Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Kia Soul

A little birdie sent us a memo addressed to Kia dealers outlining the prices and specifications for the 2010 Kia Soul, due to hit dealers this April. The base model, equipped with the 122 hp, 1.6-liter inline-four and mated to a five-speed manual gearbox will be sold at an introductory price of $13,995 (including destination charge), and includes six airbags, ABS, ESC, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with three months of free Sirius satellite radio, along with USB and auxiliary inputs. For the money, the plain-old Soul is a stonkin' good deal and could cause first-gen Scion xB owners to avoid a repeat trip to the ToMoCo distributor.

The Soul + gets a bump in displacement and output, with a 142 hp 2.0-liter four, 16-inch wheels, rear disc brakes, tinted glass, body matched door handles, power mirrors, Bluetooth integration, keyless entry and cruise control. The Soul + will initiate at $14,950 with a five-speed manual and rise to $15,900 when equipped with the four-speed automatic.

Both the Soul! and Soul merriment get the same 2.0-liter mill, but benefit from 18-inch rollers, fog lamps, an upgraded stereo, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and metal interior trim. The Soul! can be equipped with a sunroof and sand/black seats, while the sport model gets unique front and rear fascias, side sills, rear spoiler, a "sport-tuned" suspension, red/black interior scheme and metal pedals. Both models start at $16,950 with a manual or $17,900 with the four-speed auto 'box.

Kia claims that the Soul will have "the most comprehensive list of accessories ever developed for Kia vehicle" ranging from body kits, to wheels, to interior lighting packages and performance upgrades. We're looking forward to getting behind the wheel to see if the Soul can pick up where the second-gen. xB went astray. Hit the jump to read the memo.

Gallery: 2010 Kia Soul

Click either image for a high-res version




Source: feedproxy.google.com

If you shopped for a used car in 2008, odds are you researched the Honda Accord, at least if you were checking out CarMax. For the third year in a row, the Accord topped the search list of CarMax.com, which is dominated by imports, like another popular search site. The list is a big bite of ordinary cars and trucks, the most zooty being the Ford Mustang. We think the CarMax search data just goes to show how smart and practical most buyers are; it would be hard to go wrong with anything everyone else was shopping for. Hit the gallery for the full top-ten.

Gallery: CarMax top ten searches

[Source: CarMax.com]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CARMAX REVEALS TOP SEARCHED USED VEHICLES FOR 2008


RICHMOND, Va. (December 29, 2008) –CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX) the nation's largest retailer of used cars <http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-search/used-cars.html> , reports the top ten searched vehicles on carmax.com <http://www.carmax.com> for 2008. The Honda Accord retains the uppermost spot for the third consecutive year. For the past year, carmax.com averaged more than five million visits per month.*

The top ten searched vehicles adhering carmax.com for 2008 are:
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Toyota Camry
Ford Mustang
Nissan Altima
Chevrolet Tahoe
Ford F-150
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Tacoma
Nissan Maxima

"This list shows the interesting variety of makes and models our customers are researching <http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-research/default.html> when shopping online for a quality used car. Every car in our inventory can be found on carmax.com <http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-search/default.html> and it will show the same no-haggle price you'll see at your local CarMax store <http://www.carmax.com/enUS/locations/default.html> ," said Ann Yauger, director of carmax.com.

The CarMax <http://www.carmax.com> website can be used to research information on vehicles of various makes and models. The website showcases vehicles with multiple photos, the no-haggle price, and information on features, options, fuel economy and customer reviews <http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-research-all/default.html> .

"Carmax.com constantly evolves and expands its search capabilities based on consumer feedback, and we will continue listening to what our customers want in the coming year," said Yauger.

* Data excludes December.

About CarMax

CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company, and one of the FORTUNE 2008 "100 Best Companies to Work For," is the nation's largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 99 used car superstores in 46 markets. The unique CarMax consumer offer provides our customers the opportunity to shop for vehicles the way they shop for items at other national retailers, and it is structured around four customer benefits: low, no-haggle prices; a broad selection; high character vehicles; and a customer-friendly sales process. During the twelve months ended February 29, 2008, the company retailed 377,244 used vehicles and sold 222,406 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at http://www.carmax.com <http://www.carmax.com> .

Source: feedproxy.google.com

We've seen a few "buy one, get one" deals over the last year or so, but it generally involves two cars that the mean proportion enthusiast wouldn't have much interest in. Now, David Thomas, owner of Subaru of Plano (that's a suburb of Dallas, TX), has instituted just such a deal for a couple of all-wheel drive Subarus in the form of a free Impreza (okay, so it's $1.00) with the purchase of a Subaru Outback. That's more like it, right? We're sure that there are numerous fine imprint details to go over, but the gist of it is that you'll pay full price for an Outback and a buck plus tax, title and license for the Impreza, after which you can drive the Impreza for two years with zero payments. Assuming that the resale value of the Subaru Impreza remains solid, Thomas maintains that the deal will still make him some money. Those wanting to take Thomas up on the move have until January 2nd to do so.

[Source: Dallas Business Journal via Kicking Tires]

Source: feedproxy.google.com