Compare the2023 Kia K5VS 2022 Acura TLX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the K5 and TLX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The K5 EX/GT offers optional 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 TLX’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 TLX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The K5 EX/GT offers optional Parking Collision Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The TLX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The K5 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the TLX’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the K5 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the TLX.

Both the K5 and the TLX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and around view monitors.

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 Acura TLX:

	K5	TLX
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	27 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	186 lbs.
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	66 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	20/31 lbs.	416/473 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 Acura TLX:

	K5	TLX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	110	128
Hip Force	264 lbs.	279 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	297	464
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	33 G’s

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

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 TLX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the K5 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the TLX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the TLX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the K5’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the K5 second among midsize cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The TLX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 99 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 13 places higher in reliability than Acura.

Engine

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 18 more horsepower (290 vs. 272) and 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 280) than the TLX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the K5 GT 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Acura TLX turbo 4 cyl.:

	K5	TLX
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101.8 MPH	91.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the K5 gets better mileage than the TLX:

			MPG
K5
	FWD	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
TLX
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	19 city/25 hwy
		Perf. Tire 3.0 turbo V6	19 city/24 hwy

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

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

Brakes and Stopping

The K5 stops much shorter than the TLX:

	K5	TLX
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	177 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 TLX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The K5 GT-Line AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The K5 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is 4.1 feet tighter than the TLX’s (36 feet vs. 40.1 feet). The K5’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the TLX Technology/A-Spec/Advance/Type S’ (36 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

Chassis

The Kia K5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 700 pounds less than the Acura TLX.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the K5 EX is quieter than the TLX Type S:

	K5	TLX
70 MPH Cruising	67 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the K5 a Large car, while the TLX is rated a Compact.

The K5 has 11.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the TLX (105.3 vs. 93.4).

The K5 has 3 inches more front headroom, 3.6 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom, 2 inches more rear hip room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the TLX.

Cargo Capacity

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the TLX (16 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

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

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the K5 and the TLX 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 TLX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the K5 first among midsize cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The TLX isn’t in the top three.

The Kia K5/Optima outsold the Acura TLX by 57% during the 2021 model year.

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