I've been obsessing over replacing our R56 MCS with a new Countryman since they came out and I tried driving one. To be practical, We were waiting for our Mini's warranty to expire. In all that waiting, I spent some time looking at other compact suv-ish cars, like the Nissan Juke and the Suzuki SX4 which the Mini had some clear advantages over. I drew the line for consideration at 14 feet, that's the line our state draws for cheaper ferry rates. The one car I hadn't really looked at was the Kia Soul because it was Kia, until my mother-in-law bought one and wouldn't shut up about how great it was.

So the Mini Countryman S w/ the automatic has a 0-60 of 7.4 seconds, and the Kia Soul Exclaim has a rating of 7.9 seconds, so the Mini wins that round. Fuel economy, the Countryman S is rate at 25/32 while the Soul! is rated at 26/34, so that round goes to the Kia. Interior space is no contest, while the Countryman has lots of room, the Soul is HUGE. The real difference between the two comes down to the pricing, the Exclaim with the premium package came in at $23k, leather heated seats, navigation, backup camera, thumping sound system, 18" wheels, sport suspension, sunroof, comfort access, flat load floor, cargo nets, center arm rest, electronic dimming mirror w/ compass, auto ac, 6 speed automatic (aisin, just like the Mini), rear spoiler, etc... The same features in the Countryman added up to $38k, which adds an additional $1500 in taxes, bringing the price difference up to $16500 !

So as you might have guessed, we decided to leave that extra $16+k in the bank and get the Kia. The badging might not be as hip, but for that sort of coin, I'll sleep a lot better. It drives every bit as nice as the Countrymans we tested, the only real disappointment is the projector headlights are halogen and not HID.

 

Yeah, but it still looks b*tt ugly, and handles like a boat. And 6 years from now, the Mini will be worth 50% of it's current value, and the Kia will be worth 25%. That knocks your savings by 2/3 at trade in.

If you want efficient use of space, get a Honda Fit.

But, to each his own... good luck in your Kia.

 

I wouldn't necessarily call the Soul the same thing as a Countryman. Im not a huge fan of the Countryman but you get BMW quality for the extra price and will be worth a lot more in the end. You can also do a lot more with a MINI culture wise, I'm not sure if they have come out with Kia takes the states yet or Kia on the dragon But enjoy your new ride!

 

i actually test drove a kia soul, and talked to 2 owners

both owners told me exactly the same thing ....

18-20 mpg overall, highest seen 23-24 for a tank all interstate

typical far east .... pick the tranny / final drive to do well on the epa test, does not work in the real world

totally agree with Mark on the retained value, not much

scott

 

Mini CM v. Kia Soul- i just threw up in my mouth a little. Just kidding, but while the 0-60 number is impressive and the mileage is somewhat better, the only advantage I see. Is the Soul AWD at that price? Because while I haven't had a chance on snow yet with my CMS All4, it is Mother Fing MONEY on dirt roads no matter what the conditions. Rainy, loose gravel, squishy mud, washboardy, I cannot get the thing lose its go cart like handling. With the available lift and skid plate from Detroit Tuned, the CM becomes a true Mini SUV. Soul is a car, and that's all it will ever be. We test drove Juke, Velociter, and wouldn't consider Soul when deciding to buy two MINI's early this year.

I actually like the Mazda CX-5 as a strong competitor to theCM, although I haven't driven one.

 

*plays taps*

 

+1

 

um.. Lets now compare a Porsche 911 vs a Hyundia Genisis coupe since they have the same HP etc.. And when you pull up to all the events everyone goes.. WHOA!!! LOOK AT THAT HYUNDIA GENISIS!!

Um sorry.. The mini shouldn't even put in this category. Im sure there are a lot of neigh sayers, but honestly why would this thread even start?

YAYA about price vs function and options... If you want to nickel and dime it, go buy that Kia and be happy..

Not trying to flame you n1tr0 but this VS thread is kinda ridiculous!

 

+1

I just laughed my a$$ off - so thanks for this post.


.

 

Btw, To n1tr0 congrats saving 16k! I applaud you, but again the whole reference as to saving money vs function and car.. I can save 100K+ buying a Hyundi Genisis coupe, am I?? Um.. They aren't even in the same category as a porsche, Ferrari, etc..

Same with our Mini's They are not Kia's wrapped with Mini badging, if they were, BMW would not carry them..

Then BMW is just a wrapped up Honda Accord..

 

I don't like the look of the Kia Soul but that is just my opinion. Can't complain about the Kia line since it is helping the Georgia economy with a plant down here now. Thw wife drives our Countryman and we both love it but I got a Mazda3 Hatchback for driving to and from work. Cost $14K less than the Countryman and is getting 37 mpg around Atlanta and got 43 mpg on the highway with regular gas and good power. Mazda3 is fun to drive although still not a MINI but at least it is not a Kia. To each his own. That is what makes it America.

 

I had to drive a Soul as a rental.... on a interstate drive I could only get 235 miles per tank! What really was bad was the doors with a cross wind you could watch them flex at the top of the door and and then you had the wind noise. Could not wait to turn in that car!

 

The Kia Soul is only slightly better looking than a Nissan Cube. Aesthetics count for something, IMO. As for Kia value--I have looked at the KIA Sorrento--and there is a LOT of bang for the buck, and they are made in Georgia. I just wasn't feeling it.

 

If I couldn't afford the CM I would've looked very closely at the Soul, I think it is cute and it does offer a lot for the money. As I lease the long term value matters less. The AWD was a significant factor in choosing the CM, along with the facts that it is cute, few people driver them and it has class.

