Compare the2025 Kia K5VS 2025 Honda Civic

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the K5 and Civic 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 Civic’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 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Civic 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 Civic 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. Rear cross-path warning is not offered on the Civic LX and the Civic’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the K5 and the Civic 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia K5 is safer than the Honda Civic:

	K5	Civic
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	295	325
Neck Injury Risk	21%	30%
Neck Stress	180 lbs.	241 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	23 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	373	444
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	189 lbs.
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	61 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	20/31 lbs.	275/164 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia K5 is safer than the Honda Civic:

	K5	Civic
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	110	195
Abdominal Force	190 lbs.	286 lbs.
Hip Force	264 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	202	268
Spine Acceleration	75 G’s	79 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	589 lbs.	805 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

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 Civic’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 Civic. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Civic ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the K5 has a standard 760-amp battery. The Civic’s 500-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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 10th.

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 Honda 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, Honda is rated below average.

Engine

The K5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (191 vs. 150) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (181 vs. 133) than the Civic’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The K5 GT’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 90 more horsepower (290 vs. 200) and 79 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 232) than the Civic Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia K5 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda Civic 4 cyl.:

	K5	Civic
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	84.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The K5 has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The K5 has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 12.4 gallons).

Transmission

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 Civic doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	K5	K5 GT	Civic
Front Rotors	12 inches	13.6 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	12.8 inches	10.2 inches

The K5 stops shorter than the Civic:

	K5	Civic
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the K5 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Civic (245/40R19 vs. 235/40R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the K5 GT has standard 19-inch wheels. The Civic’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The K5 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Civic’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the K5’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the Civic (112.2 inches vs. 107.7 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 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Civic.

The K5 GT handles at .85 G’s, while the Civic Sport Touring Hybrid Sedan pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The K5 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Civic Sport Sedan (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the K5’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the Civic LX/Sport Hybrid’s (36 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The K5’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Civic Sport/Sport Touring Hybrid’s (36 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the K5 a Large car, while the Civic is rated a Mid-size.

The K5 has 6.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Civic (105.3 vs. 99).

The K5 has .9 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 7.7 inches more rear hip room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Civic.

Cargo Capacity

The K5 has a larger trunk than the Civic Sedan (15.6 vs. 14.8 cubic feet).

The K5’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Civic LX Sedan’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 Civic doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

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

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the K5 EX/GT1, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Civic doesn’t offer a memory system.

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 Civic doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the K5 and the Civic have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the K5 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Civic prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The K5 EX/GT1’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 Civic’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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. Pushbutton Start standard on the Civic only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car. Pushbutton Start is not available on the Civic Sport/Touring.

The K5’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Civic LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

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

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 Civic’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Kia K5 and Honda Civic offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The K5 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Civic’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

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 Civic doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Civic 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 Civic Sport Hybrid/Sport Touring Hybrid.

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

Compared to traditional radio, the Kia K5’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Civic Touring/Sport Touring.

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the K5 first among midsize cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Civic isn’t in the top three in its category.

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