Compare the2025 Kia K4VS 2025 Toyota Corolla

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Kia K4 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 Toyota Corolla doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 K4 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Corolla doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia K4 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Toyota Corolla has not been tested.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The K4 GT-Line Turbo offers optional Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Corolla doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The K4 GT-Line Turbo offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Corolla only offers a rear monitor.

Both the K4 and Corolla offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the K4 LXS/EX/GT-Line has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Corolla’s Rear Cross-Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the K4 and the Corolla have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available blind spot warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia K4 is safer than the Toyota Corolla:

	K4	Corolla
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16.7%	27%
Neck Stress	129 lbs.	243 lbs.
Neck Compression	39 lbs.	50 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	147/158 lbs.	330/310 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 K4 is safer than the Toyota Corolla:

	K4	Corolla
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	1 inches	1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	13 inches
HIC	178	254

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

The Kia K4 (Built after January 2025) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Corolla has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

Warranty

The K4 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Corolla’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the K4 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Corolla. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Corolla ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th.

Engine

The K4 GT-Line Turbo’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 21 more horsepower (190 vs. 169) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 151) than the Corolla’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the K4 GT-Line Turbo 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota Corolla:

	K4	Corolla
Zero to 60 MPH	7.1 sec	8.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.8 MPH	86.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the K4 LX 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder CVT gets better fuel mileage than the Corolla XSE (30 city/40 hwy vs. 31 city/38 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia K4 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Corolla requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the K4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla:

	K4	K4 GT-Line Turbo	Corolla
Front Rotors	11 inches	12 inches	10.8 inches
Rear Rotors	10 inches	11.2 inches	10.2 inches

The K4 stops shorter than the Corolla:

	K4	Corolla
70 to 0 MPH	173 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the K4 GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Corolla (235/40R18 vs. 225/40R18).

Suspension and Handling

The K4 GT-Line has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the K4 GT-Line flat and controlled during cornering. The Corolla SE/FX/XSE’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The K4 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Corolla doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K4 is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Corolla.

The K4 GT-Line Turbo handles at .87 G’s, while the Corolla XSE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The K4 GT-Line Turbo executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Corolla XSE (26.6 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the K4 a Mid-size car, while the Corolla is rated a Compact.

The K4 has 10.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla (98.7 vs. 88.6).

The K4 has .7 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom, .6 inches more rear hip room and 3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla.

Cargo Capacity

The K4 has a much larger trunk than the Corolla (14.6 vs. 13.1 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the K4’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Corolla doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the K4 GT-Line, the optional 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 Corolla doesn’t offer a memory system.

The K4 GT-Line’s optional 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 Corolla doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The K4 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. The Smart Key System costs extra on the Corolla.

The K4’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Corolla’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The K4’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 Corolla’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 K4’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Corolla.

When the K4 GT-Line with available tilt-down mirrors 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 Corolla’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The K4’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Corolla doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the K4 GT-Line keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Corolla doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The K4 EX/GT-Line’s 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. The Corolla doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the K4 and the Corolla offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the K4 GT-Line Turbo has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Corolla doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Compared to the Toyota Corolla, the Kia K4 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

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