Compare the2025 Kia K5VS 2024 BMW 3 Series Sedan

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 has 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.

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 that 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 standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. BMW charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the 3 Series Sedan and the 3 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning does not include automatic braking.

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 and available around view monitors.

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.

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’ 2024 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 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

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

On the EPA test cycle the K5 gets better mileage than the 3 Series Sedan running its gasoline engine:

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 on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The K5 has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan 330e’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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.

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).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K5 is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 2.4 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).

The Kia K5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 600 pounds less than the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

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”).

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the 3 Series Sedan (15.6 vs. 13 cubic feet).

The K5 EX/GT1’s standard 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.

The K5’s standard Smart Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Comfort Go standard on the 3 Series Sedan only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the K5 EX/GT1 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.

The Kia K5 outsold the BMW 3 Series by almost two to one during 2023.