2021 Kia K5 Review

　　

2021 Kia K5 Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　The K5 is Kia's new midsize sedan formerly known as the Optima. For the past two decades, the Optima has offered attractive styling and fairly good value for money. With this redesigned 2021 model, Kia decided to go all-in and give it a new name too. Highlights include bolder styling, new engine and transmission options, and available all-wheel drive.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Kia K5 LX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$115/mo  for K5 LX

　　K5 LX

　　LX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $23,590 MSRPLXS 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $24,590 MSRPLXS 4dr Sedan AWD (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $26,690 MSRPGT-Line 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $25,490 MSRPGT-Line 4dr Sedan AWD (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $29,190 MSRPEX 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $28,090 MSRPGT 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM) - $30,590 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　Standard on everything but the GT trim is a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower. This is the engine you can get all-wheel drive with. Want more than 180 hp? The K5 GT gets a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is good for 290 hp. This is a healthy output for a midsize sedan — perhaps too much, as we learned in our testing.

　　It's one of few drawbacks to the K5, which otherwise stands as an excellent pick for a midsize sedan. It's the zzdcar Top Rated car in that class too. Check out our full evaluation by reading our Expert Rating below.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.3

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the K5 drive? The Kia K5 with its standard 180-horsepower engine won't impress you, but power is more than sufficient for daily use. It matches the Honda Accord in a straight line, taking 8 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph from a stop. Stopping from 60 mph requires a few more feet than average, but otherwise braking is easy and smooth.

　　The K5's aggressive styling might suggest it's sportier than usual, but that's simply not the case. We'd call the steering and handling par for the course. But perhaps what's more important is the K5 is easy to drive. The transmission shifts pretty seamlessly and is responsive to downshifts when you need to perform a pass.

　　

Comfort

8.5/10

　　How comfortable is the K5? This is a big step forward from the Optima. The only minor annoyance was a slight rattle coming from the panoramic sunroof blind. Otherwise, the K5 is as silent on the highway as some luxury sedans. Seriously. The front seats provide decent comfort over several hours, with a good amount of cushioning and moderate support from the side bolsters. The suspension ably soaks up road imperfections while avoiding feeling overly soft.

　　We're also impressed with the climate control system that features a unique three-mode auto setting that can limit fan speed. Seat ventilation is available on higher trims.

　　

Interior

8.0/10

　　How’s the interior? The K5's interior is thoughtfully designed to be user-friendly. Despite the numerous electronic features, there was no need to consult the owner's manual since all the controls are well labeled and logically placed.

　　The cabin is relatively spacious too, with a modest amount of headroom but an abundance of legroom. Tall adults should have no problem fitting up front, though. Forward visibility is great thanks to unusually narrow front roof pillars. Rear visibility is squeezed a bit by a tall rear decklid, but it doesn't create any notable obstructions.

　　

Technology

8.5/10

　　How’s the tech? The K5 may not look like a tech powerhouse, but it is. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, which is a rarity in any class at the moment. There's also an available wireless charging pad that features a cooling fan and a smart spring-loaded section that keeps your phone in place. The standard system has an 8-inch touchscreen that is easy to use, though it does have a slight delay in responses. This system's physical shortcut buttons are preferred to the upgraded 10.25-inch screen that has capacitive-touch "buttons" that are difficult to locate without looking. Our tester also had a total of four USB charge ports.

　　The excellent advanced driver aids returned no false alarms. The optional Smart Cruise Control enhances the existing adaptive cruise control by slowing down the K5 when approaching a curve in the road. Collectively, it's one of the best systems in the segment.

　　

Storage

8.5/10

　　How’s the storage? Despite the K5's fastback roofline, it's not a hatchback. The traditional trunk has a capacity of 16 cubic feet, which is slightly better than average, and the wide and low opening makes for easy loading of bulky objects. The seatback releases are located in the trunk, making it convenient to load longer items.

　　The cabin offers plenty of places to store your personal items, including a charging pad, another rubberized phone tray and a big center armrest bin. Fitting a large infant seat should pose no problems, and the anchors are easy to access.

