SUVs have flooded the U.S. car market. With so many choices, you’ll have to do some digging to decide which one offers you the best value. But if you’re looking for a subcompact crossover, research shows the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek and 2021 Kia Soul are strong contenders.
What earned these 2021 crossovers the top two spots in the subcompact category on MotorTrend‘s list of the best SUVs? And which one is better?
- Acura seems to launch a sportier car through 2021 Acura RDX.
- Best Subcompact SUVs of 2021 Before the age of the subcompact SUV, the term sports utility vehicle referred almost exclusively to tough, large vehicles that drank lots of fuel and wobbled around.
The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek
MotorTrend describes the 2021 Crosstrek as a “raised Subaru Impreza hatchback with body cladding.” The second-generation Crosstrek is one of the segment’s larger SUVs. It offers standard all-wheel drive, solid traction, and a higher ride, popular with SUV fans.
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The Crosstrek claims the top spot on MT’s list because it’s an overall great SUV. Even with a raised suspension, it offers a capable ride with excellent handling. The 2021 Crosstrek’s responsive steering lends confidence whether you’re navigating a curvy country road or cruising on the highway. The higher ground clearance allows it to venture onto rougher roads than some of its peers.
Its roomy cabin is well-made and boasts a smart layout. Subaru refreshed the interior in 2021 with a new grille and front bumper. All models with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) get the EyeSight suite standard. It’s an impressive selection of driver assists, now with lane centering and adaptive cruise control.
The Sport and Limited trims offer a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine producing 182 hp. The Sport trim also features the dual-mode X Mode system with a deep snow/mud setting. It gets StarTex leather upholstery too. There’s also a hybrid version that drives on electricity for shorter distances.
But the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek isn’t perfect. The MT team found the standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine sluggish, hurting its performance on the highway and on hills. And models equipped with a CVT can be jerky. The team found the powertrain to be too hyper when the Crosstreak resumes travel from a stop.
The 2021 Kia Soul
RELATED: The Crosstrek Is the Most Reliable 2020 Subaru SUV According To Consumer Reports
The third-generation Kia Soul is as practical as it is quirky. It’s also highly versatile, so you can customize this small SUV to meet your needs.
Taking the number two spot on MT’s list, the Soul still doesn’t offer AWD. That’s likely part of the reason the Crosstrek ranks above it.
Still, in the subcompact SUV class, the Soul is hard to beat. MotorTrend cites the Kia Soul as an example of an affordable vehicle that’s also truly unique. All models offer a great driving experience with agile handling. The Soul navigates winding country roads like it was designed for them.
The base engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder putting out 147 hp. Combining solid body control with just enough power, the Soul never feels sluggish or lacking. The engine benefits from a nicely tuned CVT.
But if you want more power, there’s a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that gets good fuel efficiency too. The turbo combines with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that’s not as smooth at lower speeds. And the sport-tuned suspension helps the Soul’s handling on standard 18-inch wheels without sacrificing comfort.
Even though you’ll find a lot of hard plastic in the cabin, it’s well done for an SUV under $20,000. The Kia Soul has one of the best infotainment systems, boasting an available 10.3-inch touchscreen. There’s a lot of space for cargo and people, plus good visibility all around. However, the body shape makes the Soul rather noisy and less aerodynamic.
The 2021 models get a standard rear occupant reminder to check the back seat when you exit the SUV. Kia added more safety features to X-Line trims, which also got new shock valves. And GT-Line models have 18-inch wheels.
The GT-Line Turbo is now known as the Soul Turbo. That trim comes with new badging on the steering wheel, tailgate, and grille.
Which subcompact SUV is better?
Both the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek and 2021 Kia Soul are great small SUVs. Many consumers will lean toward the Crosstrek for its standard AWD. But that’s not the only thing that puts it ahead of the Soul.
The Soul’s handling is not as agile as the Crosstrek’s. The Soul’s interior, when compared to the Subaru’s cabin, is lacking as well. Though the Kia got some new safety features on higher trims, it doesn’t offer as many active safety features as the Crosstek.
The base-model 2021 Subaru Crosstrek costs nearly $5,000 more than the Kia Soul. But the AWD, standard advanced safety features, and a well-crafted cabin justify the difference.
Consumer Reports (CR) has published its annual vehicle reliability survey. The survey ranked cars, trucks, and SUV models on 17 potential trouble spots including engine, power equipment, body, and electronics. The cumulative score of a company’s models determines the brand’s overall reliability ranking for 2021 models.
The CR survey, which includes over 300,000 vehicles, determines predicted reliability for new vehicles on a 0-100 scale, with the average vehicle being between 41 and 60 points. The fewer the problems, the higher the score. Due to insufficient data, or brands not having enough vehicles, some brands and models were not included in these ratings.
The Most Reliable 2021 SUV
In the survey findings, the Lexus NX. The NX is the company’s entry-level compact crossover with a starting price under $40,000.
The NX blends interior comforts, with lots of standard safety features, and great reliability. It was just one model that helped push Lexus to 3rd overall in brand reliability ratings.
