Compare the2023 Jeep CompassVS 2023 Kia Soul

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

Safety

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The Compass’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Soul doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Jeep Compass 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 Compass has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Soul doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

The Compass’ 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 Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited offers an optional Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Soul only offers a rear monitor.

The Compass 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 Compass 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.

Compared to metal, the Compass’ plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Kia Soul has a metal gas tank.

The Compass Trailhawk/Limited offers optional SiriusXM Guardian, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen 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 Compass and the Soul 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Jeep Compass weighs 622 to 732 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 Jeep Compass is safer than the Kia Soul:

	Compass	Soul
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	172	324
Chest Compression	.8 inches	2 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36%	39%

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 Jeep Compass is safer than the Kia Soul:

	Compass	Soul
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	102	142
Chest Movement	.8 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	134 lbs.	259 lbs.
Hip Force	335 lbs.	490 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	422
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	73 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	663 lbs.	1090 lbs.

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

Warranty

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

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Compass for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Soul.

There are over 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Compass’ warranty.

Reliability

The Soul’s redline is at 6800 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Compass has a 5800 RPM redline.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Compass has a standard 180-amp alternator. The Soul’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Compass has a standard 850-amp battery. The Soul’s 760-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Compass’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 53 more horsepower (200 vs. 147) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 132) than the Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Compass 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 Compass’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Soul:

	Compass	Soul
Front Rotors	12 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.95 inches	10.3 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Compass has larger standard tires than the Soul (215/65R17 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Compass has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Soul LX/S. The Compass 4x4’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Soul GT-Line.

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

The Compass has vehicle speed sensitive 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.

The Compass’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Soul doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Compass’ wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Soul (103.8 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

Passenger Space

The Compass has .1 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Soul.

Cargo Capacity

The Compass has a much larger cargo volume than the Soul with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 24.2 cubic feet).

The Compass’ cargo area is larger than the Soul’s in almost every dimension:

	Compass	Soul
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	32.4”/65.7”	26”/59”
Max Width	53.8”	45.6”
Min Width	38.1”	41.5”
Height	29.6”	33”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Soul doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Compass Trailhawk w/Towing Package offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Soul has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Compass uses the Electronic Stability Control 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 two different drivers share the Compass Limited/Trailhawk, the optional memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Soul doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Compass’ instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Soul does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Compass’ 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 Compass’ front power windows 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.

The Compass’ 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 Compass’ optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Soul’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Compass’ 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Compass’ headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Soul’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Soul doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Compass’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia only offers heated mirrors on the Soul EX/GT-Line.

Both the Compass and the Soul offer available heated front seats. The Compass Trailhawk/Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Soul.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Compass Limited/Trailhawk keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Soul doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Compass’ optional (except Sport) 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 Compass and the Soul offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Compass 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 Compass (except Sport) offers an optional 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.

The Compass Latitude/Trailhawk/Limited’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Soul doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Compass owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Compass will cost $275 less than the Soul over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Compass is less expensive to operate than the Soul because it costs $509 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Compass than the Soul, including $23 less for a starter, $146 less for fuel injection, $90 less for a timing belt/chain and $626 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Jeep Compass outsold the Kia Soul by 43% during the 2022 model year.

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