New Car Review: 2013 Kia Soul

Kia's been surprising people for a few years now, but maybe the biggest surprise was how the Soul ended up a big-seller when other seemingly similar funky boxes (Scion xB, Nissan Cube) failed.

Sure, the Soul had the Hamstars (love them or hate them, you know who they are and what car they're selling), and marketing matters. But the Soul caught on because the Soul works.

The boxy shape serves the function of the car...it's very roomy inside. But details keep it from being simply a utilitarian box on wheels. The stylists managed to find ways to get an aggressive look out of the Soul, giving it an edginess that the too-soft xB and Cube just can't reach.

And then there's value. Souls start at $14,400 and are, even at that base level, reasonably well equipped.

We drove the ! (not a typo) model, which is the top of the line. Even there, the base price slides in just under $20,000 (at $19,900). For your $5,500 extra, 15-inch wheels become 18s, bumpers and fascias go body-colored, the headlights become auto-off projector units, there are LED Positioning lights, dual power-folding mirrors, a premium audio system, rear camera display and HD Radio, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a power sunroof and fog lamps. That's a high level of content for $19,900. Our tester checked the remaining option boxes, adding a Premium Package (Nav with Sirius Traffic, push-button start, leather seat trim, heated front seats and automatic climate control) for $2,500, a rear bumper applique for $75.00, a cargo net for $50 and an electrochromic rear-view mirror with built-in compass for $275.00. Add $775 freight and the total is $23,575.

Cheap at $14,400...a decent value at $19,900...but crowding $24,000 and we start to cool a bit. At that price point, you can find faster cars (the 2.0-liter four with Continuously Variable Transmission needs about 8 seconds to get to 60 from a standing start) and you can find ones that get better mileage (the EPA says 23 city/28 highway for the Soul). If you like the spaciousness, the amenities and the attitude, a Soul's a fine pick if the price tag is in the teens. Almost $24,000 puts it out of its league.

New Car Review: 2013 Acura ILX

On paper, it had the makings of an unmitigated disaster: Take Acura, the upscale brand of Honda struggling for an identity, and base its new entry-level sedan on the Honda Civic, a compact that has lost its edge to the point that Consumer Reports ripped it apart and Honda felt compelled to rush a thorough refresh...but not until after the debut of the Acura.

Well, disaster averted. The Acura ILX isn't a bad car. And that's what I'd feared most. But it's not a winner, either.

The ILX does a commendable job of taking the platform of the Civic and turning it into a nicer, more upscale machine. But what that upgrade costs you is the flaw that undermines the ILX.

The base ILX costs $7,735 more than a base Civic. It costs $2,135 more than the top-of-the-line Civic EX-L with nav and voice recognition. Yes, your climate control in the Acura is dual-zone, you've got a nicer audio system and a two-tenths of a liter larger, 10 horses more powerful engine (the advantage of which evaporates under the ILX's added 200 pounds of weight...while costing you 4 miles per gallon in both city and highway fuel economy estimates, from 28 to 24 and 39 to 35, respectively), but that's it.

And the ILX is just getting started.

Our tester was the second most-expensive, the 5-speed automatic with Technology Package...at $31,400 (there's a hybrid with tech for $34,400). Now you're $10,635 above that loaded Civic EX-L with nav and voice recognition.

Break out the spec sheets and you'll see how small the differences are. The ILX is about an inch and a half wider than the Civic, and 200 pounds heavier, but only 10 horses more powerful. Sure it rides a bit smoother and more quietly (some of those 200 pounds are sound-deadening materials), they fixed the Civic's funky bi-level instrument panel and there are nicer materials and options than the Civic offers.

But $10,635 more? No. This is Ford Granada-Lincoln Versailles/Chevy Citation-Cadillac Cimarron silk purse stuff. And, after the refresh we're told (haven't had one to test yet) the Civic is no sow's ear.

Our advice? Get the loaded Civic. Or, if you want to spend in the low 30s for an Acura, step up to the Acura TSX. Bigger, more powerful, honest and one of our favorite cars.