Compare the2024 Kia K5VS 2023 Honda Accord

Both the K5 and Accord 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 Accord’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 Accord 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 Accord 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.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the K5 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Accord EX/Sport/EX-L/Touring offers Cross Traffic Monitor and the Accord’s Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the K5 and the Accord 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, rearview cameras 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 129 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Accord 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 Accord’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the K5 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Accord. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Accord ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda 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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 86 more horsepower (290 vs. 204) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 247) than the Accord Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the K5 GT 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Accord Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

The K5 has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Accord Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 12.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The K5 has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Accord’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 14.8 gallons).

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

The K5 stops shorter than the Accord:

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

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Accord’s (36 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The K5 has .7 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear hip room than the Accord.

The K5’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Accord’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

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

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 Accord’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The K5’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Accord EX/Sport-L/EX-L/Touring.

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 Accord 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 Accord EX/Sport/EX-L/Touring.

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