While technically these two vehicles fall into the “small wagon” classification, they look like nothing more than boxes on wheels. Some people are really into this design, while others are completely opposed to it. If you’re in the former camp, these are two of the best offerings in that genre. You’ll find that these fun little entries into the wagon category are quite funky – inside and out.
The Kia Soul has lots of personality, with great road manners and a tall-wagon practicality that’s angular and adorable as well as being a nimble urban cruiser. If you’re interested in style and fashion, yet practicality is still important to you, then the Nissan Cube may be the choice for you. It has a strong value for the money and has a great perky feel, especially with the manual transmission choice. The price-points on both of these vehicles make them an attractive option for commuters who want to get decent gas mileage and still be mostly comfortable inside.
Interior Design and Options
The Cube’s rear seats don’t fold all the way to the floor, and if you need to move around a lot of “stuff”, then you might be hindered by that problem as well as the overly light steering. Both of the vehicles are so boxy that they don’t have the aerodynamic principles that some brethren have and both vehicles might suffer from crosswinds and a fair amount of road noise – more than expected. The power-everything inside is a bit of a surprise, as well as all the standard technology such as trip computers and such – possibly a bit more than you would expect at this investment level. Interior carpeting and comfortable bucket seating for 5 in both vehicles as well as 6-way driver seat controls and 4-way passenger seat controls make these vehicles quite comparable.
Fuel Economy
As expected, these small cars also have a small fuel tank, with only 12.7 gallons for the Kia Soul and 13.2 gallons for the Nissan Cube; meaning you’ll be hitting the gas station more often than with a larger vehicle. You might expect better gas economy from small vehicles like these, but the highway EPA estimated mpg for both is 30, with city mpg coming in at 25. The vehicles share a combined fuel efficiency of 27 mpg.
It takes a special kind of person to fall in love with these special vehicles! These two options are equally fun and kicky, and offer a great value in a solid ride.
