Compare the2025 Acura TLXVS 2025 Kia K5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Acura TLX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia K5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Acura TLX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The K5 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The TLX has standard AcuraLink, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The K5 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the TLX and the K5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The TLX’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the K5 runs out after 100,000 miles.

The battery on the TLX is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the TLX’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The K5’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura fourth in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 10th.

The TLX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 81 more horsepower (272 vs. 191) and 99 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 181) than the K5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The TLX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 65 more horsepower (355 vs. 290) and 43 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 311) than the K5 GT’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the TLX Type S 3.0 turbo V6 is faster than the K5 GT 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the TLX Type S’ fuel efficiency. The K5 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regardless of its engine, the TLX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Kia only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the K5 LX, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The TLX has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The K5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura TLX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the K5.

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

The TLX stops much shorter than the K5:

For better traction, the TLX has larger tires than the K5 (255/35R20 vs. 205/65R16). The TLX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the K5 (255/35R20 vs. 245/40R19).

The TLX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the K5 LXS’ standard 65 series tires. The TLX Type S’ tires have a lower 35 series profile than the K5 GT’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the TLX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the K5 LXS. The TLX Type S’ 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the K5 GT.

The TLX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The K5 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The TLX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The K5’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The TLX Type S handles at .97 G’s, while the K5 GT pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The TLX Type S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the K5 GT (24.7 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s).

The TLX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The K5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the TLX’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the K5’s useful trunk space.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the TLX offers cargo security. The K5’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the TLX. The K5 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Acura 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 32% lower rating, Kia is ranked 24th.

The TLX Type S has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The K5 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The TLX’s 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 K5’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the TLX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the K5 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The TLX’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The K5’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The TLX Type S’ standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Both the TLX and the K5 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the TLX has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The K5 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Acura TLX has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Kia charges extra for Homelink® on the K5.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura TLX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the K5 GT-Line/EX/GT offers wireless charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Acura TLX, based on reliability, safety and performance.