Compare the2025 Kia SoulVS 2024 MINI Countryman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Soul are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Countryman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 Countryman doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Forward Collision Avoidance Assist optional in the Soul as “Superior.” The Countryman scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The Soul’s optional blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. The Countryman doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Soul’s optional Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Countryman doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Soul and the Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Soul comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Countryman’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Soul 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Countryman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Countryman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 8 times as many Kia dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Soul’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul third among small suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Countryman isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 11th.

The Soul’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (147 vs. 134) than the Countryman’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the MINI Countryman:

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the Countryman:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Soul uses regular unleaded gasoline. The JCW Countryman requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Soul has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Countryman doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Soul stops much shorter than the Countryman:

For better traction, the Soul GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Countryman (235/45R18 vs. 225/55R17).

The Soul handles at .91 G’s, while the Countryman S pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Countryman ALL4 (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Countryman’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 700 pounds less than the MINI Countryman.

The Soul is 4.5 inches shorter than the Countryman, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Countryman (102.2 vs. 96.9).

The Soul has .7 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (24.2 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Soul has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 47.6 cubic feet).

The Soul offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Countryman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 Countryman 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 Countryman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Insurance will cost less for the Soul owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Soul will cost $130 to $1980 less than the Countryman over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Soul is less expensive to operate than the Countryman because typical repairs cost less on the Soul than the Countryman, including $106 less for a water pump, $193 less for a muffler, $41 less for front brake pads, $92 less for a starter, $112 less for a fuel pump, $192 less for front struts and $83 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Soul will be $10311 to $19508 less than for the MINI Countryman.

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

The Kia Soul outsold the MINI Countryman by almost five to one during 2023.