One question we are often asked at Kiplinger's Personal Finance is, Which car should I buy for my teen? In our December-issue Best List, we pick our favorite new car for young drivers: the Kia Soul.

Your teen may try to persuade you to buy a sporty, speedy model (the Porsche Boxster comes to mind). But the best car for a teen, some car experts say, is on the other end of the spectrum -- an older, larger, uncool sedan (think the Ford Crown Victoria or an aging Volvo station wagon).

We think an even better idea is to buy a small sedan -- after all, many state laws limit the number of passengers teens can carry -- that's also maneuverable, safe and doesn't go zero to 60 in 5 seconds. In fact, we have a checklist of attributes to evaluate when choosing a suitable car for young, less-experienced drivers, and the Soul scores highly on all of them:

Top safety pick. The Kia Soul is a Top Safety Pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That means it gets the highest score on the Institute's front, side and rear crash tests. The Soul also has a long list of standard safety features: stability control -- to prevent skids -- four-wheel anti-lock brakes, front side airbags and head curtain airbags. Kia also provides 24-hour roadside assistance for five years or 60,000 miles.

Low ownership costs. The sticker price for the 2010 manual-transmission Soul + is an easy-to-take $15,890. This is our favorite model because it provides a good mix of standard equipment and value. With fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 24 mpg in the city, it's relatively cheap to gas up, too.

Low insurance and repair costs. These are important for any family with a teen driver. The cost for a typical family to insure the Soul is $920 a year -- on the low end of the scale for all vehicles. Repair costs are held to a minimum because of Kia's warranty, also five-years or 60,000-miles.

High resale value. We put a lot of stock in how well a car holds its value. And with a resale value of 56% of sticker price after three years, the Soul is solidly above average.

Moderate speed. When it comes to power, the Soul's horsepower is an adequate -- but not excessive -- 142. This is not a street racer.

Coolness. Even though the Soul isn't going to win Le Mans, it has cachet. The hatchback design is funky-cool, and its fold-down second seats provide more than 53 cubic feet of cargo room, making it easy to haul stuff -- bikes, camping gear, dorm-room supplies. Rear legroom is a roomy 39 inches.Inside it has a USB connection for an MP3 player, a three-month free subscription to Sirius satellite radio and a Bluetooth hands-free phone connection. Put it all together and, if you're shopping for a young driver, the Kia Soul should be at the top of your list of cars to consider. If you want to expand your search to other cars, use our checklist to make sure you get a good, safe car.

• Sportage offers all-new look and extensive list of standard comfort, convenience and safety features

• High quality features and increased popularity make Sportage top pick by leading Hispanic radio show

   
IRVINE, Calif., November 8, 2010 - Launched over the summer to critical and consumer acclaim-and already the recipient of a 2010 "Top Safety Pick" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) - the all-new 2011 Kia Sportage CUV has been named "Best Crossover" by leading Hispanic sports radio show Ruedas ESPN.  Beating out popular segment contenders Nissan Rogue and Volkswagen Tiguan, Sportage was recognized by Ruedas ESPN for its high quality features and for providing consumers an impressive value while increasing its popularity among the Hispanic community.

"In addition to attractive and aggressive styling, the 2011 Sportage, like all Kia vehicles launched during Kia's design-led transformation, offers all consumers high levels of style, value and quality," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, Kia Motors America (KMA).  "The all-new Sportage has been overwhelmingly popular since arriving in showrooms a few months ago, and this recognition from Ruedas ESPN is further proof of the dramatic effect of Kia's evolution in terms of elevating awareness and consideration for the brand and our exciting lineup of vehicles."

Finalists were determined by a select group of automotive journalists, with winners chosen in a number of categories, including Best Economy Car, Best Sedan, Best Sports Car, Best Luxury Car, Best Convertible, Best Minivan, Best SUV, Best Crossover, Best New Product, Manufacturer of the Year and Vehicle of the Year.  Only vehicles currently or scheduled to be on sale before the last calendar day of the year are eligible.

About the 2011 Kia Sportage
The all-new 2011 Sportage CUV offers image-, safety- and value-conscious consumers increased levels of performance and efficiency, comfort and convenience, the latest in-vehicle technologies incorporated into all of Kia's latest new vehicles and an abundance of standard safety features.  Retaining the functionality and versatility of the previous generation model, the 2011 Sportage also offers a sleek, modern and boldly styled package with new proportions and a completely new look.  A "2010 Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the all-new CUV received top ratings from IIHS for front, side, rollover and rear impact protection.

Industry-Leading Warranty
The 2011 Sportage is covered by Kia's warranty program, which offers consumer protection at an exceptional value. Included in this program are a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty and a five-year/100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty. A five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plan also is part of the vehicle coverage.

Design-Led Transformation and Product Line            
Kia Motors is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time, contributing to the brand's continued gains in U.S. market share.  Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technology such as the soon-to-come UVO powered by Microsoft®  in-car hands-free entertainment system. The launches of the 2011 Sorento CUV, the first vehicle to be assembled* at Kia's first U.S.-based manufacturing facilities in West Point, Georgia, the dynamic 2011 Sportage compact CUV, sophisticated 2011 Optima midsize sedan and versatile Forte 5-door hatchback further enhance the lineup. 

Kia's model year 2011 vehicle line includes the Sorento CUV, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio sub-compact sedan, Rio5 sub-compact hatchback and Sedona minivan.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.  KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 725 dealers throughout the United States.  For 2009, KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share and recently achieved its best quarter of sales ever in 2010.  Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles.  Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise."

Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA."  Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site-www.kia.com.  For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.


* Kia vehicles assembled at the Kia U.S. plant are assembled from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.
1 Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.