Comfort for four American-sized humans; room for a little luggage; pretty much any common option you could want (minus maybe heated seats and mirrors); distinctive styling; and very good fit and finish for around $16,000? Yes, please.
Lots of head, hip, knee, and foot room. The cushions seem to get less comfortable after a solid 2-3 hours driving. But, at least around town, this is one car in which you can ask friends to sit in the back without being ashamed.
IMHO, materials & workmanship are judged in part by their durability, but fit and finish are quite good. And Kia is a fast learner: interior plastics which scratched easily in 2009 models were replaced with tougher materials for 2010 models.
You sit fairly high in the Soul and you can see every corner of this not-so-big car. Easy to drive and park.
When we bought this car in 2010, we were aware of Kia's dim reputation in the 1990s and their better -- but still "cheap" -- reputation in the 2000s. But it seemed like Kia was advancing quickly. And so they have. In the five-plus years we've owned the car, it has been recalled four times. None of the recalls stranded us and one even was proactive (added rustproofing). The car has received routine maintenance. And that's been about it. It has been quite troublefree. And, so far, it doesn't look like we'll need to claim on the one remaining warranty -- the anti-corrosion warranty. It's only six years, but the car still looks good. All in all, we gambled on getting a bargain and we won. We definitely would consider another Kia for our next vehicle.