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CarsLore / Compare / Small SUVs / Soul vs RAV4

Kia Soul vs Toyota RAV4

Two small SUVs, compared on the same official records: MOT and inspection results, safety ratings, fuel use, recalls and owner complaints. 6 like-for-like measures: the Kia Soul leads on 2, the Toyota RAV4 on 4.

Where each one leads

Kia Soul

  • Fewer Kia Soul cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.2% against 3.6%).
  • New Kia Soul cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 0 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 112 for the Toyota RAV4 in 2022.

Toyota RAV4

  • Against cars of the same age, the Toyota RAV4 comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 9% more often than average) than the Kia Soul (passes 1% more often than average).
  • Against cars of the same year, the Toyota RAV4 comes out better in New York safety inspections (fails 17% more often than average) than the Kia Soul (fails 33% more often than average).
  • NHTSA rates the 2025 Toyota RAV4 at 5 of 5 stars, the 2025 Kia Soul at 4.
  • On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 Toyota RAV4 uses 5.5 l/100 km, the 2025 Kia Soul 7.9.

Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare

At a glance

Kia SoulToyota RAV4
Model years in the US safety record2010–20251994–2025
New cars registered in Europe113,000 (2010–2022)800,790 (2010–2022)
Licensed in the United Kingdom24,286145,725
On the road in the Netherlands4,65046,364
In traffic in Finland1,16132,071

EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).

Reliability and problems

Kia SoulToyota RAV4
UK MOT first-time pass rate71%76%
… against cars of the same age+1%+9%
New York safety inspections failed2.2%1.8%
… against cars of the same year+33%+17%
Illogical odometer records (NL)2.2%3.6%
US owner complaints5,5739,400
Most complaints aboutEnginePower train
Model year with most complaints2014 (902)2007 (1,004)
US recall campaigns1550
Manufacturer service bulletins1,3465,761
NHTSA defect investigations2722

Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).

Safety

Kia SoulToyota RAV4
NHTSA overall rating4★ (2025)5★ (2025)

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).

Fuel, emissions and price

Kia SoulToyota RAV4
Official combined fuel use, Canada7.9 l/100 km (2025)5.5 l/100 km (2026)
Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid—6.2 l/100 km
Real-world use in Europe, petrol—7.8 l/100 km
Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe0 g/km112 g/km
Average power of new cars in Europe127 kW (171 hp)132 kW (178 hp)
Average mass in running order1,747 kg1,753 kg
Dutch list price when new (median)€34,190€40,040
Average odometer in Finland139,000 km156,000 km

Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).