Is It Time To Leave My Leaf?

[MichaelPatterson]

Greetings!

On September 9th of 2015, I took the ultimate plunge and traded in my 2001 Toyota Corolla CE, in all of its 137,000 mile manual window glory, in for a fully loaded 2012 Nissan Leaf SL with 11,500 miles. So far, the LEAF has been a nice car on the whole but I am beginning to notice some deficiencies. For instance, the sticker-advertised 100 mile driving range is actually closer to 60 miles; the battery is already degrading noticeable; the heater is abysmal; and cargo space is limited. As a result, I have become a bit restless and have decided that now, a bit more than a year into my electric-car experience, it may be the time for a change.

After a copious amount of Internet browsing (and one rather demoralizing visit to a Tesla dealership), I have come to the conclusion that the Kia Soul EV+ might be the car for me. However I need to "ask the experts" a few questions before I would be willing to make any decisions.

For reference, I am considering a Kia Soul EV in the following configuration:


2016 Soul EV+ $35,950* titanium gray with gray two-tone with blue piping Leather

PACKAGES

Sun & Fun Package
$1,100

OPTIONS

Cargo Tray
$80

Carpeted Cargo Seatback Tray
$115

Carpet Floormats
$125

Paint Protection Film Package
$175

Wheel Locks
$55

Puddle Lamps
$225

Destination
$850
_________________________________
Estimated Total $38,675*

1. Does the Soul EV travel the full 92 miles the sticker says it can?

2. How fast does the battery degenerate?

3. Does the heater work well?

4. Is cargo space decent?

5. How is interior quality?

6. Are there any major reliability problems with the vehicle?

7. Are there any major design flaws I should be aware of?

 

[wrickcook]

1. Does the Soul EV travel the full 92 miles the sticker says it can?

2. How fast does the battery degenerate?

3. Does the heater work well?

4. Is cargo space decent?

5. How is interior quality?

6. Are there any major reliability problems with the vehicle?

7. Are there any major design flaws I should be aware of?

I have had mine since the end of Oct.
First, keep in mind, you may not find everything you are looking for. I wanted the + w/ fun in the Sun, but my wife insisted on a black model and that want to available, even if I was willing to order it and wait.

I have most everything on my list, it is the + but not the Fun in the Sun.
Before the incentives I paid $34,900, allowing me to skip sales tax in Washington State. Then Kia took off I think $9500 ($7500 fed, $2000 Kia credit)

1- Depends on the time of year. When our temps got down to the lower 30's and it would only have 69mi. Now it is displaying in the 90s (50* temps), and I hope to have more than that in the summer.

2- Doubt anyone knows, they are too new.

3- I think heater is great, but I use the seat heaters more. Seat cooling is awesome. Steering wheel gets too hot for me, but my wife loves it. I usually turn it on for a minute or 2, then off.

4- I am not too happy with the cargo. It can hold an average amount of groceries, but if we do a large amount, you better have an empty seat. I was told on forums it could have a roof rack (no one had pics, tho), I yet to find one other than a custom company that has to drill holes in my roof.

5- I am very happy with the interior. Everything my kid has smeared has cleaned right off.

6- Occasionally, it has not charged overnight, but it seems to be when my wife plugs it in, so I assume it is user error.?.?

7- Other than the amount of cargo, I am very happy. It works exactly as I would expect.

 

[MichaelPatterson]

Thank you for your helpful reply! I will certainly take your advice into consideration moving forward.

What can you tell me about the safety features in the Soul EV+? Do you feel safe in it?

 

[Ptrs]

I really could not add much more other than talk about safety. I have driven KIA's for some time and have had many different models, one think I have found in common is they are safe and the Soul EV is no exception. I have seen a few different accidents and been in one myself (rearended) and they hold up rather well. There is a video on this forum from a dash cam on a Soul EV as it is t-boned by a Ford Explorer and if I remember correct the driver of the Soul walked away. You can even here the Soul UVO system calling 911 for the driver, something I do not remember from my accident only the voice of the 911 operator.

 

[notfred]

I have a Soul EV, 3 of the guys I work with have Leafs.

Range is similar between the Soul and the Leaf and it all depends on what the temperature is and what speed you are doing. The Soul is a box on wheels, very un-aerodynamic so at highway speed I think the Leaf will actually go further. Stop/start around town the Soul has a bigger battery and more aggressive regen so it will go further there. I've had mine since September and the worst range I have seen on the GOM fully charged is 110km at about -25C and with winter tyres on steel rims. I met a guy who had his last winter (a lot colder) and he said on the worst day he got 80km range - but that would have been at -40C/F with winter tyres on steel rims.

Soul has far more passenger room but far less cargo room - that big bum on the Leaf adds a lot of cargo space that the Soul is missing.

Interior and features the Soul feels like a class above the Leaf, especially if you get the Plus trim with the cooled leather seats, parking sensors, heat pump etc.

Edit:
Here's the thread about how a Soul EV got T-boned:
http://www.mykiasoulev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=512

 

[MichaelPatterson]

Overall, though, you would venture to recommend the Soul over the Leaf?

 

[notfred]

Definitely, I waited 5 months for mine when I could have walked straight in to a Leaf.

