Compare the2023 Lexus ISVS 2023 Kia K5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus IS have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia K5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The IS’ optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The K5 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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

The IS has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The K5 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the IS and the K5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, 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 Lexus IS is safer than the Kia K5:

	IS	K5
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	282	373
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	41%	50%

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 Lexus IS is safer than the Kia K5:

	IS	K5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	1 inches	1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	162	202
Spine Acceleration	28 G’s	75 G’s
Hip Force	438 lbs.	687 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	293	297

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the IS, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 1.2% less likely to roll over than the K5, which received a four-star rating.

Warranty

The IS’ corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the K5’s (6/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the IS first among compact premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The K5 was rated second in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 15th.

Engine

The IS has more powerful engines than the K5:

	Horsepower	Torque
IS 300 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	241 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
IS 300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	260 HP	236 lbs.-ft.
IS 350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	311 HP	280 lbs.-ft.
IS 500 5.0 DOHC V8	472 HP	395 lbs.-ft.
K5 1.6T 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder	180 HP	195 lbs.-ft.
K5 GT 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder	290 HP	311 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the IS 300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6 is faster than the K5 1.6T 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder:

	IS	K5
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.6 MPH	87.4 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the IS 500 5.0 DOHC V8 is faster than the K5 1.6T 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder:

	IS	K5
Zero to 60 MPH	4.3 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	12.7 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	112.7 MPH	87.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The IS has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the K5 (17.4 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the IS’ brake rotors are larger than those on the K5:

	IS	IS 500 Performance	K5	K5 GT
Front Rotors	13.1 inches	14 inches	12 inches	13.6 inches
Rear Rotors	11.7 inches	12.7 inches	11.2 inches	12.8 inches

The IS’ standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the K5 are solid, not vented.

The IS stops much shorter than the K5:

	IS	K5
70 to 0 MPH	159 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	110 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the IS has larger standard tires than the K5 (235/45R18 vs. 205/65R16).

The IS 300’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the K5 LXS’ standard 65 series tires. The F Sport Design’s tires have a lower 35 series profile than the K5 GT’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the IS 300 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the K5 LXS.

Suspension and Handling

The IS offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The K5’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The IS’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the K5’s (59% to 41%). This gives the IS more stable handling and braking.

The IS 350 F Sport handles at .93 G’s, while the K5 EX pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The IS 500 Performance executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the K5 EX (25.2 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the IS’ turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the K5’s (34.2 feet vs. 36 feet). The IS AWD’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the K5’s (35.4 feet vs. 36 feet).

Chassis

The IS is 7.7 inches shorter than the K5, making the IS easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the IS’ trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The K5’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the IS offers cargo security. The K5’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the IS. The K5 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the IS is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the K5. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 63% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional in the K5 EX/GT, the IS offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The IS’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the K5, and is not available on all models.

The IS’ instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The K5 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The IS’ 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 K5’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the IS the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Lexus service department.) The driver of the K5 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The IS’ optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The K5’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the IS offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The K5 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the IS to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The K5 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

When the IS with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The K5’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The IS’ optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The K5 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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

Economic Advantages

The IS will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the IS will retain 44.72% to 48.44% of its original price after five years, while the K5 only retains 40.99% to 42.41%.

Recommendations

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

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