Jump to content
Create New...
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Toyota's R&D Boss Believes Internal Combustion Engines For Cars To Be Gone By 2050

      Blame stronger emission regulations

    Most vehicles sold feature an internal combustion engine running some type of fuel, but a Toyota executive believes this engine will be gone for vehicles by 2050.

    “We expect that by 2050 we will have reduced CO2 emissions from vehicles by 90% compared to the figure in 2010. To achieve that from 2040 simple internal combustion engined cars will not be made, but they may be the basis of some hybrid or plug-in hybrid cars,” said Seigo Kuzumaki, Toyota’s head of advanced R&D and engineering.

    Kuzumaki's reasoning for this comes down to governments tightening regulations on emissions. This, in turn, will cause automakers to accelerate development of alternative powertrains such as electrics.

    Toyota's a latecomer to electric vehicles, instead choosing to focus on hydrogen. But the Japanese automaker is working on a new family of EVs that will launch in 2020. The models will use lithium-ion batteries and have a range of 300 miles. But Toyota hopes to launch solid state batteries only a few years later for their EVs. Solid state batteries use solid electrolytes instead of liquid to hold a charge. This will provide better performance and a smaller size than the lithium-ion battery packs.

    Source: Autocar

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



      On 11/16/2017 at 3:37 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

    It'll run for 60 minutes on a charge and charge in 60 minutes.  The natural solution is to just buy a second battery that sits on the charger while you're using the first one. 

    Expand  

    That's an extra $130... I'd want a second battery anyway but that's a lot of money.

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 5:15 PM, ccap41 said:

    Just kidding.. The battery that is on the $600 mower is this guy... so a second one of these is.. $360..

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/EGO-56-Volt-7-5-Ah-Battery-BA4200/205983345

     

    Expand  

    See that makes no sense and I honestly feel they are going after money grab as when I bought my EGO Power Tools, I bought through Amazon where I got a superior deal on getting the Mower, Trimmer and Blower at one time with the 3 batteries and chargers. All work great, a 2nd 56 V 7.5 Amp battery was only $150 then and that was 2 years ago. Now $348 dollars plus 10 bucks for shipping so $358 is just crazy. I know they want to keep their prices higher and I think Home Depot one of their biggest retailers for their products have always just doubled the price so I feel EGO is matching to just take the higher profit. I do not blame them but also have to point out this keeps people from moving to EV when you over price your product.

    https://www.amazon.com/EGO-Power-BA4200-Lithium-Ion-Equipment/dp/B01FAW5GWY

    Crazy that I spent less than a Grand for all 3 and now it is about 400 more than I spent 2 years ago. I wonder also if the Holidays are playing a part of higher prices. Crazy, I do like their new Snow Blower, talk about quiet.

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 5:15 PM, ccap41 said:

    Just kidding.. The battery that is on the $600 mower is this guy... so a second one of these is.. $360..

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/EGO-56-Volt-7-5-Ah-Battery-BA4200/205983345

     

    Expand  

    I bill my private consulting clients $75/hour. All that battery needs to do is save me 4.6 hours of swearing like a sailor at a gasoline mower to be worth it. It would have earned it's keep in August 2017 alone.

    Yes there is a higher dollar cost to these electric mowers, but time is also money.

    That said, I could probably do my lawn plus the lawns at my rental properties on a single charge.

    • Like 1
    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I generally charge at least $40 for side work...and have no trouble selling labor for that.

    Figure the amount of time I spend waiting in line to buy gasoline and an electric car starts making sense really fast. Thinking CPO Bolt might just be in budget...

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 3:02 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

    That's the brand my Eco warrior neighbor bought and recommended to me when we were talking about me tossing the gas mower.

    Expand  

    i have this ego mower and it's incredible. i've managed to mow both my rental properties, and front/back home lawns on a single charge. one time the battery nearly died out on me but i brought the charger, plugged it in while doing 15 minutes of edging and it was ready to go. highly recommended. 

