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Japan, Tokyo
1 Level
719 Review
98 Karma

Review on ๐Ÿš— K&N Cold Air Intake Kit: Turbocharge Your 2012-2013 KIA Soul! Boost Horsepower with 69-5308TS by Mike Rajput

Revainrating 4 out of 5

2012 Kia Soul 2.0L Engine

I had a really cold air intake from the Kia Soul aftermarket group. At first I was wondering about their filter size and such, whether enough air is getting through. I've been told this is sufficient and tests have been done, but in the real world this doesn't seem to be the case. Pros: I rode the old intake averaging 26mpg as usual. It was a very hot day with the K&N intake, I drove through traffic jams, through a crowded airport and through the city of San Francisco (everything is terrible on gas) and ended up with an easy 27.5 with my Peak Regular No Local and freeway traffic at nearly 30 miles per gallon (75-80 mph). Some people say consumption is consumption and what you get doesn't matter, in my experience it does. The K&N is significantly better when it comes to mileage, but it's also much more responsive. It's humanly impossible to really feel the horsepower difference of an intake. So what you're really looking for with a good intake in a daily driver is MPG, response and sound. K&N is better in every way. Cons: The instructions weren't as clear as they could be, and all the nuts and bolts came in a bag that was jumbled up, and once you figure out what's what, the step-by-step instructions don't tell you , which nut or bolt to use. (Hint: pay close attention to the front diagram) Nylon nuts are tricky to work with, especially the ones that attach the cold air funnel to the heat shield. I went to Ace Hardware and bought a wing nut, which made it a lot easier as it's tricky, use pliers to tighten it. Price, this air intake was $270, the lower real cold air intake was only $200, but on my old car (Mazda 3) I had a short air intake (like this K&N which isn't real CAI) that was just as good ( but didn't fit as tight) for only $170 from a Mazda-only aftermarket company. I have a feeling they could bring the price down to the 200-225 range for this. I think you are paying for the peace of mind that you will have a good product the first time. The good thing is when everything is installed it fits the car very well, it's very snug, doesn't rattle or have any play, just flexes a little (similar to a standard airbox), easy to disassemble, clean or sag replace a filter, and works very well. After installation there is no loss of performance.

Pros
  • Parts
Cons
  • Weak