2025 Kia Soul vs. 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Comparison

The 2025 Kia Soul and 2025 Subaru Crosstrek aren’t your typical small SUVs. Their unique designs and proportions could easily have them qualify as high-riding hatchbacks or practical pint-size wagons thanks to their generous amount of passenger space and cargo volume. 

Technically they both compete in the subcompact SUV segment against rivals like the Nissan Kicks, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Hyundai Venue, Kia Seltos, and Honda HR-V, to name just a few.  

Today we take a closer look at how the 2025 Kia Soul and 2025 Subaru Crosstrek stack up against each other.

2025 Kia Soul

This generation of the Kia Soul dates to the 2020 model year. After a mid-cycle update two years ago, changes are minimal for the 2025 Soul. Most notable is the new Soulmate edition for 2025. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard – there is no option to add all-wheel drive (AWD) – and under the hood is an efficient 147-horsepower 4-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).  

Thanks to its square-shaped design, headroom and legroom is abundant wherever you’re seated. This amount of room, combined with the vehicle’s low price, makes the Soul an enticing pick among small SUVs.

Kia Soul Highlights 

Racy GT-Line: The GT-Line features 18-inch alloy wheels, a flat-bottom steering wheel, slick center-exit exhaust, and unique front and rear bumper designs. None of this makes this version of the Soul any quicker, but it adds a fun and sporty demeanor to this funky vehicle.

Sleek infotainment system: Barring the standard LX trim, all Soul models now come with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, along with tech touches like a wireless charging pad, satellite radio, navigation, satellite radio, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and three USB ports. 

Excellent warranty: A major plus point for the Soul is its 5-year/60,000 bumper-to-bumper warranty and powertrain coverage that lasts for 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. 

Passenger space, cargo volume: The Crosstrek is more than accommodating, but the Soul has about 2 inches more rear legroom and more total cargo space with the rear seats folded: 62.1 cubic feet vs. the Subaru’s 54.7.

Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Soul models for sale near you. 

2025 Subaru Crosstrek

The Subaru Crosstrek is fresh off a complete redesign just two years ago that brought an updated exterior and interior, a stiffer chassis, a larger infotainment screen, and a new Wilderness trim level. Unlike the front-wheel-drive Soul, the Crosstrek has all-wheel drive fitted as standard. For 2025, the larger and more powerful 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine is now standard in all but the Base trim. That model still uses a rather mediocre 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 152 hp. The other models have a more appreciable 182 hp.

Subaru Crosstrek Highlights

Wilderness trim: Newly added just last year, the Crosstrek Wilderness has more driver-selectable drive modes, a front underbody skid plate to protect the engine, beefier suspension, all-terrain tires, and higher towing capacity of 3,500 pounds — 2,000 more than the other trims. It also has added ground clearance — 9.3 inches compared to the already-impressive 8.7 inches of other models.

Standard AWD: The fact that the Crosstrek comes standard with all-wheel drive pushes it to the top of its class for many SUV shoppers living in snowy climates. On the Kia Soul, all-wheel drive isn’t even an option.

Larger touchscreen: Similar to the Soul, every Crosstrek except the base variant features a larger infotainment touchscreen that’s both attractive and easy to use. In this case, the Crosstrek’s screen measures 11.6 inches and comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with front and rear USB ports. 

Handy headlights: The Crosstrek’s LED headlights better illuminate the road ahead by turning in conjunction with the steering. It’s a big help to be able to see through corners on twisty roads at night. 

Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Crosstrek models for sale near you. 

Similarities

The 2025 Kia Soul and 2025 Subaru Crosstrek are definitely not your typical subcompact SUVs. They have more esoteric designs, but each is just as practical as their more conventional rivals. 

Pricing

The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Kia Soul vehicles and New 2025 Subaru Crosstrek vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.

Specifications

Conclusion

The Soul and Crosstrek are value-packed SUVs that are perfectly sized for urban traffic. The adventurous Crosstrek also shines while navigating narrow off-road trails. 

Bargain hunters will definitely appreciate the lower base price of the Soul, plus its advantages in passenger space and cargo volume. What’s more, its EPA fuel economy is solid, and its outstanding warranty coverage adds lots of peace of mind.

While the Crosstrek costs more, it comes with all-wheel drive and a number of standard comfort and safety features. With its recent redesign, the Crosstrek also benefits from a much smoother and more composed ride than the outgoing model. Having the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with extra grunt is another plus for the Subaru. 

Despite their similarities, it’s the differences between the Soul and Crosstrek that will appeal to different buyers — and the traits that most appeal to you will help determine which belongs in your driveway.