Compare the2023 Kia K5VS 2023 BMW 3 Series Sedan

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia K5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the K5 and 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan’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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The K5’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

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 3 Series Sedan’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 3 Series Sedan.

Both the K5 and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, 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 BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	K5	3 Series Sedan
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	23%
Neck Stress	180 lbs.	207 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	32 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 BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	K5	3 Series Sedan
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	202	305
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	39 G’s

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 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 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 3 Series Sedan is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the K5 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 3 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 3 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the K5’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the K5 has a standard 760-amp battery. The 3 Series Sedan’s 720-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the K5 second among midsize cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The 3 Series Sedan 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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 42 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 15th.

Engine

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 35 more horsepower (290 vs. 255) and 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 294) than the 330i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the K5 GT 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the 330i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	K5	3 Series Sedan
Zero to 60 MPH	5.1 sec	5.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12 sec	13.9 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.5 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	13.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	100 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the K5 gets better mileage than the 3 Series Sedan:

			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
3 Series Sedan
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/32 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia K5 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 3 Series Sedan requires premium, 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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the K5 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (245/40R19 vs. 225/40R19).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K5 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 3 Series Sedan.

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (36 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

The Kia K5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the K5 EX is quieter than the 330i (67 vs. 69 dB).

Passenger Space

The K5 has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 4.1 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

The front step up height for the K5 is 2.3 inches lower than the 3 Series Sedan (14.2” vs. 16.5”). The K5’s rear step up height is 1.3 inches lower than the 3 Series Sedan’s (15” vs. 16.3”).

Cargo Capacity

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the 3 Series Sedan (16 vs. 13 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

Consumer Reports rated the K5’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the 3 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the K5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the K5 will cost $605 to $7625 less than the 3 Series Sedan over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia K5 will be $16425 to $26436 less than for the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia K5 and the BMW 3 Series Sedan, 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 3 Series Sedan isn’t in the top three.

The Kia K5 outsold the BMW 3 Series by over two to one during the 2022 model year.