Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 Kia Soul

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Bronco Sport have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Soul doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Ford Bronco Sport has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Soul doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Bronco Sport has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Soul doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Bronco Sport has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Soul doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Bronco Sport’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Soul.

The Bronco Sport has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Soul’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Bronco Sport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Soul.

The Bronco Sport has standard 911 Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Soul doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Soul have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available rear parking sensors.

The Ford Bronco Sport weighs 469 to 845 pounds more than the Kia Soul. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the Kia Soul:

	Bronco Sport	Soul
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	140	253
Neck Injury Risk	26%	26%
Neck Compression	29 lbs.	38 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	324
Chest Compression	.6 inches	2 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	39%
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	86 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the Kia Soul:

	Bronco Sport	Soul
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	80	142
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	198 lbs.	259 lbs.
Hip Force	205 lbs.	490 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	422
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	73 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	255	322
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	512 lbs.	1090 lbs.

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, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Bronco Sport its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Soul is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Bronco Sport’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Soul runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bronco Sport’s warranty.

Reliability

The Bronco Sport has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Soul doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport third among small SUVs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Soul isn’t in the top three.

Engine

The Bronco Sport’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (181 vs. 147) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 132) than the Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 103 more horsepower (250 vs. 147) and 145 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 132) than the Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Kia Soul:

	Bronco Sport	Soul
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.3 sec	24.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.5 sec	8.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93 MPH	86 MPH
Top Speed	125 MPH	120 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Bronco Sport has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Soul (16 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Bronco Sport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Soul doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Bronco Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Soul:

	Bronco Sport	Soul
Front Rotors	12.1 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.3 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Bronco Sport has larger standard tires than the Soul (225/65R17 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Bronco Sport has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Soul LX/S.

The Bronco Sport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Soul; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Bronco Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Kia Soul has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Bronco Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Bronco Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Soul’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Bronco Sport has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Soul doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Bronco Sport’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the Soul (105.1 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco Sport is 1.4 inches wider in the front and .4 inches wider in the rear than on the Soul.

Chassis

The front grille of the Bronco Sport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Soul doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Bronco Sport has 3.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Soul (105.7 vs. 102.2).

The Bronco Sport has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Soul.

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Soul with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 24.2 cubic feet). The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Soul with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 62.1 cubic feet).

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Bronco Sport. The Soul doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Bronco Sport’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Soul’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

The Bronco Sport Badlands offers up to a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Soul has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Bronco Sport uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Soul doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Bronco Sport Badlands, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Soul doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Bronco Sport’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Soul has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks/Badlands’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Soul’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Bronco Sport the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Soul can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Bronco Sport’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Soul doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Bronco Sport’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Soul’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Bronco Sport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Soul’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Bronco Sport Outer Banks’ standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The Bronco Sport’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Soul’s halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Bronco Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Soul doesn’t offer cornering lights.

On extremely cold winter days, the Bronco Sport’s optional (except Base/Big Bend) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Soul doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Soul offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Bronco Sport Big Bend/Outer Banks/Badlands has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Soul doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks/Badlands/First Edition has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Soul doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

The Bronco Sport will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Bronco Sport will retain 59.2% to 61.37% of its original price after five years, while the Soul only retains 46.79% to 50.48%.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport first among small SUVs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Soul isn’t in the top three.

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the Kia Soul by 72% during 2022.