　　

Fuel Economy

8.0/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? Fuel economy estimates are 31 mpg combined (27 city/37 highway), matching the efficiency of most other base-engine sedans in this class. These estimates should be accurate after what we saw on our standard 115-mile evaluation loop. Our route is highway-biased but includes a mix of city and mountain roads as well, and we observed an encouraging 33 mpg.

　　

Value

8.5/10

　　Is the K5 a good value? The Kia K5 starts under $25K and holds a slight advantage over most sedans when it comes to dollar-per-feature. The price and feature ratio improves with each successive trim level. There are some things missing from the options list such as genuine leather upholstery (the K5 has simulated leather), an auto-dimming mirror or a head-up display, but we're convinced most will look beyond that. A fully loaded K5 will save a few thousand dollars over a comparable Honda Accord.

　　The K5 is solidly built to boot, using a good amount of quality interior materials that outshine what's in other sedans in the class. There are still hard plastics present, but they're strategically placed to keep up appearances and away from high-touch areas. Kia's warranty coverage is top-notch with 10 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain and five years/60,000 miles of basic coverage. Only Hyundai offers more.

　　

Wildcard

8.5/10

　　The exterior styling is a standout in a traditionally dull sedan class. It rivals the Mazda 6 for presence, though it dials up the sporty aggression factor noticeably. It's one of those cars that you could admire for a few seconds before getting in.

　　We have fairly low expectations for performance and entertainment in the family sedan class, but the K5 represents itself well enough. Is it fun? Not in this trim, but the K5 GT certainly has potential.

　　

Which K5 does zzdcar recommend?

It's rare that we recommend one of the top vehicle trim levels, but the EX is our pick. You get a generous list of standard features, and it's also eligible for some desirable features that you can't get on the lower trim levels.

　　

2021 Kia K5 models

The 2021 Kia K5 is a midsize sedan that is offered in five trim levels: LX, LXS, GT-Line, EX and GT. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional the LXS and GT-Line. Highlight features include:

　　LX

　　The base LX trim comes with an appealing mix of features, including:

　　A 180-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine Eight-speed automatic transmission 16-inch wheels LED headlights Dual-zone automatic climate control Cloth upholstery 8-inch touchscreen Wireless AppleCarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity Six-speaker sound systemAll K5s also come with these advanced safety features:

　　Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane) Driver attention warning (issues an alert if sensors determine you are becoming fatigued)LXS

　　Adds the following at a very reasonable price:

　　Keyless entry with push-button start and remote ignition 60/40-split folding rear seats with a center armrest Smartphone-based remote monitoring and control Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot) Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while in reverse) Rear-passenger safe exit system (can prevent a rear passenger from opening a door into vehicles approaching from behind)GT-Line

　　Similar to the LXS but has:

　　Additional sporty and black exterior treatments 18-inch wheels Foglights Power-adjustable driver's seat Cloth and simulated leather upholstery Leather-wrapped steering wheel USB ports for the rear passengersEX

　　Forgoes the GT-Line's sporty look but adds a dash of luxury with:

　　Panoramic sunroof Heated and ventilated front seats Climate control vents for rear passengers Simulated leather upholstery Wireless smartphone charging pad Rear parking sensorsGT

　　Ups the K5's performance with features such as:

　　A 290-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters Upgraded brakes Sport-tuned suspension Most of the GT-Line's styling flourishes Sport front seatsThe GT goes without the ventilated seats, satellite radio and rear parking sensors, but you can add them back as options. In general, some features on the upper trim levels are available on lower trims as options.

　　Other key K5 options to look out for:

　　Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the K5 and the vehicle in front) Enhanced lane keeping and adaptive cruise control systems Enhanced front and rear collision avoidance system 10.25-inch touchscreen (includes enhanced voice recognition system but reverts to regular wired smartphone integration) Premium 12-speaker Bose sound system Power-adjustable front passenger seat Heated steering wheel

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2021 K5 Highlights

Type: GTSedanSedan

　　Trim: LXLXSGT-LineEXGTLX

　　

Base MSRP	$23,590
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	32 MPG
Cost to Drive	$115/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.0 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles