
	2013 Scion XB Ranked #1	8.4 sec	16.4 sec	-
	2013 Nissan Cube Ranked #3	9.1 sec	17.0 sec	-

2013 Kia Soul vs competitor's MPG

	Car Name	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined	Fuel Tank Capacity	Range (C/H)	Source	Compare
	2013 Kia Soul Ranked #1	25 mpg	30 mpg	27 mpg	12.7 gal.	317.5/381 mi.
	2013 Nissan Cube Ranked #1	25 mpg	30 mpg	27 mpg	13.2 gal.	330/396 mi.
	2013 Scion XB Ranked #2	22 mpg	28 mpg	24 mpg	14 gal.	308/392 mi.

2013 Kia Soul vs competitor's dimensions

	Car Name	Length	Width	Height	Ground Clearance	Wheelbase	Source	Compare
	2013 Kia Soul Ranked #2	161.6 in.	70.3 in.	63.4 in.	6.5 in.	100.4 in.
	2013 Scion XB Ranked #1	167.3 in.	69.3 in.	63.4 in.	5.1 in.	102.4 in.
	2013 Nissan Cube Ranked #3	156.7 in.	66.7 in.	65 in.	6.3 in.	99.6 in.

2013 Kia Soul vs competitor's trunk space

	Car Name	Trunk Capacity	Passenger Volume	Max Trunk Volume	Source	Compare
	2013 Kia Soul Ranked #1	23.7 cu.ft.	102.3 cu.ft.	53.4 cu.ft.
	2013 Nissan Cube Ranked #2	11.4 cu.ft.	97.7 cu.ft.	58.1 cu.ft.
	2013 Scion XB Ranked #3	11.6 cu.ft.	110.9 cu.ft.	69.9 cu.ft.

2013 Kia Soul vs competitor's cargo space

	Car Name	Cargo Volume	Cargo Volume w/ Seat Area	Max Cargo Volume	Source	Compare
	2013 Kia Soul Ranked #1	65.5 cu.ft.	23.7 cu.ft.	53.4 cu.ft.
	2013 Nissan Cube Ranked #2	58.1 cu.ft.	11.4 cu.ft.	58.1 cu.ft.
	2013 Scion XB Ranked #3	-	11.6 cu.ft.	69.9 cu.ft.

2013 Kia Soul vs competitor's towing capacity

	Car Name	Payload Capacity	Weight	Source	Compare
	2013 Kia Soul Ranked #1	-	2800 lbs.
	2013 Nissan Cube Ranked #1	860 lbs.	2800 lbs.
	2013 Scion XB Ranked #1	-	3027 lbs.

2013 Kia Soul Wagon Problems, Issues, Complaints, Recalls, and which year to avoid?

2013 Kia Soul

3

Recalls

4

Investigations

633

Complaints

Overall Safety Rating

Top Kia Cars

2013 Kia Optima

Horsepower : 200 hp @ 6300 rpm

MPG Combined : 28 mpg

0-60 : 7.8 sec

#1

2013 Kia Optima Hybrid Sedan

Horsepower : 199 hp

MPG Combined : 38 mpg

0-60 : 8.7 sec

#2

2013 Kia Sorento

Horsepower : 191 hp @ 6300 rpm

MPG Combined : 24 mpg

0-60 : 9.4 sec

#3

2013 Kia Sportage

Horsepower : 176 hp @ 6000 rpm

MPG Combined : 23 mpg

0-60 : 8.8 sec

#4

2013 Kia Forte

Horsepower : 156 hp @ 6200 rpm

MPG Combined : 29 mpg

0-60 : 8.1 sec

#5

2013 Kia Rio

Horsepower : 138 hp @ 6300 rpm

MPG Combined : 32 mpg

0-60 : 8 sec

#6

2013 Kia Soul

Horsepower : 138 hp @ 6300 rpm

MPG Combined : 27 mpg

0-60 : 8.6 sec

#7

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Kia Souls worth it?

The 2013 Kia Soul offers great value to its buyers with its spacious cabin, decent fuel efficiency, comfortable ride quality, and low price tag. While some of the Souls do face some mechanical issues, it is overall a great buy for budget compact car buyers.

Is there a recall on the 2013 Kia Soul?

The 2013 Soul has been recalled twice to date to fix a headliner plate detachment that might cause some injury and for an overheating catalytic converter which may damage the engine.

What problems does the 2013 Kia Soul have?

The 2013 Soul problems registered have crossed over 400 in numbers and the major problems faced by the owners include engine and transmission issues apart from other less significant issues like premature wearing of brakes and some electronic malfunctions.

Are Kia Souls good after 100k miles?

When driven properly and not pushed too hard frequently, a Kia Soul should last for about 150,000-200,000 miles before needing any major repairs or overhauls.

2013 Kia Soul User Reviews

0.0

[3 Reviews]

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POPULAR TAGS

driver

recommend

amount

highway

mileage

deceptive

DS

Deanna Stotler

! 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 6A)

Not Rated

User Overall Rating

Posted On: August 1, 2024

Excellent car for first time driver Pikachu where you need to go on back

Pros - ["It gets you were you need to go", "Comfortable seats", "Great mileage"]

Cons - ["Easy to steal", "Can't go off roading", "Always locking myself out"]

Car performance is wonderful proud to be a owner of the Kia Soul and I would recommend it to any one looking for a reliable first time car owner to this day this car gets me where I need to go Great on mileage

BM

Beca Middleton

4dr Wagon (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

Not Rated

User Overall Rating

Posted On: July 13, 2024

Surprising vehicle

Pros - ["Gas mileage", "Comfort of ride"]

Cons - ["Didn't have auto start", "Non electric mirrors"]

Bought it used in 2015. I have loved this car. It's very deceptive in the spacing inside. My 6'2" boyfriend has plenty of head room. You can also fit an amazing amount of stuff in the back and back seat when needed. The gas mileage avgs 30 between city and highway. Has wicked apeed....ahem...when needed.

va

Vigi adams

4dr Wagon (1.6L 4cyl 6A)

Not Rated

User Overall Rating

Posted On: June 26, 2024

THE KIA WITH EYELASHES

Pros - ["the eyelashes i put on the headlights it's cute and really shows who i am as a person", " how it's equipped with bluetooth so i am able to listen to my music it can range from metal to indie"]

Cons - ["sometimes i hate the fact that it gets really dirty easily and i have to wash my car almost every 2 weeks", "my backup camera doesn't work so i would have to use my middle mirrors or look back from my sit"]

my kia soul is just perfect for me from the color to show small it is and the fact that i can fit in any parking space with no problem. I love the fact that even though it is a 2014 it has bluetooth so i am able to listen to my lana del ray also i love the fact that it does cost that much to fill up the gas tank. i love my car and i wouldn't change it for the world.

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