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/EGO-21-in-56-Volt-Lithium-ion-Cordless-Battery-Push-Mower-with-5-0Ah-Battery-and-Charger-Included-LM2101/206515766

    • Agree 3
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    [Reads latest posts]

    Battery powered electric leaf blowers and lawn mowers....

    [checks name of thread...sees thread is about Toyota]

    :scratchchin:

    [concludes...and agrees...that battery powered electric leaf blowers and lawn mowers are much more fun to talk about AND operate than Toyotas]

    :Toyota:

    Edited by oldshurst442
    • Haha 4
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 8:57 PM, oldshurst442 said:

    [Reads latest posts]

    Battery powered electric leaf blowers and lawn mowers....

    [checks name of thread...sees thread is about Toyota]

    :scratchchin:

    [concludes...and agrees...that battery powered electric leaf blowers and lawn mowers are much more fun to talk about AND operate than Toyotas]

    :Toyota:

    Expand  

    Depends on the Toyota...would love to drive a Toyota 86...which brings us right back to cars, internal combustion, and manual transmissions.

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 8:57 PM, oldshurst442 said:

    [Reads latest posts]

    Battery powered electric leaf blowers and lawn mowers....

    [checks name of thread...sees thread is about Toyota]

    :scratchchin:

    [concludes...and agrees...that battery powered electric leaf blowers and lawn mowers are much more fun to talk about AND operate than Toyotas]

    :Toyota:

    Expand  

    No no... we're just being flexible since we have a member here with a case of whataboutism.

    • Haha 4
    • Disagree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:04 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

    Depends on the Toyota...would love to drive a Toyota 86...which brings us right back to cars, internal combustion, and manual transmissions.

    Expand  

    Toyota Sport 800 from 1965 to 1970 would be a fun cool car to play with.

    http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/toyota/sports-800/4354/1965-1970-toyota-sports-800

    1965-1970-toyota-sports-800-4354_10309_969X727.jpg

    Toyota could give Miata a run for their money or maybe Mazda got their clues from this for the Miata. :P 

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:04 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

    Depends on the Toyota...would love to drive a Toyota 86...which brings us right back to cars, internal combustion, and manual transmissions.

    Expand  

    No no...Its OK...

    We could go back to leaf blowers and lawn mowers.

    Ill meet you half-way...

    I bought a Yardworks gasoline lawnmower 14-15 years ago. Im guessing its a Tecumseh motor. Hardly any maintenance do I do and she still purrs like a mean kitten. 

    Internal combustion Tecumseh motors are fine engines....

     

    Edited by oldshurst442
    • Haha 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    In all seriousness though...I avoided this thread...

    Too much mind-numbing whataboutisms and purposeful neglecting of reality going on.

    I much prefer the path we are on now.

    I no longer have the urge to....scream.

    • Haha 3
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:21 PM, oldshurst442 said:

    In all seriousness though...I avoided this thread...

    Too much mind-numbing whataboutisms and purposeful neglecting of reality going on.

    I much prefer the path we are on now.

    I no longer have the urge to....scream.

    Expand  

    With an electric lawn mower at least we could hear you scream.  Given the Toyota 86, sticky tires, and a curvy road, i could make you scream.  The lack of a sensible response from the anti EV crowd makes me want to scream.

    There are arguments against EV's they just are not presented rationally here.

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:14 PM, dfelt said:

    Toyota Sport 800 from 1965 to 1970 would be a fun cool car to play with.

    http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/toyota/sports-800/4354/1965-1970-toyota-sports-800

    1965-1970-toyota-sports-800-4354_10309_969X727.jpg

    Toyota could give Miata a run for their money or maybe Mazda got their clues from this for the Miata. :P 

    Expand  

    i could drop that in my back pocket...

    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:25 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

    With an electric lawn mower at least we could hear you scream.  Given the Toyota 86, sticky tires, and a curvy road, i could make you scream.  The lack of a sensible response from the anti EV crowd makes me want to scream.

    There are arguments against EV's they just are not presented rationally here.

