Compare the2024 Kia K5VS 2024 Mercedes CLA

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 Mercedes CLA doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The K5 EX/GT offers optional Parking Collision Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The CLA doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

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 CLA.

Both the K5 and the CLA have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view 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 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CLA 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 CLA’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 Mercedes covers the CLA. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CLA ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the K5 has a standard 130-amp alternator (150-amp - K5 2.5T). The CLA’s 115-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the K5’s reliability 32 points higher than the CLA.

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 Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below 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 Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 50 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 19 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The K5 GT 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 69 more horsepower (290 vs. 221) and 53 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 258) than the CLA’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the K5 GT 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mercedes CLA:

On the EPA test cycle the K5 1.6T FWD gets better fuel mileage than the CLA 250 FWD (27 city/37 hwy vs. 26 city/36 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia K5 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CLA requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The K5 has 2.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the CLA (15.8 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

The K5 stops shorter than the CLA:

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

The K5 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the CLA; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the CLA don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the K5’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the CLA (112.2 inches vs. 107.4 inches).

The Kia K5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 350 pounds less than the Mercedes CLA.

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

The K5 has 16.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CLA (105.3 vs. 89).

The K5 has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 4.3 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the CLA.

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the CLA (16 vs. 11.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the K5 easier. The K5’s trunk lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the CLA’s liftover is 30.1 inches.

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

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the K5 has standard extendable sun visors. The CLA doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 CLA doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Insurance will cost less for the K5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the K5 will cost $3650 to $5495 less than the CLA over a five-year period.

The K5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the K5 will retain 52.43% to 55.34% of its original price after five years, while the CLA only retains 51.4% to 51.79%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia K5 will be $12100 to $16942 less than for the Mercedes CLA.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia K5, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes CLA isn't recommended.

The Kia K5 outsold the Mercedes CLA by almost seven to one during 2023.