Compare the2025 Nissan Kicks PlayVS 2025 Kia Soul

The Nissan Kicks Play has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Soul doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Kicks Play has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Soul doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Kicks Play has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Soul’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks Play has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Automatic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Kia charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning on the Soul.

Compared to metal, the Kicks Play’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Kia Soul has a metal gas tank.

Both the Kicks Play and the Soul have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available driver alert monitors.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks Play is safer than the Kia Soul:

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

The Kicks Play’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Soul runs out after 100,000 miles.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kicks Play for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Nissan will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Soul.

There are over 34 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Kicks Play’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks Play gets better mileage than the Soul:

The Kicks Play SV/SR’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Soul are solid, not vented.

The Kicks Play has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Soul doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Kicks Play’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Soul’s (34.2 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

The Nissan Kicks Play may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Kia Soul.

The Kicks Play has .5 inches more front headroom and 2.6 inches more front legroom than the Soul.

The front step up height for the Kicks Play is .7 inches lower than the Soul (15.5” vs. 16.2”). The Kicks Play’s rear step up height is 1.5 inches lower than the Soul’s (15.9” vs. 17.4”).

The Kicks Play has a much larger cargo volume than the Soul with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 24.2 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kicks Play easier. The Kicks Play’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.6 inches, while the Soul’s liftover is 29.8 inches.

The Kicks Play’s cargo area is larger than the Soul’s in almost every dimension:

The Kicks Play’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Soul’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Kicks Play has a standard Intelligent Key that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Soul S/EX/GT-Line offers a Smart Key.

Consumer Reports rated the Kicks Play’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Soul’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Kicks Play and the Kia Soul, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Nissan Kicks Play outsold the Kia Soul by 44% during 2024.