Yesterday I test drove the Kia Soul and Jeep Patriot back to back. Here are my thoughts:
It's hard to believe that these two vehicles are within an inch of each other in width and height (with the Patriot being 12 inches longer); the Patriot feels larger than it actually is, whereas with the Soul you're very aware that you're in a compact vehicle. The Patriot feels much more substantial than the Soul.
In regard to road feel, the Patriot feels a lot more solid. The Soul handles bumps and potholes much better than most compacts, but the Patriot performed even better. The steering wheel in the Soul had a tinker toy quality, contrasting poorly with the heftier steering wheel in the Patriot.
Rearward visibility is poor in both vehicles, but noticeably worse in the Soul. The Soul has slightly better forward visibility, though. Quality of the interior materials is about the same.
Overall, I think the Patriot is the better vehicle and a better value. I can't imagine purchasing a Soul over a Patriot, unless it was priced at LEAST $4,000 less than a similarly equipped Patriot, or maybe if you're a college kid who really digs the exterior styling of the Soul.
While I was at the Jeep dealership, I also sat in a 2008 Patriot for comparison's sake. When I had first seen photos of the 2009 interior I didn't think it looked as good as the 2008 interior. However, after sitting in both back to back, I MUCH prefer the new 2009 interior. The curves in the new interior are pretty subtle and don't detract from the Jeepness of the vehicle at all. Further, the dash seems much more solid in the new interior. The plastics in the new interior have a much better feel to the touch, but don't seem vulnerable to scratching. I don't have any doubts about the durability of the 2009 interior.
It's hard to believe that these two vehicles are within an inch of each other in width and height (with the Patriot being 12 inches longer); the Patriot feels larger than it actually is, whereas with the Soul you're very aware that you're in a compact vehicle. The Patriot feels much more substantial than the Soul.
In regard to road feel, the Patriot feels a lot more solid. The Soul handles bumps and potholes much better than most compacts, but the Patriot performed even better. The steering wheel in the Soul had a tinker toy quality, contrasting poorly with the heftier steering wheel in the Patriot.
Rearward visibility is poor in both vehicles, but noticeably worse in the Soul. The Soul has slightly better forward visibility, though. Quality of the interior materials is about the same.
Overall, I think the Patriot is the better vehicle and a better value. I can't imagine purchasing a Soul over a Patriot, unless it was priced at LEAST $4,000 less than a similarly equipped Patriot, or maybe if you're a college kid who really digs the exterior styling of the Soul.
While I was at the Jeep dealership, I also sat in a 2008 Patriot for comparison's sake. When I had first seen photos of the 2009 interior I didn't think it looked as good as the 2008 interior. However, after sitting in both back to back, I MUCH prefer the new 2009 interior. The curves in the new interior are pretty subtle and don't detract from the Jeepness of the vehicle at all. Further, the dash seems much more solid in the new interior. The plastics in the new interior have a much better feel to the touch, but don't seem vulnerable to scratching. I don't have any doubts about the durability of the 2009 interior.
