







The Kia Soul got hit hard with the revised EPA ratings





Source: The Detroit News

Comments     Threshold


RE: I hate to say it, but...
By FaaR on 12/1/2012 12:11:06 PM , Rating: 3
Lead right foot syndrome, most likely... ;)

RE: I hate to say it, but...
By Samus on 12/2/2012 3:38:39 AM , Rating: 2
Yup. I'd add that Kia/Hyundai owners are typically the worst drivers on the road and its safe to say efficient driving isn't on their agenda.

After all, anyone buying a Korean is looking for the cheapest car on the market (especially when it comes to used cars because Kia/Hyundai have terrible resale value) and anybody in this category is unlikely to maintain or know anything about cars.

RE: I hate to say it, but...
By Alexvrb on 12/2/2012 3:50:04 PM , Rating: 2
There is no way that leadfoot driving should lead to that kind of mileage on the highway. There has to be something wrong with that vehicle to get significantly worse mileage on the highway than around town. Like a faulty torque converter lockup solenoid preventing the converter from locking up at all. Something like that would cause poor mileage at highway speeds, as the motor would stay at moderate RPMs even just cruising at 60+ MPH.

Those are some really piss-poor numbers and assuming he's not just completely lying, blaming Kia/Hyundai drivers seems a bit asinine.

I'm not a big fan of Korean cars either, but the current gen models aren't that terrible - even the budget ones. I don't think the reliability picture is nearly as bad as some people make it seem. Usually the ones that rip on them the most are elitist Honda and Toyota owners. The main reason I don't like them is that I keep cars for a long time, and the availability and pricing on parts for Hyundai/Kia are not as good as most makes for the same class of vehicle.

On the other hand, I feel like the mileage issue is important in the bigger picture. A lot of people buy them not only for price but for anticipated mileage over the long haul. So I think the mileage issue is important, since they have lured potential buyers away from other brands by claiming a false lead in mileage.

