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Downgrade/Upgrade

17K views 136 replies 22 participants last post by  nevets2968 
#1 · (Edited)
So, not sure how many people were aware of my issues with the DCT and the 1.6t. After having one transmission replaced, I didn't want to risk issues with the next 40K miles. Even with a new transmission, I still felt the weird DCT feel a little jittery. Enter last night. I had my vehicle appraised and the blue below just called to me like a siren at sea. I'm still figuring everything out, but at least the initial throttle tip in doesn't make me feel like I'm driving drunk. One thing this one has that I'm not really fond of, the engine cut off. I can't imagine much gas is being saved by cutting the fuel for the second I come to a stop at a stop sign. Oh well, hopefully this one will last longer....




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#4 ·
Thanks, and yeah it did run a little pricey for the tech package as an EX with some sort of IVT moniker behind it. I didn't know that the GT package came without the 1.6T or else I may have just gotten that package. I did get $1000 in incentives which was a surprise to me. It came with a wireless charging station and all the safety features like lane assist, etc. I'll upload the window sticker when I get a chance.
 
#6 · (Edited)
TXSSOUL...I had been following your issues with the 1.6 turbo and DCT. When I purchased my 2020 EX last week, I had decided to stay away from the DCT, and at my stage of life, I don't need the extra power with the turbo. Wish you the best with your new EX. Mine is gold with a white top.

I don't like the engine cut-off. I try to remember to press the off switch after I start the vehicle.
 
#8 ·
I don't like the engine cut-off. I try to remember to press the off switch after I start the vehicle.
I wonder if there's a way a tech could set the Start/Stop default to off? Or has Kia made that impossible to do.
 
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#10 ·
I drive in stop and go traffic 3 hours a day to got to work and back. I initially hated the start/stop, but I made myself leave it on for a couple of days, and in that situation, it made a substantial difference in my mileage (5-8 mpg higher with it enabled). So I'm learning to appreciate it a bit more. I'm amazed that I'm getting an average of 35mpg in a 200hp turbocharged box.
With that being said, if I'm not driving in rush hour traffic, I turn it off. That momentary hesitation of waiting for the motor to fire has caused me to spin the tires more times than I want to admit (light turns green, foot off the brake and on the gas, THEN the engine starts, followed by spinning wheels and tire smoke....)
 
#11 ·
That's good to hear dee. I was curious how the DCT works in stop & go traffic. Adding Start/Stop to that sounded even worse to me. Glad that's not the case.
 
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#18 ·
God! That Blue is just gorgeous! I had a car that color a few years ago and I really loved it!! But, that company went out of business. :(

But, here in the tropics (Florida) dark colors just don't get it!

My brand new, (today) Kia Soul LX (sort of the Base Model) has the Pearl White paint on it with a clear overcoat and it's just beautiful.

Cheers Mate!
:cool:
 
#20 ·
I find the title of this thread most interesting.

On Monday of this week, I traded my 2013 Kia Soul Base model, for a 2010 GT Line Kia Soul. That was what I got but not what I wanted. I wanted another Base model similar to my 2013.

The 2020 Base model comes with 16" steel wheels and Hankook tires. While the GT Line comes with 18" Alloy rims and 235x45x18R Hankook tires.

For reasons which I won't go into now, I wanted the 16" steel wheels and not the 18" allow wheels.

I called my dealership this morning and talked to the Big Boss and he invited me to come in for a conference on what we might do to rectify the situation.

I just wanted new wheels, but he offered to trade cars with me. I got a brand new, right off the truck, 2020 Kia Soul LX with only 3 miles on the meter.
She's a real sweetheart, and runs just great. With less buttons and options than the GT, I think she'll make me very good car. I've names her "Jem".

Laters!
:cool:
 
#21 ·
lol, yeah trading in my '18 Exclaim for this non-turbo version, I wish I could just tell Kia, "knock off a few grand, and give me the turbo out of my old car, and shove it in this blue car". Not having a turbo is the biggest downgrade, as I still find myself getting on the throttle and waiting for the boost, until I remember that I've "downgraded". That's the ONLY part that I feel I've downgraded from, as I feel like most everything else is an upgrade.

