Compare the2023 Kia K5VS 2023 Acura Integra

Both the K5 and Integra 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 Integra’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 Integra doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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

Both the K5 and the Integra 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 81 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Integra has not been tested, yet.

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 Integra’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 Integra. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Integra 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.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the K5 second among midsize cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Integra 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.

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 90 more horsepower (290 vs. 200) and 119 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 192) than the Integra’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

The K5 has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Integra (15.8 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The K5 offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Integra doesn’t offer an SMG.

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

The K5 stops shorter than the Integra:

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the K5 GT has standard 19-inch wheels. The Integra’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the K5’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the Integra (112.2 inches vs. 107.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K5 is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Integra.

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

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the K5 EX is quieter than the Integra A-Spec Technology:

The K5 has 9.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Integra (105.3 vs. 95.8).

The K5 has 2.6 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 7.7 inches more rear hip room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Integra.

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 Integra doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The K5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Integra uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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

The K5 EX/GT’s optional 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 Integra’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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

On extremely cold winter days, the K5’s optional (except LXS) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Integra doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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 is only available on the Integra A-Spec with Technology Package.

Both the K5 and the Integra offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the K5 EX/GT has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Integra doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

With standard voice command, the K5 offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Integra doesn’t offer a voice control system.

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