# Own (or have driven) a Kia Soul? I'd like your feedback **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047 "2026-04-05T18:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/1 "2026-04-05T18:11:00Z")
Is it just me or does the Kia Soul have ridiculously **terrible** rear visibility? Maybe tolerable when going straight back, but when trying to back into a parking space, the dividers between the back seat windows and the rear window are EXACTLY covering where you need to see the most. Was the Kia Soul designed to goad drivers into paying extra for a backing camera option? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/2 "2026-04-05T18:57:23Z")
How old is the Kia Soul you’re considering? Because backup cameras were required for all cars built after May 1, 2018, so it shouldn’t cost extra. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/3 "2026-04-05T19:04:56Z")
Mine is a 2020, it has a backup camera. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/4 "2026-04-05T19:28:07Z")
1. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/5 "2026-04-05T19:32:33Z")
Aftermarket backup cameras are a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/6 "2026-04-05T19:54:54Z")
I drive a '23 Soul and have never noticed any rear visibilty problems. The backup camera works well. I also back into my driveway to park. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/7 "2026-04-05T22:28:28Z")
I drove a Kia Soul rental some years ago and don’t recall any significant visibility problems backing up (I don’t remember it having a backup camera, and usually look over my shoulder to supplement camera use anyway). ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/8 "2026-04-05T23:14:59Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Is it just me or does the Kia Soul have ridiculously **terrible** rear visibility? When I saw your OP, I immediately thought of the time I test drove one in 2015. I didn’t get very far before I decided that the rear window was not going to work for me and took it back to the lot. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/9 "2026-04-05T23:50:30Z")
As I said, straight back isn’t a problem. It’s making that backwards quarter-turn when backing into a parking space that one discovers that the view is blocked exactly where you’re trying to see if you’re about to hit the cars on either side of you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/10 "2026-04-06T01:34:47Z")
My 2024 Soul has a great backup camera and alarms galore for angled backing. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/own-or-have-driven-a-kia-soul-id-like-your-feedback/1029047/11 "2026-04-06T12:01:33Z")
Likewise - I’ve never driven a soul without the backup camera, so I can’t speak to what they’re like without one.