Compare the2022 Kia K5VS 2021 Toyota Camry

Both the K5 and Camry 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 Camry’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’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 Camry doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the K5 and the Camry have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, 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 Toyota Camry:

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 Toyota Camry:

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

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

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the K5 has a standard 760-amp battery. The Camry’s 600-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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 41 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 19th, 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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fourth.

The K5 has more powerful engines than the Camry:

As tested in Car and Driver the K5 1.6T 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota Camry 4 cyl.:

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

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 Camry doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

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

The K5 stops shorter than the Camry:

For better traction, the K5 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Camry (245/40R19 vs. 235/45R18).

The K5 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Camry doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K5 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Camry.

The K5 GT-Line AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the Camry XLE pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The K5 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Camry SE (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Camry L/LE’s (36 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The K5’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Camry SE/TRD/XLE/XSE’s (36 feet vs. 38 feet).

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

The K5 has 4.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Camry (105.3 vs. 100.4).

The K5 has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 4 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Camry.

The K5 has a larger trunk than the Camry (16 vs. 15.1 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 Camry doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

When two different drivers share the K5 EX Premium/GT-1, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Camry doesn’t offer a memory system.

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 Camry doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

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

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

The K5 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Camry and isn’t available on the Camry Nightshade.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2021 issue and they ranked the Kia K5 GT-Line AWD four places higher than the Toyota Camry SE.