Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2021 Mazda CX-3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the CX-3 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 Mazda CX-3:

	Soul	CX-3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	27%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	334 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 Mazda CX-3:

	Soul	CX-3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	142	183
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	73 G’s	85 G’s

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 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 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CX-3 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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 CX-3’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 Mazda covers the CX-3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CX-3 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

There are over 42 percent more Kia dealers than there are Mazda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Soul’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Soul has a standard 150-amp alternator. The CX-3’s 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul first among small suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The CX-3 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 Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated below 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 Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 12th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Mazda CX-3:

	Soul	CX-3
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the CX-3:

			MPG
Soul
	FWD	EX 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
CX-3
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/32 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 CX-3 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Soul has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 AWD’s standard fuel tank (14.3 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Soul has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.3 vs. 12.7 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

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

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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Soul stops much shorter than the CX-3:

	Soul	CX-3
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-3 (235/45R18 vs. 215/60R16).

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 CX-3’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Soul GT-Line has standard 18-inch wheels. The CX-3’s largest wheels are only 16-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Soul has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CX-3’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Soul’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the CX-3 (102.4 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Soul is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than on the CX-3.

The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the CX-3 AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CX-3 AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

Chassis

The Soul is 3.1 inches shorter than the CX-3, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Soul has 14.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-3 (102.2 vs. 87.6).

The Soul has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 3.8 inches more rear hip room and 4.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-3.

Cargo Capacity

The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-3 with its rear seat up (24.2 vs. 17.8 cubic feet). The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-3 with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 42.7 cubic feet).

The Soul’s cargo area is larger than the CX-3’s in almost every dimension:

	Soul	CX-3
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	26”/59”	30.9”/58”
Max Width	45.6”	n/a
Min Width	41.5”	39.4”
Height	33”	26.6”

Servicing Ease

The Soul uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CX-3 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 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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Soul and the CX-3 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 CX-3 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Smart Key standard on the Soul S/EX/GT-Line allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Mazda CX-3’s Pushbutton Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the cargo door.

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 CX-3’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 CX-3’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Soul EX/GT-Line’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The CX-3 doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

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 CX-3.

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 CX-3 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

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 CX-3 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 CX-3 is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Soul is less expensive to operate than the CX-3 because typical repairs cost less on the Soul than the CX-3, including $20 less for front brake pads, $97 less for fuel injection, $28 less for a fuel pump and $64 less for front struts.

Recommendations

The Kia Soul outsold the Mazda CX-3 by almost 12 to one during the 2021 model year.

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