Compare the2022 Kia K5VS 2021 Nissan Maxima

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

Safety

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Both the K5 and Maxima 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 Maxima’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.

The K5 1.6T offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Maxima doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the K5 and the Maxima have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 blind spot warning systems, around view monitors 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 Nissan Maxima:

	K5	Maxima
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	25%
Neck Stress	180 lbs.	289 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	23 lbs.

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

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 Nissan Maxima:

	K5	Maxima
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	110	295
Hip Force	264 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	202	391
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	16 inches
HIC	297	300
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	53 G’s
Hip Force	589 lbs.	997 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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the K5 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 102 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Maxima is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

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 Maxima’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 Nissan covers the Maxima. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Maxima ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 13th.

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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

Engine

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the K5 GT 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Nissan Maxima:

	K5	Maxima
Zero to 60 MPH	5.1 sec	5.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12 sec	14.1 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.5 sec	6 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	14.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	101 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the K5 1.6T LX FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Maxima CVT (29 city/38 hwy vs. 20 city/30 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 Maxima 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 Maxima 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 Nissan Maxima (3). This means the K5 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Maxima every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the K5 GT’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Maxima:

	K5 GT	Maxima
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	12.13 inches

The K5 stops shorter than the Maxima:

	K5	Maxima
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The K5 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Maxima’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the K5’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the Maxima (112.2 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K5 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Maxima.

The K5 GT-Line AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the Maxima Platinum pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The K5 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Maxima Platinum (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Maxima’s (36 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Chassis

The Kia K5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 pounds less than the Nissan Maxima.

The design of the Kia K5 amounts to more than styling. The K5 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the Maxima (.29 to .3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the K5 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the K5 a Large car, while the Maxima is rated a Mid-size.

The K5 has 6.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Maxima (105.3 vs. 98.5).

The K5 has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 1 inch more rear legroom, 3.1 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Maxima.

Cargo Capacity

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the Maxima (16 vs. 14.3 cubic feet).

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 Maxima 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 Maxima’s parking brake has to released manually.

The power windows standard on both the K5 and the Maxima have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the K5 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Maxima prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Maxima’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Maxima’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 Maxima doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

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