Compare the2024 Kia SoulVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Soul are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Soul and Cherokee offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Soul with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning also has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Cherokee’s Rear Cross-Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Soul and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Soul is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Soul	Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	38.2%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	38 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	49/286 lbs.	368/516 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Soul is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Soul	Cherokee
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	611 lbs.	938 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Soul is 2.2% to 2.7% less likely to roll over than the Cherokee.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Soul the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 231 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

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

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Soul has a standard 760-amp battery. The Cherokee’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Soul second among small suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Cherokee isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 56 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Soul is faster than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Soul	Cherokee 4 cyl.	Cherokee Trailhawk
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	9.5 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	17.2 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	80.5 MPH	87.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Soul
	FWD	EX 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
		2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
Cherokee
	AWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Soul uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cherokee Trailhawk requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Soul has a standard locking fuel door. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Cherokee. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Soul higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the Soul produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Soul has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Soul stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	Soul	Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s standard 65 series tires. The Soul GT-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Cherokee Altitude LUX’s optional 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Soul has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Soul handles at .86 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Soul executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Cherokee (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Soul’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.7 feet). The Soul’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Cherokee Trailhawk’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Soul may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 to 1250 pounds less than the Jeep Cherokee.

The Soul is 1 foot, 5.7 inches shorter than the Cherokee, making the Soul easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Soul has .5 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more rear headroom and 2.9 inches more rear hip room than the Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Soul is 1.7 inches lower than the Cherokee (16.2” vs. 17.9”). The Soul’s rear step up height is .7 inches lower than the Cherokee’s (17.4” vs. 18.1”).

Cargo Capacity

The Soul has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (62.1 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Soul easier. The Soul’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.8 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

Ergonomics

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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Soul S/EX/GT-Line has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) on the dashboard. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Soul owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Soul with a number “1” insurance rate while the Cherokee is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Soul is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the Soul than the Cherokee, including $94 less for a water pump, $485 less for a muffler, $68 less for front brake pads, $135 less for a starter, $393 less for a fuel pump, $143 less for front struts and $380 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Soul, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

The Kia Soul outsold the Jeep Cherokee by 43% during 2022.

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