    Expand  

    The thing does corner damn well!  I like the Toyota 86. Id take the Subaru version though.

    This little emoticon is my friend. :Toyota:

    If one car that could be made into an EV and be better than its gasoline counterpart would be the Toyobaru.

    The Tesla roadster powertrain in this and it be better than the Lotus derived Tesla roadster...

    Why do I feel this way?

    Let us discuss it...

     

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:42 PM, oldshurst442 said:

    The thing does corner damn well!  I like the Toyota 86. Id take the Subaru version though.

    This little emoticon is my friend. :Toyota:

    If one car that could be made into an EV and be better than its gasoline counterpart would be the Toyobaru.

    The Tesla roadster powertrain in this and it be better than the Lotus derived Tesla roadster...

    Why do I feel this way?

    Let us discuss it...

     

    Expand  

    OK, I give ya the mule test auto from Toyota,

    Toyota 86 EV

    86-EV-Toyota.jpg

    And for those that want an ICE Version, properly V8 powered.

    Monster 86

    V8-Powered.jpg

    Nothing like putting in a Proper LS3 Engine with a base mode of 430HP, big jump over the 200HP from the default power train 86.

    @A Horse With No Name This is way better than the politician even on a stormy wet day! :P 

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:51 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

    I would love a small electric sports car...that would be the Cats Ass....

    And yes, your average Toyota has all of the appeal of Joe Biden on a bad day. 

    And actually that is wildly unfair to Toyota.

    Expand  

    Oh come on... Joe Biden can be really funny when those anvils fall out of his mouth.

    • Haha 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:51 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

    I would love a small electric sports car...that would be the Cats Ass....

    And yes, your average Toyota has all of the appeal of Joe Biden on a bad day. 

    And actually that is wildly unfair to Toyota.

    Expand  

    whoa....

    What you just said is unfair towards Joe Biden...

    Give the man some credit.

    coujw1ew8vqqlqmzy5kf.jpg

     

    Toyota is more like Al Gore...

    Was once married to a very fine looking Tipper. (That would be the Toyota 2000GT)

    Has 3 beautiful children (Those would be the Supra, Celica and MR2)

    Had a good political career (Hilux and Lexus)

    But now...is just a big ole bore. Al Gore!  (Camry)

     

    • Haha 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 9:52 PM, dfelt said:

    OK, I give ya the mule test auto from Toyota,

    Toyota 86 EV

    86-EV-Toyota.jpg

    And for those that want an ICE Version, properly V8 powered.

    Monster 86

    V8-Powered.jpg

    Nothing like putting in a Proper LS3 Engine with a base mode of 430HP, big jump over the 200HP from the default power train 86.

    Expand  

    Call me crazy...and as much fun the LS3 86 would be...Id still take the EV.

      Quote

     

    fter having removed the GT 86’s four-cylinder engine, TGMY has installed an electric motor rated at 75 kW (100 horsepower) and 177 pound-feet of torque. That’s well short of the regular GT 86’s 200-horsepower output, but as seen in this video, first picked up by Technologic Vehicles, the electric sports coupe’s pace is far from sluggish.

    TGMY took the car and did some laps of Japan’s famous Suzuka Circuit where it was able to post a best time of 2 minutes and 57 seconds. That’s only 20 seconds slower than a twin-turbocharged Mazda RX7, and just 30 seconds off the pace of a Porsche Carrera GT supercar, according to our sister site Motor Authority.

    TGMY’s electric conversion also includes a 37-kWh lithium-polymer battery, which the company says is good for a 155-mile range. The vehicle’s top speed is a claimed 124 mph.

     

    Expand  

    That is with an EV motor of only 100 HP...100 less than the 4 cylinder...and maybe 10-20 ft/lbs less.

    The LS3 86 just undermines what the 86 is all about. But the EV amplifies (pun intended) the 86's raison d'etre.

