Compare the2022 Kia K5VS 2021 Dodge Charger

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the K5 and Charger 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 Charger’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 Charger doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia K5 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Charger doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The K5’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Charger.

The K5 EX Premium/GT-1 has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Charger only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The K5’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Charger doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the K5 and the Charger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia K5 is safer than the Dodge Charger:

	K5	Charger
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	26%
Neck Stress	180 lbs.	230 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	444/276 lbs.	582/440 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	155 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	20/31 lbs.	267/469 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia K5 is safer than the Charger:

	K5	Charger
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	78	222
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	2 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	23 cm	28 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	.4/.1 kN	3.7/3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.45/.33	1.21/.58
Tibia forces R/L	1.9/.1 kN	3/4.7 kN

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia K5 is safer than the Dodge Charger:

	K5	Charger
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	110	138
Chest Movement	1 inches	1.4 inches
Abdominal Force	190 G’s	212 G’s
Hip Force	264 lbs.	372 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	15 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	589 lbs.	692 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 Charger is not even a standard “Top Pick.”

Warranty

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 Charger’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the K5 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Dodge covers the Charger. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Charger ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the K5 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Charger.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the K5 has a standard 760-amp battery. The Charger’s 730-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 17th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the K5 gets better fuel mileage than the Charger:

			MPG
K5
	2WD	1.6 Turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/38 hwy
		1.6 Turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
		2.5 Turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	1.6 Turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
Charger
	2WD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/30 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/27 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the K5 LX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Charger doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia K5 higher (5 out of 10) than the Dodge Charger (3). This means the K5 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Charger every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 Charger doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Charger Scat Pack’s (36 feet vs. 37.5 feet). The K5’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Charger Scat Pack Widebody’s (36 feet vs. 39 feet).

Chassis

The Kia K5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 to 1150 pounds less than the Dodge Charger.

The K5 is 5.3 inches shorter than the Charger SXT, making the K5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Kia K5 amounts to more than styling. The K5 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Charger (.304 to .38) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the K5 get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the K5 EX is quieter than the Charger Scat Pack:

	K5	Charger
70 MPH Cruising	67 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

The K5 has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 4.3 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear hip room than the Charger.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the K5 easier. The K5’s trunk lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the Charger’s liftover is 30.1 inches.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the K5 LXS/GT-Line/EX/GT’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Charger doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The K5’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Charger’s parking brake has to released manually.

The K5 EX Premium/GT-1’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Charger’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The K5’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Charger’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The K5’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Charger’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The K5’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Dodge charges extra for heated mirrors on the Charger.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia K5 GT-Line/EX/GT has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Charger doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia K5 and the Dodge Charger, based on reliability, safety and performance.