Another thing that has me scratching my head, the wireless charging base, it doesn't sync with Apple Carplay nor Android Auto unless you're plugged in. At which point, why even bother having the charging plate if it defeats one of the nice features of the car? Although, I do like the built in navigation on this one, which has the wide-screen.
 
#23 ·
With the idle start-stop nonsense I wonder if you can just disconnect the button and maybe it will just act like its not there. The base LX manual didnt have the "feature" so Im wondering what actually tells the computer to keep it enable/disabled.

Just like I wonder if you install the button into a base LX if you could have the start-stop then. I havent a single clue why you would ever WANT it but Im wondering if they use similar engine computers and the only difference is the button itself being there. The wiring and everything is probably the exactly the same between the models. Cheaper to only have one wire harness produced.

Someone with the start-stop equipped, pull the button and let me know how the car acts. Im curious. Then find a manual LX model and try installing it to see if its a that easy to enable/disable it. I fully expect its more complicated than that but hey, who knows how the mind of Kia engineers work.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I think before you dismiss it, you should check in the owners manual how it functions and in what conditions it will operation and what conditions it will not. When this feature was offered a few years back on the 2.0L model it was a $500 US option.

I don't have access to the 2020 owners manual but looking at the 2016 OM which describes this feature/operation and in some cases what people have been commenting on it may not operate. So you need to actually use it in real world conditions. One of the heavest use of fuel on any vehicle is the idling in heavy stop and go traffic.

Also all components are beefed up to accommodate this feature, as some people have mentioned that it would cause premature wear and tear on some components.

The only time I've used this feature was on a couple of rental vehicles in Ireland (VW Golf) and England (Skoda Rapid), throws you off a bit at the beginning but you soon just ignore it and let it do its thing. On these vehicles (with smaller engines than you see in North America) it worked very well and you could hardly even notice it.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Here's an interior shot. I'd have more, but I had an arm full of supplies. At first I thought the machined door handle area looked gaudy, but I'm getting used to it. Oh and sorry if I miss anyone's questions. I'm going through these posts in between work, outdoor work, and indoor work....


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#31 ·
I'm still not sure if I like that lane keep assist. I tend to begin turning into a turn before a turn begins, and I try to let the car drift inside the lane a bit. I figure it's easier on the tires if I let the car conform to the road imperfections on its own. It seems like the system is always fighting me. I can imagine this system fatiguing a more "mature" driver.


One question I have for anyone else buying a car new. Did the dealership give you both keys at the time of delivery? Last year i bought a car from this same dealership and they gave me both keys when I took delivery. This purchase, the dealership claims that they only issue one set of keys and issue the 2nd set of keys when the license plates arrive. I found that to be just a little odd. I guess they must practice the art of spot delivery and have been burned a few times. Oh well.
 
#33 ·
...This purchase, the dealership claims that they only issue one set of keys and issue the 2nd set of keys when the license plates arrive...
That would cause me to walk away, something I am always willing to do when the dealer does not listen to what I tell them. Violate the deal we strike (KIA says the car comes with two sets of keys), and I be history. I had this happen with the local dealer here on the last car I did not purchase. I found the same car (my 2017) in a lot in a small town 117 miles away and bought it there over the internet. They drove it to my doorstep. If you can, leave them with a bunch of unsigned paper work.
 
#35 ·
That would cause me to walk away, something I am always willing to do when the dealer does not listen to what I tell them. Violate the deal we strike (KIA says the car comes with two sets of keys), and I be history. I had this happen with the local dealer here on the last car I did not purchase. I found the same car (my 2017) in a lot in a small town 117 miles away and bought it there over the internet. They drove it to my doorstep. If you can, leave them with a bunch of unsigned paper work.
+1
Ditto
Amen

I have often told my kids/grandkids to explain to the dealer that
(a) you do not need to buy it now
(b) you are just looking
(c) be ready to leave if not 100% satisfied
(d) if there is a trade, give the sales person only your backup key for evaluation

I told the salesman that I have the 2nd set of keys to my trade-in and that I'll give him that set when he gives me my 2nd set. I'm tempted to start doing rideshare in the vehicle so that I can rack up an insane amount of miles if they decide to yank the deal.....
 
