Kia Soul vs Hyundai Elantra

2024 Hyundai Elantra
2024 Hyundai Elantra
$21,625MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 Kia Soul
2023 Kia Soul
$19,890MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2024 Hyundai Elantra
$21,625MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 Kia Soul
$19,890MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now

Overview

Years produced

1992-Present

Years produced

2010-Present

MSRP

$21,625

MSRP

$19,890

Average price

$14,420

Average price

$13,263

Listings

9052

Listings

9209

Ratings & Reviews

User Reviews
User Reviews

Expert reviews

7.3 out of 10

Expert reviews

7.7 out of 10
Pros
  • Multiple powertrain options
  • Stylish design
  • Manual transmission available
Cons
  • Potentially polarizing design
  • Underwhelming base engine
  • Interior materials feel cheap
Pros
  • Stylish design
  • Spacious
  • Excellent value for money
Cons
  • Fairly pedestrian performance
  • Uncomfortable seats
  • Advanced safety features are not standard

Reviews Summary

For nearly 20 years over six generations, the Elantra established Hyundai as a provider of bottom-rung transportation. Not until the current seventh-generation model debuted in 2020 did the Elantra shed its cheap image and stand competitively with other compact sedans from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. Hyundai always sold on low prices and long warranties. Now the Elantra is a genuinely sporty, well-constructed car that competes on actual substance—namely, how it drives and feels—and offers a wider range of trim levels. For 2024, a mild refresh brings more style and standard equipment.

Verdict: Get past the strange bodywork and plasticky interior, and you’ll find a well-mannered sedan that is equally adept at being comfortable and economical as it is sporty and truly entertaining.

Reviews Summary

The Kia Soul demonstrates that good ideas mean nothing without good execution. Launched for the 2010 model year, the Soul instantly drew attention with its distinctive boxy styling, but unlike the similarly-styled Honda Element and Scion xB, the Soul has managed to stick around.

That’s because the Soul has style and substance in equal measure. It’s both a practical car and a good value, just one that happens to be more interesting to look at than most other vehicles sharing those traits. Now in its third generation, the Soul is an excellent compromise between car and crossover, boasting the tidy proportions of the former and the upright driving position of the latter. So it makes sense to cross-shop it against both small hatchbacks and the gaggle of tiny crossovers that have hit the market since the Soul first appeared.

The current-generation Kia Soul was introduced for the 2020 model year and gets a number of notable updates for 2023, including more standard driver-assist features, small styling tweaks, and a revised lineup of trim levels including base LX, S, EX, and GT-Line models; the X-Line and Turbo variants have been discontinued. We drove a Kia Soul GT-Line for this review.

No video found

Popular Features & Specs

Engine

2.0L 147 hp I4

Engine

2.0L 147 hp I4

Drive Train

FWD

Drive Train

FWD

Seating Capacity

5

Seating Capacity

5

Horsepower

147 hp @ 6200 rpm

Horsepower

147 hp @ 6200 rpm

MPG City

32

MPG City

28

MPG Highway

41

MPG Highway

33
2024 Hyundai Elantra
2024 Hyundai Elantra
$21,625MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 Kia Soul
2023 Kia Soul
$19,890MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2024 Hyundai Elantra
$21,625MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 Kia Soul
$19,890MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now

Overview

Years produced
1992-Present
2010-Present
MSRP
$21,625
$19,890
Average price
$14,420
$13,263
Listings

Ratings & Reviews

User reviews
4.1
4.5
Expert reviews

7.3 out of 10

Read full review

7.7 out of 10

Read full review
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Multiple powertrain options
  • Stylish design
  • Manual transmission available
Cons
  • Potentially polarizing design
  • Underwhelming base engine
  • Interior materials feel cheap
Pros
  • Stylish design
  • Spacious
  • Excellent value for money
Cons
  • Fairly pedestrian performance
  • Uncomfortable seats
  • Advanced safety features are not standard
Summary

For nearly 20 years over six generations, the Elantra established Hyundai as a provider of bottom-rung transportation. Not until the current seventh-generation model debuted in 2020 did the Elantra shed its cheap image and stand competitively with other compact sedans from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. Hyundai always sold on low prices and long warranties. Now the Elantra is a genuinely sporty, well-constructed car that competes on actual substance—namely, how it drives and feels—and offers a wider range of trim levels. For 2024, a mild refresh brings more style and standard equipment.

Verdict: Get past the strange bodywork and plasticky interior, and you’ll find a well-mannered sedan that is equally adept at being comfortable and economical as it is sporty and truly entertaining.

The Kia Soul demonstrates that good ideas mean nothing without good execution. Launched for the 2010 model year, the Soul instantly drew attention with its distinctive boxy styling, but unlike the similarly-styled Honda Element and Scion xB, the Soul has managed to stick around.

That’s because the Soul has style and substance in equal measure. It’s both a practical car and a good value, just one that happens to be more interesting to look at than most other vehicles sharing those traits. Now in its third generation, the Soul is an excellent compromise between car and crossover, boasting the tidy proportions of the former and the upright driving position of the latter. So it makes sense to cross-shop it against both small hatchbacks and the gaggle of tiny crossovers that have hit the market since the Soul first appeared.

The current-generation Kia Soul was introduced for the 2020 model year and gets a number of notable updates for 2023, including more standard driver-assist features, small styling tweaks, and a revised lineup of trim levels including base LX, S, EX, and GT-Line models; the X-Line and Turbo variants have been discontinued. We drove a Kia Soul GT-Line for this review.

Video
No video found

Popular Features & Specs

Engine
2.0L 147 hp I4
2.0L 147 hp I4
Drive Train
FWD
FWD
Seating Capacity
5
5
Horsepower
147 hp @ 6200 rpm
147 hp @ 6200 rpm
MPG City
32
28
MPG Highway
41
33
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