Compare the2024 Kia K5VS 2023 Hyundai Sonata

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

Both the K5 and the Sonata 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, driver alert monitors and available 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 Hyundai Sonata:

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 Hyundai Sonata:

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated lower.

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 4 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

As tested in Motor Trend the K5 1.6T 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Sonata SEL Plus/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder:

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

The K5 has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Sonata SE’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The K5 stops much shorter than the Sonata:

The K5 GT-Line AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the Sonata SEL Plus pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The K5 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Sonata SEL Plus (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

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

The K5 has .2 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom and 2.2 inches more rear hip room than the Sonata.

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 Sonata SEL/SEL Plus/Limited/N Line’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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

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 Sonata SEL/SEL Plus/Limited/N Line.

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2021 issue and they ranked the Kia K5 GT-Line AWD two places higher than the Hyundai Sonata SEL Plus.

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 Sonata was rated second.

The Kia K5 outsold the Hyundai Sonata by 20% during 2022.