Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer

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 Trailblazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the Trailblazer 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, crash mitigating brakes, 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 Chevrolet Trailblazer:

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 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Trailblazer.

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

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Soul’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Trailblazer’s camshafts. If the Trailblazer’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul first among small suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Trailblazer isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 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 above average in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is rated lower.

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 Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

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.

The Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (147 vs. 137) than the Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

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

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

The Soul stops much shorter than the Trailblazer:

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trailblazer (235/45R18 vs. 225/60R17).

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 Trailblazer L’s standard 65 series tires. The Soul GT-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Trailblazer RS’ 55 series tires.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Soul is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Trailblazer.

The Soul handles at .86 G’s, while the Trailblazer RS AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Trailblazer RS AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Trailblazer’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.8 feet).

The Soul is 8.3 inches shorter than the Trailblazer L/LS/LT, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has .2 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 7.1 inches more rear hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

The Soul has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trailblazer with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 54.4 cubic feet).

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 Trailblazer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Trailblazer doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Soul S/EX/GT-Line’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Trailblazer’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

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 48.44% to 52.07% of its original price after five years, while the Trailblazer only retains 46.09% to 46.97%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Soul will be $1129 to $3612 less than for the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The Kia Soul outsold the Chevrolet Trailblazer by over two to one during 2020.