Right, fruit > juice > soda, and the gap between juice and soda is as high or higher than the gap between fruit and juice. To say juice is only a little better than fruit is to say fruit is only a little better than juice. If you have access to fresh fruit, great, but not everyone does and having juice might be better than no fruit products at all.

"I think juice may be a _LITTLE_ better than soda. I still choose to drink neither, and think I am better off for it."

You're making a very good choice. I would encourage you and others to consider the raw oranges 31-40 GI as, itself, very high and akin to something like dessert or a special treat.

Or, to expand on what a child of your post expressed:

soda < juice < fruit < ... < ... < vegetables/nuts

It's stupid honestly, fruit juice are healthy in normal quantity. Like everything don't abuse it.