    Edited by oldshurst442
    • Like 1
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 6:53 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

    I bill my private consulting clients $75/hour. All that battery needs to do is save me 4.6 hours of swearing like a sailor at a gasoline mower to be worth it. It would have earned it's keep in August 2017 alone.

    Yes there is a higher dollar cost to these electric mowers, but time is also money.

    That said, I could probably do my lawn plus the lawns at my rental properties on a single charge.

    Expand  

    That's nice and all but it doesn't help average Joe much when a push mower cost a grand with one spare battery. 

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I have a lot of trees & don't fertilize, so I mow infrequently. If my 12-some year old Briggs & Stratton ever dies, I'd consider the Ego... if the price comes down. $350 sale price vs. $150 for gas powered...

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 10:31 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

    Without a spare battery it is like $600 and does not require gasoline to be stored in my garage. I may just pull the trigger.

    Expand  

    This was one of many reasons to get rid of ICE Mower, Blower, Weed wacker. No more Petrol and smell, No more oil changes, no more tune ups, so many benefits that the upfront cost is easily recovered over the long haul of ownership. Not to mention the ease of recharging in my garage. Not having to wear ear muffs, etc. Love the Quietness of EV yard tools.

    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 11:27 PM, balthazar said:

     If my 12-some year old Briggs & Stratton ever dies, I'd consider the Ego... if the price comes down. $350 sale price vs. $150 for gas powered...

    Expand  

    Im in the same boat regarding lawn mowers and price. Same views apply to ICE and EVs for me.

    And I just remembered...thanx to your post....that Yardworks lawnmower I own is a Briggs and Stratton.

    My snowblower is a Tecumseh motor.

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/17/2017 at 12:12 AM, dfelt said:

    No more Petrol and smell, No more oil changes, no more tune ups, so many benefits that the upfront cost is easily recovered over the long haul of ownership.

    Expand  

    Like I said: I don't mow that frequently- there's no push mower 'tune-ups',  I may have changed the oil in it like 3 times (right now it's a lovely clean amber color), and there's no other 'benefits' I can see in my garage. Storing gas- it's the garage. Oh- I do like how the Eco stands upright when folded up- there is that. But that's not worth me spending $200 for.

    • Thanks 2
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    My yard service mows once a week.  I was able to get by with getting it mowed every two weeks in Phoenix, grew slower.   Except those guys took an hour to do a smaller lot.  Here the guys have bigger mowers and do the front and the back in 15 min. 

    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/17/2017 at 12:22 AM, ocnblu said:

    LOL look at this thread AFTER an admonishment from Drew aimed toward me... amazing, and typical of leftists.

    Expand  

    Typical of rightists?

    Ignoring and deflecting?

    PS: I dont lean neither left nor right...my ideas are based on TRUTH and REALITY...and I accept it for what it is...even it means...CHANGE...

    I just think...FOR MYSELF!!!

    Edited by oldshurst442
    • Haha 1
    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/16/2017 at 10:25 PM, ccap41 said:

    That's nice and all but it doesn't help average Joe much when a push mower cost a grand with one spare battery. 

    Expand  

    The average homeowner isn't going to need more than one battery. 60 minutes of actual mower operation is a lot of yard. Such a homeowner will be of distinctly above average income.

      On 11/17/2017 at 12:22 AM, ocnblu said:

    LOL look at this thread AFTER an admonishment from Drew aimed toward me... amazing, and typical of leftists.

    Expand  

    I prefer to think of it is as being flexible. You want to talk about all the whatabouts aside from car emissions... We're doing just that.  Feel free to bring up cow farts again in this thread if you want.

    • Sad 1
    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I want to repeat that I didn't ditch the gas mower for any grand ecological reasoning. It was a 14 year old Craftsman with a Briggs engine that caused me lots of trouble. I probably put more money into parts for it over the last few years than it would have cost me to buy a new one, but it was always $25 here, $45 there, so individually the repairs made sense.  The last breakdown happened only an hour after I had replaced a part that I had waited a week for and I was simply fed up. I got a service to do my rentals and I had the spare Black and Decker corded electric to fill in. If I can find a new blade for it (it's enough out of balance to matter) I'll just use it till it dies and then get another electric. I have a number of other newer gas powered tools still around that won't be replaced for a long while.

