Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2023 Honda CR-V

Both the Soul and the CR-V 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 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 CR-V has not been tested, yet.

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

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, 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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Honda CR-V:

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the CR-V:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Soul uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CR-V requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Soul higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda CR-V (6). This means the Soul produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CR-V every 15,000 miles.

The Soul stops much shorter than the CR-V:

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 CR-V’s 60 series tires.

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

The Soul handles at .86 G’s, while the CR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .82 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 CR-V EX-L AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the CR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 650 pounds less than the Honda CR-V.

The Soul is 1 foot, 7.6 inches shorter than the CR-V, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more rear headroom and 3.3 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

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 CR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is standard on the Soul S/EX/GT-Line. The Soul’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The CR-V doesn’t offer a navigation system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Soul, based on reliability, safety and performance.