Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

Both the Soul and the Santa Fe Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 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 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

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

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 17th, 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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 4 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Soul EX 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder gets better fuel mileage than the Santa Fe Hybrid (29 city/35 hwy vs. 33 city/30 hwy).

Both the Soul and Santa Fe Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Soul has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

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 Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Soul stops much shorter than the Santa Fe Hybrid:

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 Santa Fe Hybrid Blue’s standard 65 series tires. The Soul GT-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s 55 series tires.

The Soul has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Santa Fe Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Soul handles at .86 G’s, while the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1200 to 1250 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid.

The Soul is 1 foot, 11.2 inches shorter than the Santa Fe Hybrid, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front step up height for the Soul is 1.3 inches lower than the Santa Fe Hybrid (16.2” vs. 17.5”). The Soul’s rear step up height is .9 inches lower than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s (17.4” vs. 18.3”).

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 Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

Insurance will cost less for the Soul owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Soul will cost $20 to $1815 less than the Santa Fe Hybrid 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 $6449 to $9901 less than for the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Soul and the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.