Compare the2022 Kia K5VS 2021 BMW 3 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia K5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the K5 and 3 Series Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The K5 EX Premium/GT-1 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 3 Series Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the K5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the K5 and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the K5 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 62 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 3 Series Sedan is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

The K5 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The 3 Series Sedan’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the K5 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 3 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 3 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the K5’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the K5 has a standard 760-amp battery. The 3 Series Sedan’s 720-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 18th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 10th.

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 35 more horsepower (290 vs. 255) and 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 294) than the 330i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the K5 GT 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the 330i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the K5 1.6T LX FWD gets better fuel mileage than the 330i RWD (29 city/38 hwy vs. 26 city/36 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia K5 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 3 Series Sedan requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The K5 offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better traction, the K5 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (245/40R19 vs. 225/35R20).

The K5 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the 3 Series Sedan; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the 3 Series Sedan don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K5 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 3 Series Sedan.

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (36 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The K5’s turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan xDrive’s (36 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The Kia K5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 750 pounds less than the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the K5 EX is quieter than the 330i (67 vs. 69 dB).

The K5 has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 4.1 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

The front step up height for the K5 is 2.3 inches lower than the 3 Series Sedan (14.2” vs. 16.5”). The K5’s rear step up height is 1.3 inches lower than the 3 Series Sedan’s (15” vs. 16.3”).

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the 3 Series Sedan (16 vs. 13 cubic feet).

The K5 EX/GT’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

Consumer Reports rated the K5’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the 3 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Optional air-conditioned seats in the K5 (except LX/LXS/GT-Line) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia K5 and the BMW 3 Series Sedan, based on reliability, safety and performance.