Compare the2023 Kia K5VS 2023 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

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

Safety

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Both the K5 and Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI’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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia K5 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The K5 1.6T offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI only offers a rear monitor.

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the K5 and the Jetta GLI have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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 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 Volkswagen Jetta GLI:

	K5	Jetta GLI
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	31.7%
Neck Stress	180 lbs.	354 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	58 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	152 lbs.
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	141 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	20/31 lbs.	308/63 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 Volkswagen Jetta GLI:

	K5	Jetta GLI
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	264 lbs.	317 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	202	306
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	589 lbs.	627 lbs.

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 K5 is 2.4% less likely to roll over than the Jetta GLI.

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 Jetta GLI is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

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 Jetta GLI’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 Volkswagen covers the Jetta GLI. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Jetta GLI ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 21 percent more Kia dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it 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 Jetta GLI 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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 74 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, 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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 9 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 62 more horsepower (290 vs. 228) and 53 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 258) than the Jetta GLI’s 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 Volkswagen Jetta GLI (automatics tested):

	K5	Jetta GLI
Zero to 60 MPH	5.1 sec	5.6 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12 sec	13.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.5 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	14.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	101 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the K5 gets better mileage than the Jetta GLI:

			MPG
K5
FWD	Auto	1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
Jetta GLI
FWD	Manual	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/37 hwy
	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/36 hwy

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

The K5 has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta GLI (15.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Kia K5 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta GLI.

An eight-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Kia K5, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Jetta GLI.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	K5 GT	Jetta GLI
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.8 inches

The K5 stops shorter than the Jetta GLI:

	K5	Jetta GLI
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the K5 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Jetta GLI (245/40R19 vs. 225/45R18).

The K5 GT’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta GLI’s 45 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the K5’s wheelbase is 6.6 inches longer than on the Jetta GLI (112.2 inches vs. 105.6 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 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Jetta GLI.

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Jetta GLI’s (36 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

Chassis

The design of the Kia K5 amounts to more than styling. The K5 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the Jetta GLI (.3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the K5 get better fuel mileage.

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

Passenger Space

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

The K5 has 11.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta GLI (105.3 vs. 93.9).

The K5 has 2.3 inches more front headroom, 5 inches more front legroom, 3.6 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta GLI.

The front step up height for the K5 is 1.6 inches lower than the Jetta GLI (14.2” vs. 15.8”). The K5’s rear step up height is 1 inches lower than the Jetta GLI’s (15” vs. 16”).

Cargo Capacity

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the Jetta GLI (16 vs. 14.1 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The K5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Jetta GLI 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.

Ergonomics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The K5’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Jetta GLI’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the K5 and the Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia K5, 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 Jetta GLI isn’t in the top three.

The Kia K5 outsold the Volkswagen Jetta by 72% during the 2022 model year.

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