Both the Soul and the Kona 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.
Compare the2025 Kia SoulVS 2025 Hyundai Kona
Safety
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Reliability
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J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul third among small suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Kona isn’t in the top three.
J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Hyundai is rated below average.
From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 1 place higher in reliability than Hyundai.
Engine
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As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Kona N Line/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder:
|
|
Soul |
Kona |
| Zero to 60 MPH |
6.9 sec |
8.5 sec |
| Quarter Mile |
15.2 sec |
16.6 sec |
| Speed in 1/4 Mile |
91.3 MPH |
85.6 MPH |
Fuel Economy and Range
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On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the Kona:
|
|
|
|
MPG |
| Soul |
|||
|
|
FWD |
EX 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl. |
29 city/35 hwy |
|
|
|
2.0 DOHC 4-cyl. |
27 city/33 hwy |
| Kona |
|||
|
|
FWD |
SE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl. |
29 city/34 hwy |
|
|
|
SEL 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl. |
28 city/35 hwy |
|
|
|
1.6 turbo 4-cyl. |
26 city/32 hwy |
|
|
AWD |
SE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl. |
27 city/29 hwy |
|
|
|
SEL 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl. |
26 city/29 hwy |
|
|
|
1.6 turbo 4-cyl. |
24 city/29 hwy |
The Soul has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona’s standard fuel tank (14.3 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Soul has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona N Line/Limited’s standard fuel tank (14.3 vs. 13.2 gallons).
The Soul has a tether attaching its gas cap to prevent its loss. The Kona’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.
Brakes and Stopping
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The Soul stops much shorter than the Kona:
|
|
Soul |
Kona |
|
| 70 to 0 MPH |
161 feet |
172 feet |
Car and Driver |
| 60 to 0 MPH |
116 feet |
129 feet |
Motor Trend |
Suspension and Handling
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The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the Kona N Line AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.
The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Kona N Line AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).
Chassis
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The Soul is 6.1 inches shorter than the Kona, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.
Passenger Space
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The Soul has 1.2 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear hip room than the Kona.
Ergonomics
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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 Kona doesn’t offer a heads-up display.
The Soul’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Kona’s standard driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.
Recommendations
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Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Soul, based on reliability, safety and performance.