Yes, the Kia K5 is a good car. It has capable turbocharged engines, decent mpg ratings, and a comfortable ride. This Kia looks good inside, and the seats are supportive. The infotainment features are easy to use, and you get plenty of standard driver assistance technology as well. However, some competitors are more fun to drive than the K5 and have more spacious rear seats.
For its terrific combination of quality and value, we named the K5 a finalist for our 2022 Best Midsize Car for the Money award. It was also a finalist for our 2022 Best Midsize Car for Families award because of its solid combination of cargo and passenger space, safety and reliability ratings, positive reviews from automotive journalists, and available family-friendly features.
The K5 won’t satisfy drivers who want to have fun behind the wheel, but it should be an appealing choice for most other buyers. It’s attractive, comfortable, and stocked with features, which are things that any midsize car shopper will appreciate.
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This 2022 K5 review incorporates applicable research for all models in this generation, which launched for 2021.
U.S. News & World Report has been ranking the best cars, trucks, and SUVs since 2007, and our staff has more than 75 years’ worth of auto industry experience combined. To keep our reviews unbiased, we don’t accept expensive gifts or trips from car companies, and an outside company manages our advertising.
The 2021 Kia K5 debuted as a replacement for the Optima sedan, which Kia discontinued after the 2020 model year. There aren’t any major changes for 2022, so the new K5 is basically the same as the introductory model.
Compare the 2021 and 2022 K5 »
If you're considering an older model, be sure to read our 2021 K5 review to help make your decision. Also, check out our Best New Car Deals and Best New Car Lease Deals pages to learn about savings and discounts you can find on new vehicles.
The K5 starts at $23,790. That’s a typical starting price for a midsize car. The top-of-the-line K5 GT trim starts at $31,190, which is less than the top-trim price for many other cars in this class.
Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Kia dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Kia deals page.
The Honda Accord is an annual contender for the top spot in our midsize car rankings. It has arguably the most upscale interior in the class, and it’s among the segment leaders in passenger and cargo space. It’s also one of the sportiest cars in the class, and it gets better mpg ratings than the K5. The Kia is a good car, but its only real advantage over the Honda is that it offers all-wheel drive, while the Accord does not. While the K5 was a finalist for our 2022 Best Midsize Car for the Money award, the Accord took home the top prize because of its superior combination of quality and value.
Compare the K5 and Accord »
The Hyundai Sonata and Kia K5 are corporate siblings, so they have a lot in common. They carry nearly identical lists of standard and available features, and both have roomy cabins and 16-cubic-foot trunks. The Sonata has more headroom than the K5, but the Kia is a touch more athletic than the Hyundai, and it's available with all-wheel drive.
Compare the K5 and Sonata »
Compare the K5, Accord, and Sonata »
Though some rivals are more upscale, the K5 has an impressive interior for its price point. The cabin is handsome and well-built, with lots of soft-touch surfaces. There are some plastics around as well, but they don’t ruin the aesthetic.
The standard touch screen is responsive for the most part, and the UVO infotainment interface is intuitive and easy to master. In addition to the touch screen, there are control buttons and knobs strategically placed around the display.
If you opt for the 10.25-inch touch screen, however, difficult-to-locate digital buttons replace the physical controls that accompany the standard system. Also, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are replaced with wired smartphone integration.
For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay? and What Is Android Auto?
This Kia gives you more trunk space than some of its classmates, though it isn’t a segment leader in this area. You get 16 cubic feet, which is enough room for about a dozen grocery bags.
The K5 accommodates five people. Both rows of seats provide a good amount of legroom, and they’re comfortable and remain supportive on long drives. However, competitors such as the Toyota Camry have roomier rear seats. This Kia’s second-row headroom is a bit snug due to the sloping roofline, which also restricts rearward visibility.
K5 and Child Car Seats
There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the K5’s rear outboard seats and a tether anchor for the rear middle seat. The lower anchors are set deeply in the seats, but the setup is otherwise easy to use, earning the second-highest rating of Acceptable from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Read more about interior »
Most K5 models feature a 180-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. GT models have a 290-horsepower turbo-four and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The base engine won't wow you, but it provides decent acceleration and gets this sedan up to speed without too much effort, making it a satisfactory power plant for just about all driving situations. The GT's 2.5-liter turbo-four delivers much more power. The smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmissions both work well.