My friends who drive Souls are more than happy with their pruchases, and their monthly payments.

BUt really if you cannot afford the CM, then a soul is just fine.

 

It seems to me that the OP was very diligent in researching the specs of both cars. The intent was to define the "value proposition" predominantly in financial terms. Well done!

However, I think what folks are saying is that, for some, there are dimensions to the comparison that reach beyond the specifications and financial considerations. That being said, those dimensions requires a certain financial cost that not all are willing (or capable) to bear. Saving $16,000 in choosing the Soul means concessions need to be made and, therefore, the comparison of the two cars is a bit "apples and oranges". The Soul is bound to come up on the short end somewhere.

While I have always been a BMW/MINI fanboy, I have also been extremely lucky to have been able to financially manage my obsession. To reach beyond my means for a new M3 (or similar salary-gobbler) would feed my obsession better...but it would be a very short-lived experience and just give the repro-industry more revenue. So, I think the OP made a financially sound choice.

I also look at it this way: saving $16,000 by purchasing a Soul (!) would allow me to purchase a new BMW 2012 S1000RR to add to my garage!

 

I used to build Porsche race cars and drive exotics all day, so for me the Mini was never that special/premium. If it was really a BMW, BMW would put their name on it and they wouldn't castrate the performance to keep it from impeding on the rest of their cars.

I understand all the scoffing, I did the same thing at first, and I know previous years and lesser models have sucky engines, sucky trim, and sucky suspension, but the 2012 exclaim model with the premium package really looks sharp inside and out; The engine's been updated, tons of sound deading has been added, etc. The performance and handling is just like the Countryman S (non-awd).

I'm sure the Kia's shortcomings would become apparent if I was to push it to the limits, but I have other toys in my stable. The $18+k (note, I also got $2k more for my trade in through Kia than Mini would give me) I actually saved could buy me a new Aprilia and a Harley !
If you're financing, you probably just look at the monthly payments, but I like to pay for everything with cash, so it's a good chunk of change.

 

I like the superior ground clearance, too!

 

Sorry, but hamsters bobbing their heads to music as the commercial of why to buy this car can't compare. The crowd is even differently marketed to as well...

I know you guys might hate me, and I know to each is own. Im glad you love your car and it costs way less. I don't see the point on coming onto a mini forum and telling others that you saved a bunch of money on the exact same thing but from KIA and expect everyone to be "oh ya.. cool!" Everyone has their own opinion, and for me.. I can't be happier! Enough said. My countryman now has 275hp and a work of art.

n1tr0 glad you got that kia! Honestly exotics and porsches don't compare to my trophy truck build that costs 250k for the chassis. But I don't come here saying a Ford Raptor = trophy truck build cause you can do light off-roading.

 

You're totally right, Mini's should be marketed more as a fun car, like they did back in the first few years. Mini should be targeting younger buyers like they do in Europe, but their crazy inflated prices have pushed their average buyers age to well over 55. If you go to any of the local mini club events (here in the puget sound), you'll find it's mostly an older ladies club and that's why it's so bloody hard to find performance parts for the newer Mini models. Congrats on getting your countryman up to 275hp. My point was simply that throwing a handful of features onto a $20k car shouldn't turn it into a $40k car. Similarly I'm not going to spend $3k on an Apple powerbook to get the same number crunching performance I can get out of a sub-$1k Windows based notebook. A logo just isn't worth that sort of coin to me.

& $250k for a chassis !?! That's a whole different world of throwing money around. I'm glad I can design and build stuff like that myself, my brain's just not wired for that kind of spending.

 

I will say that I have not looked at the 2012 models. I do know the 2011 model had NO power, and handled poorly. The build quality was far short of the CM. The one I test drove was not the top end model, so maybe the higher trim models are better.
Maybe they fixed a lot of things for 2012. If so, it might be an alternative. But in 2011, it wasn't even close.

Mark

 

Had to LMFAO and ROTFL on that one. Accent seems to be more on price and less on quality.

 

Wow. I really wish you hadn't gotten your nose out of joint because your first posts were pretty well-received considering you were basically dissing all of us for our choice of vehicle.
I have driven some very nice cars, but I was weary of paying in the 40s and up. I find the CM to be less expensive and more fun--and actually a little less lux. than my previous vehicles.
But what do I know? I am a woman, a Mac user, and gawd only knows what color my hair is under all that dye.

 

I'm a bit lost trying to figure out the savings...

Wouldn't you be looking at an All4 Countryman at $38k?

Regardless, it's all personal. I live and drive in areas where I can potentially see snow 6 months out of the year, so a Kia Soul is out of the question for me simply because it's front wheel drive only.

In my opinion, if you wanted to save money, the only other real choice for me a year ago might have been a Juke, but no manual. This year, the Mazda CX-5 looks to be credible, though lord knows if they'll bring an AWD manual over.

Long story short, as you can see above, personal preferences and ranking of what's important can totally change what vehicles can be in the mix. For me, the lack of a manual option throws just about any small AWD SUV out the window for me leaving me with the only possibility being, "How cheap can I option this out and what can I live without?"

 

Btw, Not bashing you at all. Just trying to point out. Id love to go to a Mini Event here in Seattle! I think your right though, the crowd seems to be lost up here with mini in non high performance parts! Oh well, Cars are cars, people do what ever they want with them

 

tybeegirl!

In fact, now I'm wondering how on earth anyone has ever allowed me to fly jet aircraft, for a living.

Perhaps I should retire, take up knitting, and sell my MINI?