Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2022 Buick Encore

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

Safety

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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 Encore doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Soul has standard Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Encore offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.

The Soul’s 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 Encore doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the Encore 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 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 Buick Encore:

	Soul	Encore
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	26%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	298 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	49/286 lbs.	363/313 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 Buick Encore:

	Soul	Encore
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	611 lbs.	672 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 3.2% to 5.1% less likely to roll over than the Encore.

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 Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Encore last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2016.

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 Encore’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 Buick covers the Encore. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Encore ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Soul has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Encore’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The Encore’s 438-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Buick is ranked second.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 2 places higher in reliability than Buick.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Buick Encore:

	Soul	Encore
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	10.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	17.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	77.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the Encore:

			MPG
Soul
	FWD	EX 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
		2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/33 hwy
Encore
	FWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Soul’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Encore doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

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 Encore doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Soul stops much shorter than the Encore:

	Soul	Encore
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	134 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Encore (235/45R18 vs. 215/55R18).

The Soul GT-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Encore’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Soul’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Encore (102.4 inches vs. 100.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Soul is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Encore.

The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the Encore pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.8 seconds quicker than the Encore AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Encore’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 pounds less than the Buick Encore.

The Soul is 3.2 inches shorter than the Encore, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Soul has 9.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Encore (102.2 vs. 92.8).

The Soul has .3 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom, 2.7 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Encore.

Cargo Capacity

The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Encore with its rear seat up (24.2 vs. 18.8 cubic feet). The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Encore with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 48.4 cubic feet).

The Soul’s cargo area is larger than the Encore’s in almost every dimension:

	Soul	Encore
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	26”/59”	28.5”/55.8”
Max Width	45.6”	39.5”
Min Width	41.5”	36”
Height	33”	31.8”

Servicing Ease

The Soul uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Encore 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 Encore 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 Encore doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors available for the Soul detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Soul’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Encore doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Soul (except LX/S) offers optional heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Encore.

The Soul S/EX/GT-Line’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Encore doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Soul S/EX/GT-Line’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Soul GT-Line offers an optional Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Encore doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

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

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 Encore is rated higher at a number “5” 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 46.79% to 50.48% of its original price after five years, while the Encore only retains 46.78%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Soul is less expensive to operate than the Encore because typical repairs cost less on the Soul than the Encore, including $32 less for a water pump, $182 less for a muffler, $179 less for front brake pads, $146 less for a fuel pump, $36 less for front struts and $138 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Soul and the Buick Encore, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Soul outsold the Buick Encore by 23% during 2022.