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One question we are often asked at Kiplinger's Personal Finance
is,
Which car should I buy for my teen? In our December-issue Best List, we
pick our favorite new car for young drivers: the Kia
Soul.
Your teen may try to persuade you to buy a sporty, speedy model
(the Porsche
Boxster
comes to mind). But the best car for a teen, some car experts say, is
on the other end of the spectrum -- an older, larger, uncool sedan (think the Ford Crown Victoria or
an aging Volvo
station wagon).
We think an even better idea is to buy a small sedan -- after
all,
many state laws limit the number of passengers teens can carry --
that's also maneuverable, safe and doesn't go zero to 60 in 5 seconds.
In fact, we have a checklist of attributes to evaluate when choosing a
suitable car for young, less-experienced drivers, and the Soul scores
highly on all of them:
Top safety pick. The Kia Soul is a Top
Safety Pick
of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That means it gets the
highest score on the Institute's front, side and rear crash tests. The
Soul also has a long list of standard safety features: stability
control -- to prevent skids -- four-wheel anti-lock brakes, front side
airbags and head curtain airbags. Kia also provides
24-hour roadside assistance for five years or 60,000 miles.
Low ownership costs. The sticker
price for the 2010
manual-transmission Soul + is an easy-to-take $15,890. This is our
favorite model because it provides a good mix of standard equipment and
value. With fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 24
mpg in the city, it's relatively cheap to gas up, too.
Low insurance and repair costs.
These are important
for any family with a teen driver. The cost for a typical family to
insure the Soul is $920 a year -- on the low end of the scale for all
vehicles. Repair costs are held to a minimum because of Kia's warranty,
also five-years or 60,000-miles.
High resale value. We put a lot of
stock in how
well a car holds its value. And with a resale value of 56% of sticker
price after three years, the Soul is solidly above average.
Moderate speed. When it comes to
power, the Soul's horsepower is an adequate -- but not excessive -- 142.
This is not a street racer.
Coolness. Even though the Soul
isn't going to win
Le Mans, it has cachet. The hatchback design is funky-cool, and its
fold-down second seats provide more than 53 cubic feet of cargo room,
making it easy to haul stuff -- bikes, camping gear, dorm-room
supplies. Rear legroom is a roomy 39 inches.Inside it has a USB
connection for an MP3 player, a three-month free
subscription to Sirius satellite radio and a Bluetooth hands-free phone
connection.
Put it all together and, if you're shopping for a young driver, the
Kia Soul should be at the top of your list of cars to consider. If you
want to expand your search to other cars, use our checklist to make
sure you get a good, safe car.
2011 KIA SPORTAGE NAMED "BEST CROSSOVER"
BY RUEDAS ESPN
All-New Kia CUV Earns
Acclaim from Leading U.S. Hispanic Sports Radio
Show
Sportage offers all-new look and extensive list of
standard comfort, convenience and safety
features
High quality features and increased popularity make
Sportage top pick by leading Hispanic radio
show
IRVINE, Calif.,
November 8, 2010 - Launched over the summer to critical and
consumer acclaim-and already the recipient of a 2010 "Top Safety Pick"
from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) - the all-new
2011 Kia Sportage CUV has been named "Best Crossover" by leading
Hispanic sports radio show Ruedas ESPN. Beating out popular
segment contenders Nissan Rogue and Volkswagen Tiguan, Sportage was
recognized by Ruedas ESPN for its high quality features and for
providing consumers an impressive value while increasing its popularity
among the Hispanic community.
"In addition to
attractive and aggressive styling, the 2011 Sportage, like all Kia
vehicles launched during Kia's design-led transformation, offers all
consumers high levels of style, value and quality," said Michael
Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, Kia
Motors America (KMA). "The all-new Sportage has been
overwhelmingly popular since arriving in showrooms a few months ago, and
this recognition from Ruedas ESPN is further proof of the dramatic
effect of Kia's evolution in terms of elevating awareness and
consideration for the brand and our exciting lineup of
vehicles."
Finalists were determined by a select
group of automotive journalists, with winners chosen in a number of
categories, including Best Economy Car, Best Sedan, Best Sports Car,
Best Luxury Car, Best Convertible, Best Minivan, Best SUV, Best
Crossover, Best New Product, Manufacturer of the Year and Vehicle of the
Year. Only vehicles currently or scheduled to be on sale
before the last calendar day of the year are
eligible.
About the 2011 Kia Sportage
The all-new 2011 Sportage CUV offers image-,
safety- and value-conscious consumers increased levels of performance
and efficiency, comfort and convenience, the latest in-vehicle
technologies incorporated into all of Kia's latest new vehicles and an
abundance of standard safety features. Retaining the
functionality and versatility of the previous generation model, the 2011
Sportage also offers a sleek, modern and boldly styled package with new
proportions and a completely new look. A "2010 Top Safety
Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the all-new CUV
received top ratings from IIHS for front, side, rollover and rear impact
protection.
Industry-Leading
Warranty The 2011 Sportage is covered by Kia's
warranty program, which offers consumer protection at an exceptional
value. Included in this program are a 10-year/100,000-mile limited
powertrain warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty and a
five-year/100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty. A
five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plan also is part of the
vehicle coverage.
Design-Led Transformation and Product
Line Kia Motors is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led
transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in
several important segments at exactly the right time, contributing to
the brand's continued gains in U.S. market share. Kia is
poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand
through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new
technology such as the soon-to-come UVO powered by Microsoft®
in-car hands-free entertainment system. The launches of the 2011 Sorento
CUV, the first vehicle to be assembled* at Kia's first U.S.-based
manufacturing facilities in West Point, Georgia, the dynamic 2011
Sportage compact CUV, sophisticated 2011 Optima midsize sedan and
versatile Forte 5-door hatchback further enhance the lineup.
Kia's model year 2011 vehicle line includes the
Sorento CUV, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Soul urban
passenger vehicle, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback,
Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio sub-compact sedan, Rio5 sub-compact
hatchback and Sedona minivan.
About Kia
Motors America Kia Motors America (KMA) is the
marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul,
South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through
more than 725 dealers throughout the United States. For 2009,
KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share
and recently achieved its best quarter of sales ever in 2010.
Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high
quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself
on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia
tagline "The Power to Surprise."
Kia Motors America
is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." Information
about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at
its Web site-www.kia.com. For media information, including
photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.
* Kia
vehicles assembled at the Kia U.S. plant are assembled from U.S. and
globally-sourced parts. 1 Microsoft is a registered trademark
of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries.
