Compare the2022 Kia SoulVS 2021 Volkswagen GTI

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Soul are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GTI doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 GTI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the GTI 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 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 Volkswagen GTI:

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

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 GTI last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2019.

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 GTI’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Soul 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the GTI. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the GTI ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 19 percent more Kia dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Soul’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul first among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The GTI 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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 9th.

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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 66 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 9 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

On the EPA test cycle the Soul Turbo Auto turbo 4 cyl. gets better fuel mileage than the GTI Auto (27 city/32 hwy vs. 24 city/32 hwy).

Regardless of its engine, the Soul’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. Volkswagen only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the GTI Automatic.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Soul uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GTI requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Soul has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the GTI (14.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Kia Soul comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the GTI.

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 GTI doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Soul stops much shorter than the GTI:

For better traction, the Soul X-Line/GT-Line/Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GTI (235/45R18 vs. 225/40R18).

The Soul has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The GTI’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Soul is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than on the GTI.

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the GTI’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.8 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 300 pounds less than the Volkswagen GTI.

The Soul has 8.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GTI (102.2 vs. 93.5).

The Soul has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the GTI.

The Soul offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The GTI doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 GTI doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Soul has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GTI only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 GTI’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Soul has standard extendable sun visors. The GTI doesn’t offer extendable visors.

On extremely cold winter days, the Soul Turbo’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The GTI doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Soul X-Line/S/EX/GT-Line/Turbo has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) on the dashboard. The GTI doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the Soul owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Soul will cost $600 less than the GTI over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Soul will be $6810 to $8246 less than for the Volkswagen GTI.