[Tink]

The decision has been made. The hunt commenced. The dealer finally located the Soul that I want. Financing has been secured.

And now I wait.

I've been looking at the Soul for several years. I'm a frugal sort, so I'm currently driving a 1999 Mercury Mountaineer that I bought used in 2000. Unfortunately, the repair bills are beginning to resemble (and exceed) what a car payment would be, so I decided it was time to push the button.

I will be getting a 2014 Solar Yellow Exclaim with The Whole Shebang, and I am so excited!

My dealership is working out a deal with another dealership to do a trade. Hopefully, I will be behind the wheel by week's end.

 

[Shaggy Wierdo]

Hello and welcome. There a few members from Ohio that have recently purchased the Exclaim with the Whole Shebang on them. One in particular, "jpstinne" has been posting things he has been finding and his discoveries. He is in Columbus. If you look for him, you may be able to answer questions that you will invariably have. We all seem to discover little things about these cars that are unlisted features.

Try this Thread: 2014 Soul Exclaim with Whole Shebang - New Owner!

 

[conwelpic]

welcome to the forum and congrats - probably will seem like a long week

 

[jpstinne]

Most awesome! Very happy for you. Please let us know how it goes.

I have the Whole Shebang and there is a lot to learn about our cars!

 

[Shaggy Wierdo]

Most awesome! Very happy for you. Please let us know how it goes.

I have the Whole Shebang and there is a lot to learn about our cars!

Just sent him your way (see post #2). You can have a love Good luck, I think with all the new members coming in from Ohio lately, you may be able to get a club of sorts going. It will give you something else to do now the OSU won't be playing for the National Title

 

[jpstinne]

No kidding! I need to drown my sorrows in the Soul!

 

[Diode Dynamics]

Congrats on the new Soul (soon)! And welcome!

Nick C.

 

[AZDesertRat]

I am in the same boat. We are waiting on a 2014 Exclaim with the Whole Shebang but in the new Alien II green color and so far no Alien Greens are being shipped to the states. There has been one Yellow Whole Shebang sold in Phoenix though, the only one that has been delivered to Arizona and it sold within a couple of days on the lot. There is not another Whole Shebang within 900 miles of AZ in any color now to even look at!

 

[av8r]

The waiting is the hardest part.

When we were looking at the Fortes most dealers took my info and desired model/options. One dealer took it upon themselves to locate and bring the car we wanted in without telling us. They called us and we went out to "just look"....ya....I drove it home that afternoon. Good salesmanship and instant gratification for me! LOL

 

[Tink]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Yes, I've been reading every post from jpstinne multiple times! Congrats on your new car!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a pretty patient person, but even I am getting antsy.

I feel like I got a decent deal. I did encounter some shady (to me, anyway) pricing from some salesguys. Over MSRP. Well under Dealer Invoice (only to find out that the car wasn't equipped as described (e.g. wasn't the same VIN)). I dunno. I'll just be glad when it's finally mine.

 

[Shaggy Wierdo]

...I'm a pretty patient person, but even I am getting antsy...

In 2012, I waited a few months for mine to show up. Can't tell you how to handle it but there is nothing you can do but wait. Exclaims that year out here did not even show on the lots until February when we got the Shadow !

The only time it was easy was the Base. I walked on the lot and told the salesman that I wanted a base, stripped Soul with no fancy wheels or any options other than the automatic version and could care less about the color. As I spoke, they rolled the car off the truck that was unloading cars when I pulled in. I bought it then and picked it up later that day. The other two were a lot harder.

 

[5m0k3y]

I've been looking at the Soul for several years. I'm a frugal sort, so I'm currently driving a 1999 Mercury Mountaineer that I bought used in 2000. Unfortunately, the repair bills are beginning to resemble (and exceed) what a car payment would be, so I decided it was time to push the button.

When we bought our 2 2011 souls one of our 2 trade ins was a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer. Traded it because it needed several repairs and I knew the cycle would never end!

 

[Tink]

So here's something that's really bugging me: I've been following the Soul for several years. I've read all the reviews, watched the videos, looked at the safety test results and everything else I could think of to help me make a smart decision. I even waited for the 2014 to see what changes the new model year might bring. Now I've finally pushed the button, and I'm just waiting for it to show up.

On Facebook and another (local) forum where I have posted about what I'm getting and how excited I am, I have gotten a HUGE amount of flack. People telling me how disappointed I will be. Calling it a "Korean Rollerskate". Saying things like "I know someone who bought one, and it rattled so much they couldn't stand it. They lost money selling it, but they just couldn't take it anymore." Even people insulting my intelligence by saying "I've known you for decades, and I can't believe you'd buy a Soul." It was also suggested to me that I've been blinded by the cute marketing. I was so upset by the horrible backlash last night that I couldn't sleep. Now here I am all sleepy and cranky at work. LOL!

Have any of you experienced this phenomenon? Is it because I'm not "buying 'Murican"?

