I know some of you might find this to be an odd question, but It's a question that is currently being discussed amongst some of my peers. A friend who is not a "car person" is deciding on a new car, a used 2016 Lexus ES 350 fits their budget and tastes but so does a brand new 2020 Kia Soul. Both cars have appreciable features to that person, the Lexus having the Luxury element and the Kia having the brand new, high ride height and practical use factor. My friend can easily live with both, but perks are perks and it's deciding which perks are more important that is spurring this discussion. The Lexus has a much smaller cargo area: 15 cu.ft vs 50 cu.ft in the Soul. New vs used, it's always nice to have a brand spankin new car. Riding up high, the Kia does have a higher ride height which is appreciated. Also, 2020 Kia soul is greatly improved over the existing years, rides quieter, drives better, nicer interior etc... Oh and new Kia Soul is actually 1-3 grand less than a 2016 Lexus. The ES 350 is a super comfortable car, which is great.

So what's better, the 2016 Lexus ES 350 or the 2020 Kia soul.

 

My brother had one of the early Kia Souls for about five years, and loved it, though he traded it for a new AWD Sportage because it wasn't very good in the snow and he had to start commuting longer distances in the winter. There were very few reliability problems with it over the years, and they have only gotten better and more refined in their road manners since than. Plus, you can get them at an affordable price, and they have an excellent warranty....though the 10/100 powertrain part of the warranty is transferrable only if the new owner in in your immediate family (Mom, Pop, Sis, Brother)...otherwise, it reverts to 5/60. Nevertheless, if you want a new Soul, my recommendation is go for it.

 

really will depend what your friend feels for in the end... they're both good purchases. personally i only get new vehicles because you really don't know how a used vehicle was treated unless you know the owner. plus i like the new car warranty, new car features, and new car smell.

but a 2016 ES will provide a ton of probably trouble free comfortable driving.

 

What sort of car do they want? Totally different cars.

Like Bit I also only buy new cars, but I wouldn't buy a Kia Soul.

 

The Soul is a city commuter and you have to order it in top trim to get the turbo giddy-up motor. The Lexus is smooth luxury with a V6. The OP is in Ontario so the Hyundai/Kia warranty will be 5/60 not 10/100 if that is going to be a buying factor. The ES does have pedestrian detection as part of its safety systems while the Soul pretty much matches it for the rest of the safety/collision systems.

You get parking sensors on the ES vs the Soul's basic backup cam etc. Really the Soul is the more practical vehicle. More space but the ES has more grace. The ESh could be possible choice here to match the Soul's city fuel consumption.

 

Yes, that's a valid point. I had forgotten that the 10/10 drivetrain warranty was just for the U.S. Why Hyundai and Kia do that, I don't know. .......offer so much more warranty here in the U.S., though it does have the immediate-family-limitation I pointed out earlier.

 

Yes, and odd thing but it might be that a good chunk of Canada qualifies for severe winter driving conditions, especially in urban centers where short trips in well below zero conditions can be the norm. Hyundai/Kia would have to specify semi-synthetic or full synthetic oil to deal with the rigors of the cold winter belt up here.