Off Duty, Automotive - Marine Corps Times

Tops for 2010: Fun and funky ... and under $15k

•2010 Kia Soul

Base MSRP: $13,300

The Soul is a boxy little five-door hatchback similar to the Scion xB but with a sticker price that’s several thousand dollars less.

Another strong selling point is that unlike its competitors — the Scion xB and the also-new Nissan Cube — the Soul offers buyers their choice of two available engines: one for maximum economy, the other for a touch more performance. The standard engine is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder good for 122 horsepower. Its Environmental Protection Agency mileage rating of 26 city/31 highway beats the fuel efficiency of the xB and the Cube — while its 0-60 time of 8.7 seconds is actually better than the Cube’s and only two tenths or so off the pace off the more expensive Scion xB. You also can upgrade to a larger, 2-liter, 142-horsepower engine that’s more powerful than just about anything else in this price range — and still get 24 city/30 highway.

Other cool features of the Soul include direct iPod/USB hook-up, a stereo with LED “mood lighting” that pulses to the rhythm of your music, and a tall roofline that lets you cram the thing with large objects that won’t fit in a normal-sized econo-sedan or hatchback. AC and most of the important power options (windows, locks, etc.) are also standard. So is the best-in-the business 10-year, 10,000 mile powertrain warranty, and five years, 60,000 miles on the whole car. That’s a better comprehensive warranty than many “name brand” imports offer on just the engine and transmission.

• 2010 Nissan Cube

Base MSRP: $13,990

It’s either cuter than a teacup Chihuahua or uglier than a brick of tofu slowly melting in the sun. But either way, there’s nothing quite like the Cube on the market. Its Mini-me footprint lets it fit into spaces too small for most anything else on four wheels, while its space-efficient interior has more usable room than many much larger on the outside cars. A wealth of options allows almost infinite owner customization — and 33 mpg on the highway with the standard 1.8 liter four and CVT transmission keeps operating costs reasonable.