2015 Kia Soul vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

The Nissan Cube was the Soul’s closest rival, but it is gone from the market for 2015.

Scion's xB is the now the most similar; when Scion last redesigned the xB they left it bigger and bloated—and with a less distinctive look—although not really any more useful.

It too may be discontinued after the 2014 model year.

The Fiat 500L also plays in this space.

Try not to get confused by the name, as it’s not actually related to the 500; the 500L is a larger, roomier, and somewhat boxier tall hatchback (or wagon, depending on how you see it) that carries forward with a lot of the styling cues of the Fiat 500.

The 500L’s interior space is great, although we don’t think highly of the seats, and performance is good but not at all sporty.

The MINI Countryman is considerably more expensive than the Soul, and it has just a bit of ruggedness baked in, but its interior verges on gimmicky and its choppy ride can be hard to live with in Rust Belt cities.

We’d also throw in the Hyundai Veloster, if you like some of the traits of these small vehicles but aren’t wild about the box-on-wheels look.

Although more of a sports coupe in profile, the Veloster is actually a three-door vehicle with a useful, reconfigurable interior—and good handling, maneuverability, and fuel-efficiency.