Compare the2024 Chevrolet TrailblazerVS 2023 Kia Soul

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

Safety

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The Chevrolet Trailblazer has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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 Trailblazer offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Soul doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Trailblazer’s 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.

Compared to metal, the Trailblazer’s 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 Trailblazer has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, 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 Trailblazer and the Soul 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 blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors 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 Chevrolet Trailblazer is safer than the Kia Soul:

	Trailblazer	Soul
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	253
Neck Injury Risk	24%	26%
Neck Compression	15 lbs.	38 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	2 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29%	39%
Neck Stress	153 lbs.	160 lbs.
Neck Compression	82 lbs.	86 lbs.

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 Chevrolet Trailblazer is safer than the Kia Soul:

	Trailblazer	Soul
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	91	142
Abdominal Force	199 lbs.	259 lbs.
Hip Force	459 lbs.	490 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	422
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	73 G’s
Hip Force	517 lbs.	611 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	591 lbs.	1090 lbs.

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

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, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Trailblazer its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Soul has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Trailblazer’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Soul’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

There are almost 4 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trailblazer’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Trailblazer’s reliability 30 points higher than the Soul.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is rated lower.

Engine

The Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder produces 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (162 vs. 132) than the Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder produces 8 more horsepower (155 vs. 147) and 42 lbs.-ft. more torque (174 vs. 132) than the Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Soul 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder (29 city/33 hwy vs. 28 city/33 hwy).

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Trailblazer	Soul
Front Rotors	11.81 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.39 inches	10.3 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Trailblazer has larger standard tires than the Soul (225/60R17 vs. 205/60R16). The Trailblazer RS’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Soul (245/45R19 vs. 235/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Trailblazer LS/LT/ACTIV has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Soul LX/S. The Trailblazer RS’ 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Soul GT-Line.

The Trailblazer has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Soul doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Trailblazer’s wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the Soul (103.9 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Trailblazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Soul doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Trailblazer AWD uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Soul doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Trailblazer has .6 inches more front headroom and .6 inches more rear legroom than the Soul.

Cargo Capacity

The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume than the Soul with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 24.2 cubic feet).

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

	Trailblazer	Soul
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	32”/64.5”	26”/59”
Max Width	54”	45.6”
Min Width	41”	41.5”
Height	28.2”	33”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Trailblazer ACTIV/RS, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Soul doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Trailblazer has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Soul has no towing capacity.

The Trailblazer AWD can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Trailblazer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Soul can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Trailblazer’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 Trailblazer’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Trailblazer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Soul doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Trailblazer’s 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 Trailblazer’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.

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

On extremely cold winter days, the Trailblazer’s optional (except LS) 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.

The Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS 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.

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Trailblazer second among small suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Soul isn’t in the top three.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer outsold the Kia Soul by 5% during 2022.