Compare the2024 Kia SoulVS 2024 Honda CR-V

Both the Soul and CR-V offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Soul with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning also has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The CR-V’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Soul and the CR-V 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 and available blind spot warning systems.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Soul the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 231 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CR-V has not been fully tested, yet.

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 CR-V’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Soul 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the CR-V. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CR-V ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul second among small suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The CR-V isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated lower.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Honda CR-V:

On the EPA test cycle the Soul gets better mileage than the CR-V:

Both the Soul and the CR-V have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Souls have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Soul uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CR-V with the 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Soul higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda CR-V (6 to 7). This means the Soul produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CR-V every 15,000 miles.

The Soul stops much shorter than the CR-V:

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 CR-V LX’s standard 65 series tires. The Soul GT-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

The Soul has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CR-V’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Soul handles at .86 G’s, while the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the CR-V’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 950 pounds less than the Honda CR-V.

The Soul is 1 foot, 7.6 inches shorter than the CR-V, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has 1.3 inches more rear headroom and .2 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

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 CR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Soul and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.