Volkswagen Jetta vs Kia Soul

The popularity of sedans such as the Jetta might have tumbled as buyers flock to big SUVs and even bigger pickups, but there's still plenty to like about VW's family car.

The base 1.5-litre gas engine's 158 horsepower is plenty for a front-drive family car, and can be paired with either manual or automatic transmission. And for those who get a kick from driving, there's the sportier Jetta GLI with retuned suspension and a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine pumping out 228 horsepower.

All 2023 Jettas feature a pleasant if not very exciting interior design. To make it as smart as possible, we recommend going for SEL trim or above to get VW's upgraded 10.25-inch digital dials and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen.

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.