#39 · (Edited)
While I don't get to enjoy the "pull you into your seat" with the new Soul, it's still relatively brisk from a stand-still, if I turn off the "engine off/on" feature. Given that I also don't have that horrible 1st gear jump, I'm perfectly ok with a slower soul.



bath time
So....how much are you in a hole for your ride sharing enterprise?
I figure I'll answer this out in the open for those asking. Now, I did put in some long hours driving rideshare, but a lot of those hours happened after October of last year when I told my IT director that he was a 2-bit snake in the grass and subsequently relieved me of my position (never took ownership for his poor decisions, and just assign blame to other people in the IT department...i.e. it's a long story) Between then and other IT projects that I had been doing as of March, I put the bulk of my miles on the car, thus I managed about $25,000 in Rideshare income (for 2018). I actually saw a reduction in my taxed amount for 2018 from about $12,000 to about $7000 since I netted a lot of expenses doing Rideshare. For 2019, the difference in what I paid for my 2018 and what the dealership paid me for it will be counted as a loss. What I should probably explain to you is that I'm perfectly ok with taking a loss while doing Rideshare. In fact, I insist on taking a loss. I want as little of my money to go towards any sort of taxes. I wish I had done a better job with my receipts from last year, as I really really want no tax liability for 2019. Oh, and if you're taking score, I probably had to roll at least $5000 of negative equity into this car, but that's going to show up as a $5000 loss for my taxes next year.
 
#37 ·
Nice color! Congratulations on getting out of the DCT issue. Hopefully you'll be much happier with this Soul. :applause:
 
#53 ·
What an annoying feature. Especially in hot summers when you need the AC running constantly in traffic.[/QUOTE]

I have been leaving the auto stop/start on and find that the a/c continues to blow cool air while engine is off, at excessively long lights the engine will auto start again without me removing my foot from the brake.

I drive almost exclusively in sportmatic sport mode and the autostop/start will engage if I slide the gearshift just to drive. IOW I dont have to move it all the way to Neutral. Moving from D back to sportmatic will restart the engine and I move my foot from.brake to gas as normal.

No Jack rabbit starting, no tire slip, just a normal take off.

This GT line is still really too new to give me a steady mpg. But I have been seeing as high as 35 on highways and 28.7 around town, so far. Pretty much the same as what I got with me 2018 Plus.

When I get more used to the optimal shift points with this IVT and 8 shift points, my guess is that mpg will improve.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
#56 ·
What an annoying feature. Especially in hot summers when you need the AC running constantly in traffic.
I have been leaving the auto stop/start on and find that the a/c continues to blow cool air while engine is off, at excessively long lights the engine will auto start again without me removing my foot from the brake.

I drive almost exclusively in sportmatic sport mode and the autostop/start will engage if I slide the gearshift just to drive. IOW I dont have to move it all the way to Neutral. Moving from D back to sportmatic will restart the engine and I move my foot from.brake to gas as normal.

No Jack rabbit starting, no tire slip, just a normal take off.

This GT line is still really too new to give me a steady mpg. But I have been seeing as high as 35 on highways and 28.7 around town, so far. Pretty much the same as what I got with me 2018 Plus.

When I get more used to the optimal shift points with this IVT and 8 shift points, my guess is that mpg will improve.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]


It blows residual cool air. The fan spins slower, and the cool air is from what's left in the system after the compressor shuts off. It's about 80 degrees here on average now, and you can feel it get not as cold.


And I have some news on my new car. It apparently has a "growth" on its "back". I hope it's not a tumor.....

Automotive exterior Vehicle Car Luxury vehicle Vehicle door


 
#59 ·
For vehicles with a compression ratio of 9.3:1 or lower, 87 octane is recommended.
Since higher octane burns slower, using it on ~9.3:1 or lower has no benefit and may actually reduce performance and fuel economy.

