2010 Kia Soul ! A/T

I'll admit this Kia has grown on me. When it first debuted I dismissed it as a generic version of Japanese box cars, namely the Nissan Cube. That's still true -- the Soul won't turn heads or make the statement that Nissan's rolling washing machine does - but it also happens to be a better car. This holds particularly true inside. The Soul has its share of cute/annoying gimmicks, including houndstooth seats (cute) and mood lighting (annoying), but it also makes a genuine effort to accommodate the driver with interesting textures on the dash, comfortable chairs, and better fit and finish overall than I recall on the Nissan. It's quite a testament to the maturity of this Korean automaker. David Zenlea, Assistant Editor