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The 2024 Kia Soul and 2024 Nissan Kicks are subcompact SUVs with affordable prices and room for five. Direct pint-size competitors to this duo include the Chevrolet Trax, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Venue, and Volkswagen Taos.
Both the Soul and Kicks are strictly front-wheel drive; there is no option to add all-wheel drive. Getting the Soul down the road is a 147-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The Kicks comes with a 122-hp 1.6-liter 4-cylinder and is also fitted with a CVT.
Economy, not tire-shredding speed is what these small SUVs do best. They’re also very adept at squeezing into tiny gaps in traffic that would have larger SUVs feeling bulky and cumbersome.
Let’s take a closer look at the highlights of the Kia Soul and Nissan Kicks.
2024 Kia Soul
For the 2024 model year, the Soul offers four trims: LX, S, GT-Line, and EX. Last year, Kia dropped an optional turbo 4-cylinder, so all models have the same 147-hp 4-cylinder.
Despite its small size, the boxy design of the Soul means headroom is generous in the first and second rows. Rear legroom is also good, with 38.8 inches of space — about 5 inches more than what the Kicks provides. Pricing starts at $21,565, including destination charges.
Kia Soul Highlights
Class-leading warranty: Except for its Kia and Hyundai brethren, no subcompact SUVs can match the Soul’s warranty coverage. A 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty add great peace of mind.
Optional infotainment system: All except the base Soul LX now have an attractive, user-friendly 10.25-inch touchscreen. It enjoys features like wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, navigation, satellite radio, and three USB ports. For reference, the largest screen in the Kicks measures just 8 inches.
Sporty-looking GT-Line: We miss the zesty turbo engine, though at least the GT-Line looks sporty. It includes a flat-bottom steering wheel, racy center-exit exhaust, 18-inch alloy wheels, and slightly tweaked front and rear bumpers. It adds more fun to the perky Soul, if not any extra straight-line speed.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Soul models for sale near you.
2024 Nissan Kicks
The Nissan Kicks enters its seventh model year with no notable changes — we expect a complete redesign is on the way for 2025. Still, while it’s not the newest SUV on the block, the Kicks remains a smart choice among small SUVs.
Cargo space is excellent, fuel economy is class-leading, and the ride doesn’t get rattled when traversing bumpy roads. Three trims are available — S, SV, and SR — and pricing starts at $22,440, including the destination charges.
Nissan Kicks Highlights
Fuel economy: The Kicks remains a standout choice for anyone who wants a budget-minded SUV that’s easy on a fuel budget. With 33 mpg combined in a mix of city and highway driving, the Kicks delivers excellent and bests the 30 mpg combined afforded by the Kia Soul.
Standard safety features: Don’t assume the Kicks has a low asking price because Nissan got stingy with safety features. All models come with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Available surround-view camera: This handy parking aid isn’t something you’d expect to find on a vehicle with such an affordable price tag. Yet a surround-view camera comes with the range-topping SR model. Despite being the priciest of the three trims, it costs a reasonable $25,000.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Kicks models for sale near you.
Similarities
The Soul and Kicks have small turning circles, making them perfect for zipping around town and squeezing into parking spots. They’re good on gas, though the Kicks holds the advantage in this department.
And no, you won’t want to challenge anyone to a race in either the Soul or Kicks because acceleration is, shall we say, fairly meager.
Conclusion
These two small SUVs prove that solid and safe vehicles remain available for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a bundle. They both have starting prices a little over $20,000, and even when fully loaded, you’d struggle to send the cost of either one far above $25,000.
The Kicks is a mileage hero; its fuel economy is outstanding, and cargo space behind the second row is an impressive 25.3 cubic feet. Yet the Soul has nearly as much trunk space and offers much more rear legroom. Its recent infotainment upgrade also imparts its cabin a more upscale look and feel.
Overall, the Kicks is worthy of a test drive, though we think the Soul’s roomier cabin and strong warranty tilt this competition in its favor.
| 2024 Kia Soul | 2024 Nissan Kicks | |
| Starting Price | $22,440, including destination fee | $22,440 including destination fee |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 147 hp @ 6,200 rpm | 122 hp @ 6,300 rpm |
| Torque | 132 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm | 114 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Fuel economy MPG | 27 city/33 highway/30 combined | 31 city/36 highway/33 combined |
| 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 | 4 star |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 102.4 inches | 103.1 inches |
| Overall Length | 165.2 inches | 169.1 inches |
| Width | 70.9 inches | 69.3 inches |
| Height | 63.0 inches | 63.3 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 34.8 feet | 34.1 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.9 inches | 40.4 inches |
| Headroom, 2nd Row | 39.5 inches | 38.5 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.1 inches | 43.7 inches |
| Legroom, 2nd Row | 38.8 inches | 33.4 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 55.5 inches | 53.0 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 2nd Row | 54.7 inches | 53.2 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 24.2 cubic feet | 25.3 cubic feet |
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