My 2003 Mazda Miata (MX-5) was 10.0:1, 91 octane was recommended.

My 2002 H-D Sportster 1200 Sport was 10.0:1, not only was 91 octane recommended, but really was the very minimum, due to the output of the MAP sensor.

However, with the advent of knock sensors and better exhaust savaging, high compression ratios can use regular 87 octane (R+M/2), but higher octane will produce more power and if that extra power is not used, better fuel economy.

My 2016 Nissan Frontier 4.0 is 9.7:1. When I fuel in Utah, the options are 85 or 89 or 91. I then use 89, but there appears to be no difference in performance or fuel economy.

If Kia Media is correct, my 1.6 non turbo is 11.0:1, the 2.0 11.5:1 and the 1.6 turbo is 9.5:1.

Difficult to image better than the 32 point something I am getting each tank (40 MPG some trips), but may try 91 octane, before next long distance trip.
 
#76 ·
I've experimented with regular vs. premium in many different cars over the decades. I found no significant MPG difference.

Where I have found a difference is in the non-corn gas. And that varies by brand, from my experiments with the two different brands available locally. The BP does a slight bump and the CircleK aka Marathon, more significant.

Since it costs fifty cents to a buck plus more, the cost per mile is no gain. But I'm not Robert McNamara so I don't often consider the "cost-effectiveness" vs. real MPG and range gains.
 
#61 ·
I officially hate the safety features on this car. Was backing out of my driveway to see a sea of cars coming from my right side. The left side of traffic was clear and I saw a small opening on the right. While the car's cross traffic warning was squawking at me, I gunned it. The stupid car applies the brakes right as I'm almost in the intersection. Talk about a near accident. The cars on my right were going about 20-25 MPH as they were exiting a school zone, so the gap I had to back up in to the lane I wanted was sufficient. Not a very well conceived safety feature imo.
 
#62 ·
While the car's cross traffic warning was squawking at me, I gunned it. The stupid car applies the brakes right as I'm almost in the intersection.
Beginning with page 6-97 of manual, info is provided about audible and visual alerts, but nothing about the vehicle applying brakes.

The ESC The Electronic Stability control is intended to stabilize while cornering and applies brakes to individual wheels. ABS is incorporated into the ESC, which can be turned off.

Do you suppose the ESC activated?
 
#77 ·
In most cases based on my experience there is no benefit to running premium over regular if the vehicle is able.
However, I can assure you there is a noticeable difference in both the turbo kia's I've owned and driven. The non-turbo souls I've had saw no real difference in performance.
As for the octane rating and compression ratio, that is accurate, but don't forget that turbo and supercharged engines are forced induction. They run at a lower compression ratio, because as you add in boost, you are effectively increasing compression by forcing a higher volume of fuel/air into the cylinder.
That being said, I am guessing most owners on here are more interested in fuel economy rather than performance, and 87 is a lot cheaper than 93.

tldr: Turbos benefit from higher octane, if that is what you are looking for.
 
#78 ·
^^^^ Good points deejay. I accidentally filled up with premium on my last tank & besides feeling dumb, had that initial reaction that 93 costs so much more.

In reality, with just plain gas costing so much these days, it breaks down to about a penny more per mile on my Soul, or about $3.50 per tank. About the cost of 1 gallon of gas more.

I haven't noticed any difference with this tank of 93, but don't plan to make that mistake again.
 
#79 ·
I doubt you'll notice any difference on the Manual 14 Soul, but stranger things have happened! At least it wont hurt anything ;) I wish regular and premium were as close in price here, it's about $.80 more per gallon, which is over $11 a tank difference for me. But, I didn't pick what I did for fuel economy :)
 
#83 ·
Over 500 miles and I've had mostly just 1 person ask me about the car. It was a guy at work whose wife has one. I figured I'd at least have a few people in older Souls pulling up, but we mostly just pass each other without any kind of acknowledgment. I wonder if they know that it's even a Soul. I'm still fighting the safety features on this thing. It's funny because my other car is only 3 years old, but considering how many nannies the Soul has, the SS feels like a horse n buggy when comparing the technology.
 
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