With regard to driving dynamics, the heavier Soul rides on a firmer suspension and its steering is less sharp. It definitely handles like a little truck, with unpleasant harshness dialed into the mix.
The Sentra-based cube, on the other hand, is much more comfortable and delicate on the road. True, the steering offers a bit less feedback to the driver, but it does a better job of maintaining your intended trajectory. Plus, the added power assistance means less steering effort is required in the city, where corners are tight.
Interior
The battle really heats up inside. While Kia designers were given carte blanche, they came up with a fairly understated cockpit. Styling looks more classic, the controls are user-friendly and the hard plastics are more conservatively laid out.
On the other hand, the seats are pretty cozy and interior room is quite surprising. The firmness of the rear seatbacks makes long trips slightly less comfortable for rear occupants, although the overall driving experience remains pleasant.
Ironically, as boxy as it may be on the outside, the cube is all curvy inside. The center stack puts the various climate and audio controls inside a big, round interface, while the headliner pattern with multiple concentric circles looks like a small pond hit by a stone.
Here, seat comfort does not live up to the Soul's. The front buckets are devoid of major flaws, but they're not as supportive as one could hope for. What's more, the rear seat hardly feels comfortable. Granted, the interior of the cube is a tad more spacious -- even those who are slightly larger than average won't feel squeezed.
When it comes to carrying your luggage, the Soul is up to the task and offers easy access courtesy of a traditional liftgate and flat-folding seatbacks.
Performances
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The Sentra-based cube, on the other hand, is much more comfortable and delicate on the road. True, the steering offers a bit less feedback to the driver, but it does a better job of maintaining your intended trajectory. Plus, the added power assistance means less steering effort is required in the city, where corners are tight.
Interior
The battle really heats up inside. While Kia designers were given carte blanche, they came up with a fairly understated cockpit. Styling looks more classic, the controls are user-friendly and the hard plastics are more conservatively laid out.
On the other hand, the seats are pretty cozy and interior room is quite surprising. The firmness of the rear seatbacks makes long trips slightly less comfortable for rear occupants, although the overall driving experience remains pleasant.
Ironically, as boxy as it may be on the outside, the cube is all curvy inside. The center stack puts the various climate and audio controls inside a big, round interface, while the headliner pattern with multiple concentric circles looks like a small pond hit by a stone.
Here, seat comfort does not live up to the Soul's. The front buckets are devoid of major flaws, but they're not as supportive as one could hope for. What's more, the rear seat hardly feels comfortable. Granted, the interior of the cube is a tad more spacious -- even those who are slightly larger than average won't feel squeezed.
When it comes to carrying your luggage, the Soul is up to the task and offers easy access courtesy of a traditional liftgate and flat-folding seatbacks.
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| Ironically, as boxy as it may be on the outside, the cube is all curvy inside. |
Performances
| 2010 Kia Soul 4u | 2009 Nissan cube 1.8 SL | |
| 0-100 km/h (sec) | 9.1 | 9.6 |
| 80-120 km/h (sec) | 5.9 | 6.9 |
| Quarter mile (sec @ km/h) | 16.87 @ 130.8 | 17.2 @ 128.7 |
| 100-0 km/h (meters) | 37 | 36 |