Feb 18th, 2011 by Ross Edwards
2011 Nissan Cube
2011 Kia Soul
The 2011 Kia Soul and Nissan Cube are both quirky hatchbacks designed to appeal to young buyers who want something that stands out from the crowds of compact sedans available at less than $15,000. The 2011 Nissan Cube starts at $14,310 and the Kia Soul starts at $13,300.
Funky styling is the main appeal of both the 2011 Nissan Cube and 2011 Kia Soul. When compared side-by-side, the Soul looks conservative, but in the real world, both will easily stand out in traffic. The most striking and polarizing aspect of the Cube’s styling is the asymmetrical rear, with a standard C-pillar on the left side and a pane of glass on the right (the C-pillar is still there, and you can’t see through the glass from the inside, so the blind spot still exists, which was a major disappointment of mine when I drove it).
2011 Nissan Cube Rear
The base model Kia Soul comes with a 1.6-liter engine that makes 122-hp and 115 lb-ft of torque. All other Soul models come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 142-hp and 137 lb-ft of torque. The base Soul with the 1.6-liter engine is only available with a 5-speed manual transmission, while the 2.0-liter model is available with the choice between manual or automatic. The Nissan Cube just has one engine available, a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 122-hp and 127 lb-ft of torque. The two cars weigh within 14 lbs of each other, so the more powerful Soul with the 2.0-liter engine is the obvious choice for customers with a lead foot.
2011 Kia Soul Rear
The 2011 Kia Soul is rated at 26-mpg city and 31-mpg highway with the 1.6-liter engine and 24 city, 30 highway with the 2.0-liter. The 2011 Nissan Versa gets 25-mpg city and 30-mpg highway with a five-speed manual or 27 city and 31 highway with the CVT automatic.
The Nissan Cube is larger than the Soul inside with 2.4 more inches of front headroom and 0.8 inches more front leg room. The Soul does have more rear seat leg room than the Cube by 3.5 inches. The Cube has more cargo space than the Soul, with 58.1 cubic feet to the Soul’s 53.4.
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