Compare the2023 Fiat 500XVS 2023 Kia Soul

The Fiat 500X 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 500X has standard Reactive Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Reactive Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Soul doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 500X has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Soul doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The 500X Sport offers optional Uconnect Access, 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 500X 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, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The 500X’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Soul runs out after 100,000 miles.

The engine in the 500X has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Soul has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

The 500X’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 30 more horsepower (177 vs. 147) and 78 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 132) than the Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The 500X 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.

For better stopping power the 500X’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Soul:

The 500X stops shorter than the Soul:

For better traction, the 500X has larger standard tires than the Soul (215/60R17 vs. 205/60R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 500X AWD has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Soul LX/S. The 500X Sport’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Soul GT-Line.

For superior ride and handling, the Fiat 500X 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 500X has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the 500X flat and controlled during cornering. The Soul’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The 500X 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 500X has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Soul has no towing capacity.

The 500X’s 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 500X’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its front windows also automatically close, 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 500X’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Soul’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The 500X’s 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.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the 500X Sport has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Soul doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The 500X’s 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.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 500X is less expensive to operate than the Soul because it costs $328 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the 500X than the Soul, including $117 less for a muffler, $87 less for a starter, $65 less for front struts, $230 less for a timing belt/chain and $302 less for a power steering pump.