Compare the2023 Kia SoulVS 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 Outlander Sport 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 Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the Outlander Sport 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 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 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

	Soul	Outlander Sport
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	29%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	38 lbs.	90 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	49/286 lbs.	334/511 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	39%	43%
Neck Stress	160 lbs.	221 lbs.
Neck Compression	86 lbs.	91 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	237/154 lbs.	394/494 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Soul is safer than the Outlander Sport:

	Soul	Outlander Sport
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	1 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	27 cm	28 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	2.1/.9 kN	3.43/.93 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.44/.32	.68/.36
Tibia forces R/L	1.7/1.5 kN	1.9/1.9 kN

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, results indicate that the Kia Soul is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

	Soul	Outlander Sport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	142	163
Hip Force	490 lbs.	518 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	611 lbs.	794 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Soul is 2.2% to 4.4% less likely to roll over than the Outlander Sport.

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 Outlander Sport is not a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Soul’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Soul has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Outlander Sport’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The Outlander Sport’s 530-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 Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 28th, 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 Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 38 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 14th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	Soul	Outlander Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	10.1 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	17.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	78.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the Outlander Sport:

			MPG
Soul
	FWD	EX 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
		2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/33 hwy
Outlander Sport
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Soul’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Brakes and Stopping

The Soul stops much shorter than the Outlander Sport:

	Soul	Outlander Sport
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outlander Sport (235/45R18 vs. 225/55R18).

The Soul LX/S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outlander Sport S’ standard 70 series tires. The Soul GT-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Outlander Sport ES/LE/SE/GT’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Soul is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander Sport.

The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the Outlander Sport SE 4WD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the Outlander Sport SE 4WD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.

The Soul is 6.7 inches shorter than the Outlander Sport, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Soul has 4.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander Sport (102.2 vs. 97.5).

The Soul has 1.4 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear hip room than the Outlander Sport.

Cargo Capacity

The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat up (24.2 vs. 21.7 cubic feet). The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 49.5 cubic feet).

Servicing Ease

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

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

The Outlander Sport’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Soul’s standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

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

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Soul has standard extendable sun visors. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Soul S/EX/GT-Line’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Soul GT-Line offers an optional Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Soul S/EX/GT-Line has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) on the dashboard. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Soul owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Soul will cost $675 to $3105 less than the Outlander Sport over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Soul is less expensive to operate than the Outlander Sport because typical repairs cost much less on the Soul than the Outlander Sport, including $203 less for a water pump, $25 less for a muffler, $10 less for front brake pads, $124 less for a starter, $89 less for fuel injection, $412 less for a fuel pump, $113 less for front struts and $170 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Soul will be $2056 to $4930 less than for the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.

Recommendations

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

The Kia Soul outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport by almost four to one during 2022.

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