Kia Soul vs Nissan ARIYA: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Kia Soul burns about $650 of fuel annually against $750 for the Nissan ARIYA. That $100 yearly gap compounds to roughly $500 over five years and $800 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Kia Soul leads in both cycles — 127 mpg city and 101 mpg highway against 111 and 95 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Kia Soul is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (2.0, SIDI), the Nissan ARIYA with no. Across 43 recorded Kia Soul configurations and 25 for the Nissan ARIYA, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Kia Soul is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Nissan ARIYA with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Station Wagons and Small Station Wagons respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.