Compare the2025 Kia SoulVS 2025 Chevrolet Equinox

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 Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Soul’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the Equinox 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, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

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 Equinox’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 Chevrolet covers the Equinox. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Soul has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Equinox’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 10 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

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

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 Equinox LT/ACTIV’s standard 65 series tires. The Soul GT-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Equinox RS’ optional 50 series tires.

The Soul has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Equinox’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 650 pounds less than the Chevrolet Equinox.

The Soul is 1 foot, 6 inches shorter than the Equinox, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Soul has .2 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more rear headroom and 1.1 inches more rear hip room than the Equinox.

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 Equinox doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Soul’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Equinox doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

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