The big thing is though that my commute round trip is 22km and my worst day where I head out in the evening is 80km (with 1.5 hours between getting home from work and needing to head out for charging). We also have a minivan that we use for long trips or shifting a lot of stuff. It's perfect for me, but I wouldn't go for it if it was only just making the range.

I bought mine outright and I intend to keep it for ~10 years. I figure that with the battery warranty and cold winters I will still be getting the 80km range before I get rid of it. It's a really nice car to be in and drive - so much so that we use it for absolutely everything that doesn't require the minivan. That wasn't the case before we got the Soul EV, my wife would drive the minivan and I would drive my car (2005 Subaru Impreza), now she steals my Soul EV any time she can.

 

[MichaelPatterson]

I am thinking of leasing a Soul EV+ for 48 months (four years) with either 10,500 or 12,000 miles per year. In regards to the Soul, do you think that leasing is an economical option, especially with respect to battery degradation over time?

 

[Ptrs]

Many people are looking at the lease rather than purchase, most I heard was because EV tend to devaluation so much. I personally went with the lease for 2 reasons, one because I feel the technology will have changed to much in 4 years I would want to train up, second and most of all I used the $9,500 from KIA to pay off the negative equity of my other car I wanted out of.

Regarding the mileage I went with 10,000, more than enough for my commute, wrong, I discovered with the EV I tend to do a lot more driving. I should have gone with the 12k or even 15k. I'd recommend looking at slightly more miles than you'd think.

 

[MichaelPatterson]

To clarify, dealerships do offer state and federal rebate/tax incentives on leases, correct?

 

[ALF]

I leased a base Soul EV after the lease on my '12 Leaf ended. I would agree with pretty much everything that has been listed above. I like the Soul is a superior EV in just about every category. Driver and passenger spaces are more roomy and more comfortable. All controls and systems seem better thought-out. Range is a little better, but this is important to me, as too often I experienced range anxiety when driving around Seattle (25 miles from my home) or to SeaTac Airport. And, as others have noted, you pay for the interior roominess in such a small car by having a small cargo area and a tall, boxy, less aerodynamic body. I've only had the Soul for a few weeks, but I get a smile on my face every time I get in!

Given the number of recent announcements from Nissan, Tesla and Chevrolet regarding their next-generation 200-mile, $35k cars, it would seem to me to be a mistake to buy a new EV today. Technology improvements are just moving too fast, causing the value of recent EVs to drop precipitously. I'm thinking that when I turn in my '16 Soul after its 36-month lease is up, there will be a number of attractive choices for EVs with significantly better range.

The dealer gets the $7,500 federal tax credit when you lease an EV, which reduces the cost of the lease. This is easier than having to apply for the credit when you file your taxes. Also, in WA, EVs that cost less than $35k are not subject to sales tax, which also reduces the lease cost. Bottom line, the effective cost of the car is reduced by $10k-$11k, whether you buy or lease it.

 

[MichaelPatterson]

Switching topics a bit, can anyone comment on standard/optional safety features? Specifically, are Active Collison Intervention, Active Lane Keeping, Blind Spot Monitoring and Active Cruise Control options?

 

[notfred]

No, none of those are available at the moment.

 

[MichaelPatterson]

How is overall ride quality and road noise damping?

 

[wrickcook]

I don't think they have tested the EV, but the ICE has top marks for safety... http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/kia/soul-4-door-wagon/2016

As far as road noise, I do not notice any, but people outside will definitely hear your music.

None of the advanced safety options are available.

I leased mine (15k mi/year), but am probably going to keep it after the 3 years. But at that time more cars should be available so I will trade in my Camry for an EV with longer range. I am thinking the Model 3 will be too small and the base model will not have the options I want (autopilot) so I will probably get a used Model S (assuming the prices have dropped a bit by then). Then I will have the Soul for my wife's 45 mile commute to work, and the MS for when we need the longer range.

 

[mtndrew1]

How is overall ride quality and road noise damping?

I find the car has far less road noise than my Volt did, though at high speeds there's some wind noise around the A-pillars and mirrors. The Soul EV is one of the quietest cars I've had.

As for ride quality you have to keep in mind that this is based on a very pedestrian automobile with a starting price in the $17,000 US range. The EV's heavy, low battery dampens things a bit in comparison to the gasser, but this is still a cheap Korean economy car at its heart and the suspension tuning doesn't betray that.

In regards to active safety features, the Soul range is due for a refresh this summer for the 2017 model year. I'd be shocked if Kia didn't make a package of these items available given that the new Optima and the new (Hyundai) Elantra have them available.

 

[Ptrs]

I have to say it has very little road noise and of course no engine noise. In many ways IMO I found it had less road noise than my '15 Optima Hybrid. Our second car is a KIA K900 and it has all the features, they are nice but for a daily commuter I do not miss them. I am glad I did go for the +, the parking sensors are great even though the Soul is a small car.

When ever adding on any features I would assume that is an additional drain on the battery that might affect the range, it might also be nominal yet to be seen.

The only feature I would add and take a hit on the range would be the HUD (heads up display) from the K9. Having the turn by turn displayed what looks like hovering just above the hood is great when in city traffic.