With the base engine and front-wheel drive, the K5 gets 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Those ratings are about average for the midsize car class. The numbers drop just a bit if you upgrade to the larger engine (24/32 mpg city/highway) or all-wheel drive (25/33 mpg city/highway).
Ride quality ranks as one of the K5’s biggest strengths. The suspension absorbs road imperfections with ease, leading to a supple ride over almost any surface. Handling is another story, however. The K5 is composed around turns and has accurate steering, but it lacks the agile feeling you get in some rivals.
Read more about performance »
The 2022 Kia K5 has a J.D. Power predicted reliability score of 79 out of 100. A J.D. Power predicted reliability score of 91-100 is considered the Best, 81-90 is Great, 70-80 is Average, and 0-69 is Fair and considered below average.
The K5 is covered by a basic warranty lasting five years or 60,000 miles and a powertrain warranty lasting 10 years or 100,000 miles.
Read more about reliability »
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2022 Kia K5 an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with five stars in the side crash test and four stars in the frontal crash and rollover tests.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named K5s built after November of 2020 as Top Safety Pick+s, the organization’s highest award. The K5 received the highest rating of Good in all six crash tests, as well as a Good rating (or the second-highest rating of Acceptable) for how well its headlights illuminate the road ahead, depending on trim level.
The IIHS uses a different scale for grading collision avoidance features. It gave this Kia the highest rating of Superior for its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, while the standard vehicle-to-pedestrian system earned the midtier rating of Advanced. Both optional systems received a Superior rating.
Standard driver assistance features:
Available driver assistance features:
Read more about safety »
The Kia K5 is 16.1 feet long. Its curb weight ranges from 3,115 to 3,228 pounds.
Kia builds the 2022 K5 in Georgia.
The 2022 Kia K5 comes in five trims: LX, LXS, GT-Line, EX, and GT. Even the base model comes well-equipped, and many drivers will be just fine sticking with it. That said, the GT-Line trim is worth the extra money. It comes with additional infotainment and driver assistance features, and it’s one of only two trims available with all-wheel drive. However, it loses wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. If that’s important to you, then go with the LXS, which also offers AWD.
The K5 LX carries a base MSRP of $23,790. The LX comes with a 180-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive.
Standard features include dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-inch touch screen, a six-speaker stereo, HD Radio, two USB ports, Bluetooth, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Standard driver assistance features include forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, driver drowsiness monitoring, and a rearview camera.
You can add remote start for $425.
The K5 LXS starts at $24,790. In addition to the base trim’s features, the LXS comes with a hands-free power trunk lid, split-folding rear seats, push-button start, remote start, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and vehicle exit warning.
The LXS is the first trim to offer all-wheel drive, and you can get it for $1,800.
Starting at $26,190, the K5 GT-Line adds unique styling elements, cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a 10.25-inch touch screen, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, satellite radio, and wireless device charging.
You can add all-wheel drive for $1,600, and AWD models also come with heated front seats. This is the only trim besides the LXS to offer AWD.
The GT-Line Premium package ($1,800 in FWD models, $1,900 in AWD models) adds a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, and an upgraded forward collision avoidance system. In AWD models, this package also includes a heated steering wheel.
The K5 EX sports a starting price of $28,690. The EX’s standard features include synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, rear parking sensors, wireless device charging, and a panoramic sunroof.
The EX Premium package ($3,600) adds a power-adjustable passenger seat, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, vehicle exit warning, front parking sensors, a surround-view parking camera system, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system.
The top-of-the-line K5 GT trim starts at $31,190. The GT features a 290-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It also adds a sport-tuned suspension and front sport seats.
The GT trim drops standard EX trim amenities like ventilated seats and rear parking sensors. However, most of these are part of the only available package: the GT1 package. For an extra $4,200, it comes with all of the combined tech and safety contents of the previous packages.
Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Kia dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Kia deals page.
See 2022 Kia K5 specs and trims »
The 2022 Kia K5 brings a lot to the table. This sedan has a cushioned ride, comfortable seats, and user-friendly features. It also has a decent amount of trunk space and solid mpg ratings. Sure, there are rivals that are more fun to drive, but beyond that, there’s not much to complain about regarding this Kia. That’s why it should appeal to a wide range of midsize car shoppers.
Don't just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.
