The 2025 Kia Soul and 2025 Honda HR-V are subcompact SUVs with low entry-level prices, solid fuel economy, and cabins delivering far more space than you might expect from vehicles of their size.
Starting with the Soul, this generation dates to the 2020 model year. Kia gave it a subtle exterior freshening and more standard safety features for 2023. Every Soul is motivated by a 147-horsepower 4-cylinder engine that sends power to the front wheels courtesy of a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
The Honda HR-V underwent its most recent update for the 2023 model year when it moved to the platform underpinning the latest Civic sedan and hatchback. This ushered in added ride and handling refinement. Under the hood, you’ll find a 158-hp 4-cylinder that, like the Kia Soul, is paired to a CVT. Unlike its pint-size front-wheel-drive (FWD) rival, the HR-V is offered with a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive (AWD).
Let’s see how the Kia Soul and the Honda HR-V compare.
2025 Kia Soul
The Soul is either a high-riding hatchback or an SUV someone kept in the dryer for overly long. This subcompact Kia certainly blurs the lines, though we think its combination of affordability, fuel economy, and class-leading warranty coverage render the Soul a compelling choice.
Kia separates the Soul into four trims: LX, S, GT-Line, and EX. Because they all have the same powertrain, differences are limited to comfort, tech, and safety features. With the factory-to-dealer delivery charge, the Soul LX starts at $21,885.
Kia Soul Highlights
10.25-inch touchscreen: Except for the base LX, every Soul comes with a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen. We love the usability and quick response of this system. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three USB ports, navigation, satellite radio, and wireless device charging. By the way, this big touchscreen is why we think it’s worth upgrading to at least the Soul S trim.
Passenger space/ cargo volume: You wouldn’t expect the Soul to have such an adult-friendly degree of space in the first and second rows. But that familiar shoe-box shape translates into tons of headroom and legroom wherever you’re seated.
Value and warranty coverage: Sneaking in at just under $22,000, the 2024 Kia Soul is one of the more affordable small SUVs. Even a well-equipped Soul EX is priced at around $26,000. The icing on the cake is a class-leading warranty, which includes a 5-year/60,000 basic coverage and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Soul models for sale near you.
2025 Honda HR-V
The Honda HR-V is available in three trims: LX, Sport, and EX-L. Like the Kia Soul, the differences among this trio boil down to standard and available features. An HR-V LX, with an asking price of $26,795, including the delivery charge, comes standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, keyless entry, and remote start.
Honda HR-V Highlights
Safety: Every HR-V comes with Honda Sensing, a suite of driver-aid features consisting of forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and more. Moreover, the HR-V has earned a spot on its Safety Pick + list from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for its excellent performance in crash tests.
Cabin quality: After spending considerable time with some of its rivals, slipping into the HR-V cabin quickly reminds us why we are so impressed with this SUV. The quality of the workmanship and design of the cabin is a cut above most other subcompact SUVs. A clever design flourish is a mesh-pattern trim panel (also seen in the Civic and Accord), spanning the width of the dashboard, neatly hiding the air vents.
Driving refinement: Moving to the highly regarded Honda Civic platform, transformed the HR-V into a much smoother and more refined livery. The ride is better composed over rough surfaces, while the responsive steering inspires confidence.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the HR-V models for sale near you.
Similarities
Both the Soul and HR-V are practical and affordable means of transportation. Each is powered by 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, and neither is especially quick. Given their compact overall size, each has a surprising amount of passenger space and trunk volume. Furthermore, both rely on a CVT, helping to deliver solid fuel-economy numbers.
Price
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Kia Soul vehicles and New 2025 Honda HR-V vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
Specificiations
| 2025 Kia Soul | 2025 Honda HR-V | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 147 hp @ 6,200 rpm | 158 hp @ 6,500 rpm |
| Torque | 132 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm | 138 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Fuel economy | 27 mpg city/33 mpg highway/30 mpg combined | 26 mpg city/32 mpg highway/28 mpg combined |
| Also Available | AWD | |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 4-Star | 5-Star |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 102.4 inches | 104.5 inches |
| Overall Length | 165.2 inches | 179.8 inches |
| Width | 70.9 inches | 72.4 inches |
| Height | 60.3 inches | 63.4 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 34.8 feet | 35.1 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.9 inches | 39.4 inches |
| Headroom, 2nd Row | 39.5 inches | 38.0 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.1 inches | 41.9 inches |
| Legroom, 2nd Row | 38.8 inches | 37.7 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 55.5 inches | 56.6 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 2nd Row | 54.7 inches | 55.2 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 24.2 cubic feet | 24.4 cubic feet |
Conclusion
No question, the Kia Soul and Honda HR-V offer plenty to budget-minded shoppers; however, depending on your specific needs, one does have the advantage.
The Soul is more affordable (by nearly $5,000), slightly roomier, and has that killer warranty.
On the other hand, the Honda’s provides a smoother suspension, a higher quality interior, and a better overall safety rating from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the IIHS. Moreover, the HR-V can be had with front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The latter isn’t offered on the Kia Soul.
If your top priority is a low transaction price or the better warranty, hands-down it’s the Soul. However, if all-wheel drive is a must-have or you simply want more refinement overall and can afford to have it, the Honda HR-V is your pick.
