Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
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 Taos 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 Taos doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the Taos 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 Volkswagen Taos:

	Soul	Taos
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Soul is safer than the Taos:

	Soul	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	18 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	12.5 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	0
Max Neck Tension	281	334

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

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 vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Soul the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos is not a “Top Safety Pick.”

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 Taos’ 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 Taos. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Taos 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.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Soul’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The Taos’ 640-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 45 points higher than the Taos.

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.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Soul	Taos
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	83.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Soul has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Taos doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Soul stops much shorter than the Taos:

	Soul	Taos
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	134 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Taos (235/45R18 vs. 225/45R19).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Soul is .2 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Taos SEL (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the Taos’ (34.8 feet vs. 37.6 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 450 pounds less than the Volkswagen Taos.

The Soul is 10.6 inches shorter than the Taos, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Soul has 2.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Taos (102.2 vs. 99.5).

The Soul has 1 inch more front legroom and .9 inches more rear legroom than the Taos.

Servicing Ease

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

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 Taos only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Recommendations

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