    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 11/17/2017 at 12:22 AM, ocnblu said:

    LOL look at this thread AFTER an admonishment from Drew aimed toward me... amazing, and typical of leftists.

    Expand  

    i like the guy whose entire house cost less than my car calling people 'leftists...'

    whattaboutism is an old soviet chestnut, so keep it up comrade. 

    • Haha 4
    • Sad 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    My son works in a department for an insurance company called escalation where he takes calls no one else will handle.

    The other day he had a nut job Pentecostal preacher keep insisting that he could give us a special thanksgiving blessing straight from Jesus in liu of premium payment.

      On 11/17/2017 at 3:11 AM, Intrepidation said:

    2-cycle mower or bust. :spin:

    Expand  

    I want to dump extra oil in the fuel and make it smoke like a freaking freight train just to prove a political point...

      On 11/17/2017 at 3:03 AM, FAPTurbo said:

    i like the guy whose entire house cost less than my car calling people 'leftists...'

    whattaboutism is an old soviet chestnut, so keep it up comrade. 

    Expand  

    I prefer to think of myself as a Trotskyist with liberation theology trappings myself. 

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I use it because it's cool, and because 2-strokes are torque monsters by small engine standards. Also if you mix the fuel correctly you have little to no smoke.

    I'd have no qualms about using something like a Ryobi One+ Hybrid mower, I just have no need because I have like, six gas powered mowers to choose from in my garage, including what is considered the holy grail of engines, a 2-stroke Suzuki powered Toro Recycler.

    • Thanks 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Perfect case for the use of fossil fue

      On 11/17/2017 at 3:27 AM, Intrepidation said:

    I use it because it's cool, and because 2-strokes are torque monsters by small engine standards. Also if you mix the fuel correctly you have little to no smoke.

    I'd have no qualms about using something like a Ryobi One+ Hybrid mower, I just have no need because I have like, six gas powered mowers to choose from in my garage, including what is considered the holy grail of engines, a 2-stroke Suzuki powered Toro Recycler.

    Expand  

    I honestly don't understand why you cannot love both fossil fuel and electric vehicles.  I do!

    • Thanks 1
    • Agree 3
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites




