Compare the2022 Kia SoulVS 2022 Hyundai Tucson

Both the Soul and the Tucson have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Soul the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 121 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Tucson has not been tested, yet.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul first among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Tucson isn’t in the top three 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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 10th.

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

The Soul Turbo’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (201 vs. 187) and 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 178) than the Tucson’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Soul EX CVT with its standard engine gets better fuel mileage than the Tucson FWD (29 city/35 hwy vs. 26 city/33 hwy).

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 Tucson 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 Tucson doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

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 Tucson’s standard 65 series tires. The Soul X-Line/GT-Line/Turbo’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Tucson’s optional 55 series tires.

The Soul has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Tucson; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the Tucson’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 600 pounds less than the Hyundai Tucson.

The Soul is 1 foot, 5.1 inches shorter than the Tucson, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Tucson 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.

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 Tucson doesn’t offer a heads-up display.