Overall, the top 5 most reliable SUVs in the reliability survey were the NX, Buick Encore, Lexus GX, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Kona. These models cover the subcompact, compact, luxury, and full-size SUV categories.
The Least Reliable 2021 SUV
The CR survey found that the Ford Explorer was the least reliable SUV. The Explorer was plagued with problems in its engines, electronics, power equipment, body, and transmission. It scored a paltry 1 out of 100 in the reliability survey.
The Explorer, which was redesigned for 2020, was plagued by a rushed production. More specifically, this caused problems with faulty seats, digital displays with buggy software, and loose wiring harnesses.
“The Ford Explorer, redesigned for 2020, is one of the lowest scoring models from any manufacturer — domestic or foreign — this year” – Consumer Reports
The redesigned Ford Escape compact crossover didn’t perform much better. And the subcompact Ecosport crossover was another downer. Overall as a company, Ford did poorly finishing in the bottom 5.
The other lease reliable SUVs based on the survey were the Subaru Ascent, Volkswagen Atlas, Jeep Compass, and Volvo XC90.
The Least Reliable Car Brand
Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln, finished as the lowest-rated brand for reliability overall. However, there were other manufacturers they didn’t have enough data to rank including Fiat, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Mitsubishi, and Land Rover.
Best 2021 Subcompact Suvs
Lincolns were plagued with similar problems as described with the Explorer with the Aviator and Corsair having poor reliability.
Mazda Has the Most Reliable Cars
Overall, for the first time ever, Mazda ranked first as the brand with the most reliable vehicles. This is a big win for the Japanese automaker to dethrone Toyota and Lexus at the top spot of the annual vehicle reliability survey.
Mazda’s small CX-3, still subcompact CX-30, and compact CX-5 also performed well in reliability ratings, all scoring 85 or better.
These types of consistent results helped push Mazda into the most reliable car brand spot. We recently ranked the CX-30 on our best SUV list.
The Top 5 Most Reliable Car Brands
In 2020, Lexus took the top spot in the survey. The LS model didn’t fare as well this year and that contributed to dropping the luxury automaker to the third spot. Lexus’ parent company Toyota finished second in the reliability survey for 2021 models.
Buick and Honda rounded out the top five most reliable car brands. Honda’s midsize crossover, the Passport, had reported reliability problems.
What Helped Mazda Have the Most Reliable Vehicles?
Based on the survey Mazda’s success with reliable vehicles is due in part to their use of more durable, six-speed automatic transmissions in lieu of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs).
CVT use is growing in popularity among automakers but they tend to be more fragile and less reliable. That means more repairs, more expense, and a lower reliability score.
Mazda has accomplished while still maintaining above-average fuel economy in their vehicles. And with their crisp handling and quality fit and finish, their vehicles are known to be fun to drive.
CR also noted that Mazda takes an iterative approach to vehicle design. Instead of making wholesale changes on models, they take a more gradual approach to change. This has lead to less flaws with defects and other unexpected flaws due to new technology.
Despite having less emphasis on cabin tech, Mazda still garners excellent safety ratings. It’s subcompact CX-3 model earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+ award for its crash test ratings.
However, if you like touch screens, large infotainment systems, or other advanced tech, Mazda may not be the brand for you.
The Most Improved 2021 SUV
Buick was the most improved brand for reliability, jumping up 14 spots to the 4th spot overall among carmakers. Its subcompact crossover, the Encore, showed significant improvements in reliability and came in as the second most reliable crossover model.
Other brands that showed improvement in reliability included BMW, with its midsize X5 model making gains, Volvo, with its XC40 performing well, and Jeep with the Wrangler doing better.
German SUV Reliability
Porsche was the highest-ranked European automaker finishing 9th overall among automotive brands in the reliability survey.
Audi was in the middle of the pack. The A5 and A4 models both rated above average. However, its reliability rating was hurt by the subcompact Q3 crossover, the new tech-heavy midsize coupe crossover Q8, and its e-tron electric SUV. These models were found to have below or well below average reliability in the study.
Subcompact Suv 2021 Subaru Crosstrek
Mercedes may do well on the innovation, comfort, and technology side but they didn’t fare well in reliability. Mercedes finished last among German automakers in the 20th spot.
Tesla Reliability
Tesla’s new Model Y crossover, unfortunately, didn’t fare so well in the CR reliability survey. Reported issues with fit and finish including misaligned body panels and mismatched paint tanked its rating.
The Model Y’s rating was much worse than average. It dragged the electric automaker down to the penultimate spot in the reliability rankings, ahead of only Lincoln.
Keep Reliability in Mind When Buying an SUV
Vehicle reliability is important as not only is it a major headache when your SUV is in the shop, it can be downright costly. Not only can it increase your maintenance and repair costs, but it also can decrease the resale value of your vehicle.
You can learn more about the CR reliability survey and get the overall brand ratings list here. To view how rating have changed over the past year, check out our most and least reliable 2020 SUVs article.
Had a good or bad experience with a 2021 SUV model? We want to hear from you. Please share your experience in the comments below.
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