Kia has kept the K5 much the same for 2024, but it has added more options to the GT-Line trim level. By 2024, the K5 GT-Line will have heated front seats as standard.

Pros

• Knockout’s outside style.
• Great material for standard features with features.
• Excellent scores for safety.

Cons

• It looks more sporty than it really is.
• No choice for a mix.
• It’s still likely that the Honda Accord is better.

Most K5 cars have a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower that is paired with an eight-speed automatic gear. Front-wheel drive is normal on the engine, but all-wheel drive can be added as an option, but only on the GT-Line. The 180-horsepower front-drive K5 we drove went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds, which was very fast around town. At highway speeds, though, it was less noticeable because passes took longer to finish. Still, the engine’s noise was kept to a low growl by the car’s well-insulated body and smooth transmission. The full-Monty GT version has a 2.5-liter turbo-4 engine that makes 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The sportiest K5 has bigger tires on 19-inch wheels, bigger brakes, and a custom suspension setup. It also has an unusual eight-speed automatic gearbox that uses the same wet dual-clutch as the Hyundai Sonata N Line. The GT we were in went from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and from 70 mph to a stop in 163 feet. It took the Sonata N Line a little less time to reach 60 mph (5.0 seconds) and even less time to stop (152 feet). It had the same engine and transmission. Though the Kia only has all-season tires, the high-performance Hyundai we drove had better speed because it had summer tires that could be added.

Kia’s family sedan also has a number of basic and optional features that help the driver. Watch the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) websites to learn more about the K5’s crash test scores. Some important safety factors are:

• Emergency brakes that work on their own and regular forward crash warnings.
• Regular lane guidance and warnings as you exit.
• You can get a blind-spot monitor and a back cross-traffic alert.

For the price, the K5’s inside looks great. Fine materials, like wood trim on the doors and dashboard, are used to decorate the car. The design is simple but stylish. There are also many high-end features inside the K5, such as wireless charging, heated and cooled front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and ambient lighting on the dashboard and doors. Even with the driver’s seat lowered, it feels high. The floor-hinged clutch and a place for your left foot to rest are both nice touches. It’s easy to store things in the trunk, and there’s lots of headroom in the back seat. That space could hold seven carry-on bags.

Up to 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway are what the EPA says the front-wheel drive K5 with the base four-cylinder engine can get. When all-wheel drive is added, these numbers drop by a lot, to 25 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. On the other hand, these numbers are about the same as those for all-wheel-drive Toyota Camrys and Nissan Altima. When it comes to gas mileage, the K5 GT, which only has front-wheel drive and 290 horsepower, is the least efficient. It achieves a mileage of 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 miles per gallon on the interstate. We tried the standard front-drive K5 at 75 mph on a highway and got 43 mpg, which was five mpg more than the government said it would get. The GT also did better than expected; it got 36 mpg, which was four mpg more than the estimate.

The K5 comes with an entertainment system with an 8.0-inch tablet built into the same bezel as the instruments. From the GT-Line on up, the bigger 10.3-inch touchscreen comes as standard. On both systems, there are real buttons and a volume knob on the steering wheel. It’s strange that the bigger screen needs to be connected to a wired device and can’t work with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto wirelessly, but the smaller screen can. The better version can connect to two Bluetooth devices at once and lets you make your settings. The K5 can also come with a 12-speaker Bose music system for people who want the best sound quality.

There is a great mix of sporty design elements in the GT-Line, and the price is very tempting. This makes it a great choice for people who don’t care about the GT’s 290 horsepower engine. That is the one we suggest. For an extra $1600, you can add all-wheel drive to it to make it better in any weather. All GT-Line models come with 18-inch wheels, a 10-way power driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and wireless charging for your phone. We would also pick the Premium choice, which comes with adaptive cruise control, advanced collision warning, and full LED headlights.