    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • But we don't really need 600 mile EVs.  What we need are EV's that replace the 100 kWh battery with a lighter, cheaper 75 kWh battery and get the same range.  
    • Was out and about in my neighborhood this afternoon and saw not one but two Cadillac ELRs within a couple blocks…a dark red one and a pearl white one.   Also saw two CT6s (dark gray and black) and a CT4 V series in bright blue.  
    • Keep in Mind that Mercedes came to the party late. Kia/Hyundai/Genesis were the first investor with Factorial Energy for Solid state and then a year later Mercedes joined the investors party. Both have prototype assembly lines that come online this spring to actually product production grade battery packs. Right now, both are using hand-built versions and have pretty much the same range. Genesis RV90 EV SUV is supposed to have the first battery packs from the Hyundai Assembly line in them when they go on sale next year. That would put them ahead of Mercedes. Bigger part is when both companies push it through out their whole product portfolio to maximize the performance while minimizing cost. I can imagine the G90 Long wheelbase sedan above having this battery pack and being in the 600 mile plus range. We are in exciting times, and it will be interesting to watch how Mercedes and Kia/Hyundai/Genesis maximize these solid-state battery packs.
    • Warren Buffett was the lead investor in BYD and as a financial requirement made BYD review and apply all of Demming and Drucker's approach to manufacturing like they did for Toyota and most of Japan when the U.S. Auto industry ignored them. BYD is in many ways ahead of many other auto companies world wide in quality as well as technology. Excellent read: Deming versus Drucker. Management Titans Clash Like Rivals in… | by Paul Daoust | SCIO Asset Management Inc. | Medium
    • I remember when the Kia Soul hit the market, together with its jingle about a “little bit of soul.”  I still think the name is clever. Yet, it has taken me this long to actually drive one.  It was because of a situation where the rental agency had run out of compact sedans. The Kia Soul doesn’t look like anything else.  It’s quirky and even an ugly sort of cute.  When it was first released, its cartoon-like front grille “expressed” sadness.  It has been minimally changed during its run and, currently, the front grille looks a little “angry” … and with an underbite.  The side profile is largely unchanged.  Now, the rear door and surface are vertical and its rear taillamp assembly has morphed to wrapping around the edge of that entire surface. In being so vertical, getting into and out of the Soul is easy.  That feeling of verticality extends to the interior of the cabin.  The front of the cabin is spacious enough, the rear of the cabin is sufficiently spacious, and the rear storage space, without the rear seat folded down, is not exactly generous.  To get the full benefit, the rear seat needs to be folded down.  Clearly, a person who buys one has penciled out their needs and has figured that the Kia Soul might work for them.  Some reviewers have said that the dashboard is a throwback to another era.  I believe they were addressing how rounded the different volumes were.  I’d agree that roundedness was very popular in past automotive design, but this dash set-up is unique to the Soul.  The interesting thing is the illumination at night, which seems to change colors – without adjustments I was aware of, the colors were shades of purple and pink.  Having clusters of instruments grouped in these rounded clusters was easy to work with.  The steering wheel in this model was a urethane one, and, anymore, this always gives a vehicle an entry-level feel.   On the main pod, the speedometer is to the left and the tachometer (where one needs to multiply the digital number x 1,000) is on the right.  Fuel and temperature gauges are included and worked in around the edges of the above.  There is an information dialogue box between them where you can see tire pressure and other readouts as you toggle through them. The Soul’s center stack dash pods are very sensible.  This includes both infotainment screen and the climate control panel.  The console is also simply laid out. The Soul’s engine has a subdued rhythmic note, but it’s not hushed when pushed.  This is an economical Kia vehicle.  The engine is a 2.0-liter 4 cylinder unit and it is not turbocharged.  Thus, it makes 147 horses.  Power comes from a CVT, as Hyundai has left the geared automatics behind several years ago, when even Rios (and Accents) had 6 speed automatic transmissions. The Soul is conventional in its mechanics, seeming like a vehicle somewhere between a Kia Rio and a Kia Forte that has been raised up.  That explains its ride and handling, which is probably closer to that of the Forte than to that of the Rio.  This means that, while not premium grade, it is nimble and smooth enough.  Sometimes, it’s the go-kart effect as you slalom around city traffic that “imparts” more agility than would be experienced on two-lane highways or freeways. With its powertrain, it has what it needs for everyday driving and even sprinting away from a light or onto a freeway ramp.  In so doing, the CVT will begin to spool up the rpms, but it doesn’t give the sensation of “sticking” at those higher rpms the way some CVTs did in the mid-2010s.  As for passing up a steep grade or at high speed, this would be more challenging and would need to be “studied.” The seating is upholstered in tougher fabric, which is firm and reasonably comfortable. It is intended to do the job without trying to exhibit uptown workmanship.  If wanting to look over your shoulder to change lanes or pass, the unusual slanted window in the rear sail panel and the thick rear pillar might be slightly intrusive.  The Soul’s greenhouse is not a big glassy one. The Soul is very predictable and easy to live with, though not exactly awe inspiring.  For this sort of packaging, the pricing is in the respectable $22K to $27K MSRP range.  Also, many of the advanced safety electronics are included.  That said, it’s a little brainy, but, while it’s not the brainiest of vehicles, it has more brains than it does looks.  So, if you’re a little quirky, or want to be, choosing this vehicle could be a logical extension of that. The Kia Soul has been on the market for a long time, sales crested a few model years ago, sales have dwindled with each successive year after that, and, at this juncture, it is still available. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING  
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

This Article

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search