Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2023 Honda HR-V

Both the Soul and the HR-V 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.

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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Soul its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The HR-V is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 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 HR-V’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 Honda covers the HR-V. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the HR-V ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Honda HR-V:

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

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

The Soul stops much shorter than the HR-V:

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the HR-V (235/45R18 vs. 225/55R18).

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 HR-V Sport’s 55 series tires.

The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the HR-V EX-L AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the HR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.1 feet). The Soul’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the HR-V Sport’s (34.8 feet vs. 37 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 350 pounds less than the Honda HR-V.

The Soul is 1 foot, 2.6 inches shorter than the HR-V, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has 3.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the HR-V (102.2 vs. 98.7).

The Soul has 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and 5.4 inches more rear hip room than the HR-V.

The Soul has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the HR-V with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

The Soul uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The HR-V 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 HR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Soul and the HR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Soul is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The HR-V prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Soul’s power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The HR-V’s power window (except driver window) switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 HR-V’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 HR-V doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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 HR-V’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

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