Even in the generic silver our test car was covered in, I was able to spot the Soul from the opposite end of the parking structure. Its tall, slightly curvy box-on-wheels shape and high-mounted vertical tailights pushed to the corners distinguish it a bit from the crowd. Even, possibly, from the crowd it mimics (xB, Cube, Element).
I was glad to hear that other staffers had the same experience with the magically disappearing first gear and that it wasn't just my own faulty shifting technique. That said, I was very disappointed in the sloppy, vague shifter feel. Even though the Soul is not powerful or necessarily sporty, a firm, precise shifter would go a long, long way in upping the fun-to-drive quotient.
Although the red seats are a bit much, the the fit and finish beat the xB hands down and in some areas equal or better those in the Honda Element. The steeply raked windshield helps to make the interior feel more open and airy than these competitors, too. This is despite the smallish, slot-like rear side-windows that get smaller as they go rearward.
Jennifer Misaros, Production Editor ...next page >>