Compare the2022 Kia SoulVS 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Soul are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Soul’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Soul is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Soul	Equinox
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	324	376
Leg Forces (l/r)	237/154 lbs.	264/236 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Soul is safer than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Soul	Equinox
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	1 inches	1.1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	611 lbs.	630 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Soul is 1.7% to 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Equinox.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Soul its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 103 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Equinox is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The Soul comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Equinox’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Soul 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The Equinox’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul first among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Equinox was rated third in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked third.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 12th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 2 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Soul Turbo’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 31 more horsepower (201 vs. 170) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Soul 4 cyl.	Soul Turbo	Equinox
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	6.5 sec	9.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	15 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	93.7 MPH	81.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Soul Turbo Auto turbo 4 cyl. gets better fuel mileage than the Equinox FWD (27 city/32 hwy vs. 26 city/31 hwy).

Transmission

A seven-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Kia Soul Turbo, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Equinox.

The Soul has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Equinox doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Soul offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Equinox doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Soul Turbo’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox:

	Soul Turbo	Equinox
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.8 inches

The Soul stops much shorter than the Equinox:

	Soul	Equinox
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Soul LX/S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LS/LT’s standard 65 series tires. The Soul X-Line/GT-Line/Turbo’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Equinox’s optional 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Soul X-Line handles at .91 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul Turbo executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Equinox LT AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Equinox’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Soul’s turning circle is 6.8 feet tighter than the Equinox RS’ (34.8 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 500 pounds less than the Chevrolet Equinox.

The Soul is 1 foot, 5.9 inches shorter than the Equinox, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Soul has .2 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more rear headroom and 1.1 inches more rear hip room than the Equinox.

Servicing Ease

The Soul uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Equinox uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Soul Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Soul has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Equinox doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Soul’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Equinox’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Soul owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Soul with a number “1” insurance rate while the Equinox is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

The Soul will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Soul will retain 51.21% to 55% of its original price after five years, while the Equinox only retains 35.23% to 40.67%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Soul is less expensive to operate than the Equinox because it costs $327 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Soul than the Equinox, including $136 less for a water pump, $615 less for a muffler, $162 less for front brake pads, $61 less for a starter, $203 less for fuel injection, $458 less for a fuel pump and $229 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Soul will be $8581 to $10452 less than for the Chevrolet Equinox.