The latest version of Kia’s small and funky car, the Soul, manages to ace National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) rigorous crash tests, earning 5-Star overall safety rating in the process. These ratings matter when we’re talking cars like the Soul, not only because it’s a small car, but also because it is bought predominantly by younger people. And they are usually quite reckless.

The 2014 Kia Soul earned five stars in the frontal and side impact tests and four stars in the roll-over test. But that was enough for it to get a five-star rating overall. The car owes this to its long list of standard safety features, and, in equal part, to its clever design and engineering.

The Soul is a tough little car, utilizing Ultra High Strength Steel (35 percent) or High Strength Steel (31 percent) in its construction. The standard safety kit, meanwhile, includes six standard airbags (dual advanced front and front seat-mounted side air bags, full-length side curtain air bags) and a four-channel, four-sensor Antilock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a Traction Control System (TCS).

With that in mind, we have to say the 2014 Kia Soul offers really good value at $14,700. Mind you, stuff like remote keyless entry, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and a six-speed automatic transmission are all optional extras.