Chevrolet Equinox vs Kia Soul: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (July 2026), the Chevrolet Equinox typically lists for $23,590 against $17,349 for the Kia Soul (same model years — 2023–2025 — national medians from live listings). The Kia Soul takes fuel economy (27 MPG combined vs 25 MPG); the Chevrolet Equinox leads on NCAP safety (4.5★ vs 4.4★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the LS at $21,998 vs the GT LINE at $20,155; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.

Verdict: for most used-car buyers the Kia Soul is the stronger pick right now — it wins 3 of the scored dimensions below (prices judged on the same model years, 2023–2025). Choose the Chevrolet Equinox if you care most about higher NCAP safety scores.

Head to head

Typical used price (2023–2025)Kia Soul
Chevrolet Equinox$23,590
Kia Soul$17,349
EPA combined (typical version)Kia Soul
Chevrolet Equinox25 MPG
Kia Soul27 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)Chevrolet Equinox
Chevrolet Equinox4.5★
Kia Soul4.4★
NHTSA recalls / model yearKia Soul
Chevrolet Equinox2.3
Kia Soul2.1
For sale on VehiSales now
Chevrolet Equinox23,039
Kia Soul11,804

Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)

A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Chevrolet Equinox LS ($21,998) faces the Kia Soul GT LINE ($20,155); the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) (29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the GT LINE (58.2% of Kia Soul listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the EX ($21,000). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.

Chevrolet Equinox Kia Soul
TrimTypical priceShare TrimTypical priceShare
LSCheapest $21,998 6.0% GT LINEMost popularCheapest $20,155 58.2%
LT (1LT)Most popular $22,980 29.1% EXPriciest $21,000 41.8%
RS (3LT) $24,995 3.0%
PREMIER (1LZ) $25,500 3.4%
1LT $26,991 27.7%
2LT $30,839 7.3%
RS $32,031 10.5%
ACTIVEPriciest $33,509 3.2%

Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Chevrolet Equinox prices · Kia Soul prices.

Used price by model year

YearChevrolet Equinox typicalKia Soul typicalDifferenceChevrolet Equinox MPGKia Soul MPG
2025 $26,973 $17,349 Chevrolet Equinox +$9,624 26–27 MPG 30–31 MPG
2024 $23,590 $17,981 Chevrolet Equinox +$5,609 26–28 MPG 30–31 MPG
2023 $22,072 $17,990 Chevrolet Equinox +$4,082 26–28 MPG 30–31 MPG
2022 $19,895 $15,584 Chevrolet Equinox +$4,311 27–28 MPG 29–31 MPG
2021 $17,716 $13,993 Chevrolet Equinox +$3,723 27–28 MPG 27–31 MPG
2020 $16,899 $13,129 Chevrolet Equinox +$3,770 24–28 MPG 27–31 MPG · 114 MPGe
2019 $15,149 $10,995 Chevrolet Equinox +$4,154 24–32 MPG 27–28 MPG · 108 MPGe
2018 $13,449 $10,500 Chevrolet Equinox +$2,949 24–32 MPG 27–28 MPG · 108 MPGe
2017 $10,495 $9,495 Chevrolet Equinox +$1,000 18–25 MPG 27–28 MPG · 105 MPGe
2016 $9,495 $8,991 Chevrolet Equinox +$504 18–26 MPG 26–27 MPG · 105 MPGe
2015 $8,488 $8,495 Kia Soul +$7 19–26 MPG 26 MPG · 105 MPGe
2014 $7,995 $7,046 Chevrolet Equinox +$949 19–26 MPG 26 MPG
2013 $7,000 $6,197 Chevrolet Equinox +$803 19–26 MPG 25–28 MPG
2012 $6,995 $6,200 Chevrolet Equinox +$795 19–26 MPG 25–28 MPG
2011 $6,499 $5,900 Chevrolet Equinox +$599 19–26 MPG 26–28 MPG
2010 $5,995 $5,847 Chevrolet Equinox +$148 20–26 MPG 26–28 MPG

Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (July 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper to buy used — Chevrolet Equinox or Kia Soul?

Comparing the same model years (2023–2025), the Kia Soul is cheaper: it typically lists for $17,349 versus $23,590 for the Chevrolet Equinox (national medians, July 2026).

Which gets better fuel economy — Chevrolet Equinox or Kia Soul?

The Kia Soul: its typical rated version returns 27 MPG combined versus 25 MPG for the Chevrolet Equinox (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).

Which is safer — Chevrolet Equinox or Kia Soul?

By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Chevrolet Equinox averages 4.5 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.4 for the Kia Soul. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.

Which is more reliable — Chevrolet Equinox or Kia Soul?

NHTSA lists an average of 2.3 recalls per model year for the Chevrolet Equinox and 2.1 for the Kia Soul — an edge for the Kia Soul. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.

Which trims should I actually compare?

Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Chevrolet Equinox LS typically lists for $21,998 vs $20,155 for a Kia Soul GT LINE; the most common trims on the market are the LT (1LT) ($22,980, 29.1% of Chevrolet Equinox listings) and the GT LINE ($20,155, 58.2% of Kia Soul listings); at the top of the market, the ACTIVE ($33,509) faces the EX ($21,000). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.

About this data: prices and availability are national aggregates of live VehiSales inventory (July 2026), refreshed daily. Fuel economy: U.S. EPA/DOE (fueleconomy.gov). Safety & recalls: NHTSA. How to cite: “VehiSales Research, Chevrolet Equinox vs Kia Soul” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/chevrolet/equinox/vs/kia/soul.

Dig deeper

See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.

© 2026 VehiSales · Data from live US vehicle listings · Methodology · Editorial policy · About · Press: cite as “VehiSales Used Car Price Index” with a link to this page.