Compare the2025 Kia K5VS 2024 Volkswagen Jetta

Both the K5 and Jetta 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 Jetta’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 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 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The K5 EX/GT1 has standard Parking Collision Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Jetta doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The K5 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The K5 EX/GT1 has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Jetta 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 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the K5 and the Jetta 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 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’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. 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 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.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the K5 has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Jetta’s 140-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the K5 has a standard 760-amp battery. The Jetta’s 540-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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 78 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, 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 Volkswagen 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, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 17 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The K5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (191 vs. 158) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The K5 GT’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 132 more horsepower (290 vs. 158) and 127 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 184) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

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

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 Jetta doesn’t offer an SMG.

The K5 GT’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Jetta doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The K5 stops much shorter than the Jetta:

For better traction, the K5 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Jetta (245/40R19 vs. 205/60R16).

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 Sport/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the K5 GT has standard 19-inch wheels. The Jetta’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

For superior ride and handling, the Kia K5 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Volkswagen Jetta has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the K5’s wheelbase is 6.5 inches longer than on the Jetta (112.2 inches vs. 105.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K5 is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Jetta.

The K5 GT handles at .86 G’s, while the Jetta pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The K5 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Jetta SEL (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

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 (.27 to .28) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the K5 get better fuel mileage.

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

The K5 has 10.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta (105.3 vs. 94.7).

The K5 has 1.7 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.

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

The K5 has a much larger trunk than the Jetta (15.6 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 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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

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 Jetta doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

On a hot day the K5’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Jetta can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The K5 has a standard Smart Key that 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. Only the Jetta SE/SEL offers Keyless Access.

When the K5 EX/GT1 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Jetta’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 Jetta SE/SEL.

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

The Kia K5 outsold the Volkswagen Jetta by 37% during 2023.