Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2022 Toyota C-HR

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 C-HR doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Soul and the C-HR 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, driver alert monitors, 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 Toyota C-HR:

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

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

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The C-HR’s 520-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 14th.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

The Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (147 vs. 144) than the C-HR’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Toyota C-HR:

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the C-HR:

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 C-HR doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Soul uses regular unleaded gasoline. The C-HR 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 C-HR (14.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Soul higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota C-HR (3). This means the Soul produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the C-HR every 15,000 miles.

The Soul stops much shorter than the C-HR:

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the C-HR (235/45R18 vs. 225/50R18).

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 C-HR’s 50 series tires.

The Soul has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The C-HR’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 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the C-HR.

The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the C-HR Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the C-HR XLE (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Toyota C-HR.

The Soul is 7.4 inches shorter than the C-HR, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has 16.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the C-HR (102.2 vs. 86).

The Soul has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 6.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 7.1 inches more rear legroom, 4.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the C-HR.

The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the C-HR with its rear seat up (24.2 vs. 19.1 cubic feet). The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the C-HR with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 37 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Soul easier. The Soul’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.8 inches, while the C-HR’s liftover is 31 inches.

The Soul uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The C-HR 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.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Soul to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the C-HR.

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 C-HR 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 C-HR doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The C-HR’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Soul’s standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

The Soul EX/GT-Line has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The C-HR doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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 C-HR 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 $685 to $1575 less than the C-HR 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 $10998 to $20276 less than for the Toyota C-HR.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Soul and the Toyota C-HR, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its June 2020 issue and they ranked the Kia Soul EX first. They ranked the Toyota C-HR Limited fourth.

The Kia Soul outsold the Toyota C-HR by almost five to one during 2022.