What the heck is wrong with people? I didn't ask for a review or their opinion.

 

[v68j90j98]

people always have something to say about something. I fell in love with my soul the day I sat in it with 3 miles on the odometer. I am still in love with it and I have had it for almost 2 years now. People at work said the same thing till they sat in it or drove one. Change their mind they did. If you buy one its because its what you like and there are tons of us on both forums KSF and SH that will support you.

We even have a calander made up every year from members photos I just got mine in the mail yesterday. It that isn't soul love not sure what is.

 

[imnbfe]

Tink,

Don't let the naysayers get to you. The reason I bough my first Soul was because of the years and miles I got on my 1997 Kia Sephia. When compared to the 'Murican cars I have owned, there was no contest. The fact that I bought it new for about 1/2 the cost of an American car was just icing on the cake.

Just a few weeks ago I traded my 2010 Soul (with over 98,000 miles) to get a 2014 Soul. It just so happens that I got the exact same one that you are waiting on - the solar yellow with the Whole Shebang. I've already logged over 2,000 miles on it and I am still loving it.

Is the Soul a luxury car? No. I consider it more of a fun car. So much fun that my wife drives one and we bought one for our son to drive. And I'm not the only one on the forums with 3 of them (Hi, ShaggyWeirdo). I can say that the ride in the 2014 has been smoothed out quite a bit, though. And, with all the cool features and options in the Whole Shebang package, you'll be wondering why you didn't get one sooner.

 

[Tink]

Thanks for the response

One of the things that struck me when I started reading these forums a long time ago was how many multiple and serial Soul owners there are! That was one of the big things that informed my decision. I mean, I see people here on the forums that, if I remember correctly, currently have three Souls!

ALERT! I just got a text message from my salesguy saying my Soul will be in tonight, and that I can pick it up tomorrow any time after noon!

 

[Shaggy Wierdo]

...I see people here on the forums that, if I remember correctly, currently have three Souls!

Look, in 2008 I had enough of looking for a vehicle that would fit my needs for my ailing wife and my aging self, a son in school and an independent daughter. I had some specific needs but one thing I did not want was to pay for an overpriced SUV that would fit the bill but cost me an arm and a leg to drive, own, and repair. I bought what was available at the time as the least expensive alternative: Scion XB. And I took a lot of flack for it, every frigging day at work. I had it for almost five years before I sold it in favor of my THIRD Soul (I also has a Plus at one time). The other two were already in the stable.

If the other forum does not support you in what you do, get out of it. That is not why you are there, so leave and go someplace that is going to move with you as you move forward. The three Souls cost about 55K or so, don't get the greatest gas mileage but it sure beats the hell out of whatever I would get in the SUV, and I have had ZERO repair costs. If I had bought a higher priced SUV, I would not have had the money for a newer Soul for my son and he would be using what he had been using: ten or fifteen year old cars that lasted a year and fell apart.

It is true that one of them does not have many miles on it, but the other two are well over 30K and are daily drivers. For cost, utility, ease of use and peace of mind, I got the best deal for me. If others don't like that, well too bad. If they don't like my attitude, well bye-bye.

Remember that adage about walking a mile in other guy's shoes?

 

[Tink]

Thank you, imnbfe! That is EXACTLY what I needed to hear! I'm going to try very hard to not let those weenies get to me any more than they already have.

I don't expect this car to feel like my Mountaineer. Like you said, it's a FUN car, not a luxury car. The cool thing, to me, is that it *IS* a fun car, but it also has all the accoutrements of a luxury car. It's a PERFECT combination for me and reflects who I am!

Right this second, the hardest thing for me is focusing on WORK when I know my Soul is on the road on its way to me My salesguy is going to call me as soon as it's on-site and he's had a chance to go over it. Depending on when all that happens, it's POSSIBLE that I could get it tonight. But I am not holding my breath. LOL!

 

[Tink]

Hi Shaggy Weirdo

The other forum is called Toledo Talk. It's just an all-purpose local board where I've hung out for years. It's a great place, and everyone has always been pretty civil (to me, anyway), and I guess that's why it stung so badly. Feh.

But I'm stoked now, and not going to let any nay-sayers 'harsh my mellow', as they say.

 

[conwelpic]

TINK: I get the vehicle that fits my needs not anybody else's. When I got my first Kia ('08 Rondo) I had skeptics (I was working at that time) but usually when they took a closer look and sat inside it, they all changed there minds. I think its the mind-set of what Kia used to be like and known for years ago but over the last 7 years its change dramatically. When you think what Kia has done in such a relatively short time (only 21 years in the US and only 14 in Canada), its staggering.
I bought another Kia because my first one was so reliable and my dealer is great to deal with and gets all my service work.

By the way, was exactly is "Murican" these days, as it is so blurred.

bit of trivia for you on sales in the US since its introduction
2009 - 31,621
2010 - 67,110
2011 - 102,267
2012 - 115,778
2013 to end of November - 111,734

grand total: 428,510 units