2016 Kia Soul VS 2016 Subaru Impreza Hatchback

dthatcher7

Hello all,
I am looking for a cheap, safe, reliable car for my wife to drive my kids around, and also to take on a cross country trip.
With safety as the chief concern, I have come down to the 2016 Kia Soul and the 2016 Impreza Hatchback. What are your opinions on this match-up?
I like that the Soul rides a little higher and it's cheaper to get a model with navigation.
I like that the Impreza has better gas mileage and the exterior dimensions are smaller.
My concerns with the Soul are 1) how well Kia will service the warranty (been reading horror stories about Kia dealers finding reasons why they won't cover stuff) and 2) gas mileage.
My concerns with the Impreza are 1) passenger room and 2) overall power.

Thanks in advance for your 2 cents!

stever

I had a '97 Outback when I lived in snow country. Currently shopping to replace a minivan and the Soul is high on the list, mostly because it's a "box" and has a higher seating position than wagons, yet isn't as big as a mini-SUV.

Haven't considered the Subarus since I'd rather have FWD now and avoid AWD configurations (also a concern with the miniSUVs since most of those come in FWD and AWD and you tend to lose space even when you opt for the FWD).

We have a dealer here with a poor reputation and that's a concern. And the mpg isn't all that great either. Good warranty though and even the base models have lots of features. Bit roomier than the Subie.

My sister just replaced her older Forester with a Crosstrek and she's liking it. The Impreza may be more fun to drive, dunno.

Hard to go wrong, go with your gut.