2015 Honda CR-V vs 2015 Kia Soul
Two compact SUVs, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2015 Honda
CR-V
7/10
Buy the 2.4L 4-cylinder, avoid the 1.5T if you live somewhere cold and only do short trips — otherwise this is a 250k-mile appliance in a good way.
VS
2015 Kia
Soul
6/10
Great personality and value if you get the 2.0L Nu engine checked for the bearing/knock recall — skip it entirely if that recall hasn't been done.
Milo scores the 2015 Honda CR-V higher — 7/10 against 6/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Honda CR-V |
Kia Soul |
| Known failure points | 6 | 7 |
| NHTSA complaints | 668 | 902 |
| Safety recalls | 3 | 4 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 78 | 52 |
| Cheap to own | 72 | 62 |
| Fun factor | 38 | 58 |
| Holds value | 80 | 45 |
| Enthusiast cred | 22 | 38 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2015 Honda CR-V
1.5T oil dilution — gasoline seeping into engine oil during short cold-weather trips, diluting oil and raising level on dipstick
$0–$3,0000k–60k mi
2015 Kia Soul
2.0L Nu engine — connecting rod bearing wear/knock leading to catastrophic failure (SC200/knock sensor recall)
$0–$7,00060k–100k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2015 Honda CR-V
2015 CR-V EX or EX-L with the 2.4L naturally aspirated engine and 5-speed automatic — skip the turbo entirely if you want the boring-reliable version of this car.
✅ 2015 Kia Soul
A 2.0L '+' or '!' trim automatic with full recall documentation (SC124, SC141, SC160/162, SC200) completed and verified via NHTSA VIN lookup, ideally under 80k miles with maintenance records showing an early transmission fluid service.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.