Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2023 Volkswagen GTI

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 GTI doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Soul and the GTI 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 GTI 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 GTI’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Soul 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the GTI. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the GTI ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 21 percent more Kia dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Soul’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The GTI’s 680-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Soul’s reliability 16 points higher than the GTI.

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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 74 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, 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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 14 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the GTI:

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

The Soul has a tether attaching its gas cap to prevent its loss. The GTI’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Soul higher (7 out of 10) than the Volkswagen GTI (5). This means the Soul produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GTI every 15,000 miles.

The Kia Soul comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the GTI.

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 GTI doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Soul stops shorter than the GTI:

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

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Soul is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than on the GTI.

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the GTI’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.8 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Volkswagen GTI.

The Soul is 3.6 inches shorter than the GTI, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has 10.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GTI (102.2 vs. 91.9).

The Soul has .9 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 6.5 inches more rear hip room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the GTI.

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

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Soul has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GTI only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 GTI’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Soul, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen GTI isn't recommended.

The Kia Soul outsold the Volkswagen Golf/GTI by almost seven to one during 2022.