2018 Kia Soul MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2018 Kia Soul is rated 27 to 28 mpg combined across 4 EPA-tested gas versions; the best is the 1.6L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 7-speed automated manual.

EPA fuel economy

2018 Kia Soul · 4 EPA-tested versions

Best EPA rating

28MPG combined

26 city 31 highway

$2,300 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score6/10

1.6L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 7-speed automated manual

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.32 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 28, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $2,300 to $2,400 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2017.

Every 2018 Soul version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
1.6L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 7-speed automated manual Best EPA listing: Soul	28 mpg	26 / 31	$2,300
1.6L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Soul	27 mpg	25 / 30	$2,400
1.6L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Soul	27 mpg	24 / 30	$2,400
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Soul	27 mpg	25 / 30	$2,400

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.32 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
1.6L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 7-speed automated manual	$2,314	$193	$11,571
1.6L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,400	$200	$12,000
1.6L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual	$2,400	$200	$12,000
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,400	$200	$12,000

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Kia Soul MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 27 to 31 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2025); 31 since 2020.

2018: gas 28 mpg

Show as a table

Kia Soul best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	27
2017	28
2018	28
2019	28
2020	31
2021	31
2022	31
2023	31
2024	31
2025	31

How the 2018 Soul compares

2018 subcompact SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2018 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Nissan Kicks Best: gas	33 mpg	33 mpg	$1,950
Honda HR-V Best: gas	31 mpg	31 mpg	$2,100
Hyundai Kona Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,150
Buick Encore Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,150
Subaru Crosstrek Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,250
Chevrolet Trax Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Kia Soul This page Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300

2018 Soul recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 218 owner complaints for the 2018 Soul.What they cover, and crash test ratings

Questions

Does the 2018 Kia Soul need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2018 Kia Soul version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2018 Soul's MPG compare with the 2017?

For 2018, the best gas version is rated 28 mpg, the same as the year before.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.32, midgrade $4.93, premium $5.32, diesel $6.29 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.