As summer begins to wind down and students start to think about purchasing textbooks and meal plans, the subject of a new vehicle for school may come up in many households. Fortunately for parents, Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com has made searching for the right ride easier by listing its 10 Best Back-to-School Cars of 2012, with the Kia Soul finishing first thanks to its unique style, functionality and low price tag.
All vehicles on the Best Back-to-School Cars list are available for less than $16,000 according to Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Price, making them more affordable for high school and college students, as well as tuition-paying parents. Kia's urban crossover earned its top spot with the help of its refreshed exterior and spacious interior, which includes up to 53.4 cubic-feet of cargo room with the rear seats folded down. The editors at kbb.com also noted the Soul's engine and transmission upgrades for the 2012 model year that boosted power, responsiveness and fuel efficiency.
With eight available exterior paint colors, three interior fabric print options and a myriad of accessories from which to choose, the Kia Soul can be suited to a variety of students' tastes. Three different trims offer even more choices, including upgrades like LED positioning lights and power-folding mirrors with integrated turn signals. Younger, tech-savvy drivers will also appreciate options like the UVO Powered by Microsoft infotainment system, a rear-camera display and SiriusXM satellite radio, while Bluetooth connectivity is now a standard feature for each 2013 Soul.
Currently available at dealers, the 2013 Kia Soul comes standard with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 138 horsepower and returns 35 mpg on the highway. Meanwhile, buyers that upgrade to the 164-horsepower 2.0-liter unit will only lose one mile per gallon in comparison. Though the Soul's mix of responsiveness and efficiency should please students, parents will take comfort in the many standard safety features, including full-length side-curtain airbags and Front Active Headrests that move forward during collisions to prevent whiplash.
Beyond the praise it is receiving from industry experts, the Kia Soul is also proving that it can please its actual owners after their purchase, recently topping the Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle category in the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. The J.D. Power study used surveys of more than 74,000 purchasers and lessees of 2012-model-year vehicles to determine which rides are most gratifying in their segment after 90 days of ownership.
Courtesy of ReadMedia
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