The 2017 Kia Soul Exclaim is available with a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine producing 201 horsepower, although Warren Brown wonders why anyone would want that in an economy wagon. (Kia/Kia)

Sometimes, you get what you pay for. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It is the Law of Rational Consumerism.

It requires knowledge.

To wit:

What do you need or want? Why do you need or want it? What can you afford and are willing to pay to get it?

Your willingness to respect the Law of Rational Consumerism could make you very happy in the purchase of an automobile. Your insistence on ignoring it in pursuit of something as ethereal as “prestige” could make you miserable.

Assuming you have a modest income and no real prospect of getting more soon, here’s urging you to be happy. Buy a 2017 Kia Soul wagon.

First, accept the fact that it is a wagon — a midsize, square-bodied wagon with decent interior space.

Second, because it primarily is a wagon, accept that it is not a racer or any kind of a performance automobile. It comes standard with a 1.6-liter, inline four-cylinder gasoline engine (130 horsepower, 118 pound-feet of torque). That is enough to get you killed, thrown in jail or admitted to a hospital if used improperly.

If you want more zoom out of what essentially is an economy wagon — why anyone would, I don’t know — you can spend about $1,000 more for the optional turbocharged 1.6-liter, gasoline inline four (201 horsepower, 195 pound-feet of torque).

The turbocharged model prefers premium-grade fuel and, thus, more money for “best performance.” The standard engine runs fine on regular-grade gasoline. Used improperly, the turbo four can take you to all of the places — good and bad — as the standard four. You’ll just get there faster.

One thing: The Soul is a boxy vehicle that does not handle nicely at speed, particularly in high winds. It wobbles a bit under those circumstances. Be warned.

Another thing: The Soul is sold in three trim levels — Base, Plus and Exclaim. The well-equipped Exclaim seems to make the most sense, because it comes with a load of advanced electronic safety equipment such as blind-side monitoring and lane-departure warning (sold as “technology package” options on the Base and Plus trim models).

Still, the Soul Exclaim is a heck of a deal at a base price of $22,800. It is pretty — perhaps the prettiest box ever put on wheels. Fit and finish are excellent. The people who put it together in South Korea obviously cared about what they were doing. Fuel efficiency is marginally acceptable with the standard engine at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

It is a good urban utility vehicle, I think. It will get you where you are going and take you home safely. Will it earn you points on Show-Off Lane? No. Will you win road races in this one? Absolutely not. Will you save money on very decent urban-suburban transportation? Yes, there is a very reasonable chance of that.