2025 Kia K5

Price Range: $27,190 - $34,960

Luke Huisman | Edmunds

Very Good

The 2025 Kia K5 impresses with updated looks, new features and a stylish design. It's comfortable, packed with tech, and offers great value with its long warranty and competitive price. While the new engine lacks a bit of power, the K5 remains an excellent choice for its overall appeal.Read full review

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Kia K5 for Sale

Pricing

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Edmunds suggests you pay

$26,448

1 for sale near you

Prices based on sales in VA thru 2/23/26

Final assembly in South Korea

Pros

Comfy and quiet highway cruising
Powerful turbocharged engine in GT trim
All-wheel drive available
Lots of features for the price

Cons

Sloping roofline makes rear-seat access difficult
No hybrid available

What's new

Refreshed exterior and interior styling
Standard 12.3-inch touchscreen
New standard engine gains horsepower
Part of the first K5 generation introduced for 2021

Overview

Written by automotive expert Keith Buglewicz

2/20/2026

When Kia introduced the K5 for the 2021 model year, it didn't just replace the Optima. It created a sedan good enough to become our top-rated midsize sedan. Four years later, the updated 2025 Kia K5 builds on that momentum. There's refreshed styling in the front and rear, an updated interior, and a new standard engine. For 2025, a new non-turbo four-cylinder engine replaces the previous turbocharged base engine. It makes a bit more horsepower but less torque. EPA-estimated fuel economy is largely the same. The upshot? You won't notice a big difference in the way it drives. But you will easily notice a difference with the 2025 K5's interior.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$114/mo

$153/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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Edmunds spotlight: A nip here, a tuck there

While the exterior changes are blink-and-you'll-miss-them subtle, the interior updates are more substantial. A new touchscreen blends seamlessly into the instrument panel, and the new climate controls have a more modern appearance. Even the cupholders in the dash get a new design. Kia also upgraded the tech by adding wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the standard equipment list, and it made several features that were available through options packages standard. None of it's groundbreaking, but it's enough to make the K5 feel much fresher than you might think.

Competitors to consider

There are three main competitors to consider over the Kia K5, and they all have one thing in common: hybrid power. The Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata all offer customers a fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain, while the Kia does not, giving them a money-saving edge for interested customers.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

Driven, tested, rated by automotive expert Jonathan Elfalan

Very Good

7.5

out of 10

We drove the 2025 Kia K5 on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Driving experience

6.5/10

How does the Kia K5 drive? We tested the K5 with its new base engine, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder. Power is adequate and the shifts from the transmission are smooth around town, but when driven flat out at our test track, the K5 hit 60 mph in an uninspiring 8.5 seconds. Other sedans are better at getting you up to speed quickly for highway driving or passing slower traffic.

The suspension ably soaks up road imperfections and avoids feeling overly soft. The body can wallow a bit around turns, but the K5 is an easy sedan to hop in and drive every day. There's also the available GT with its upgraded engine if you want sportier performance that better matches the car's styling.

Forward visibility is great thanks to unusually narrow front roof pillars. Rear visibility is squeezed a bit by a tall rear decklid, but it doesn't create any notable obstructions.

The K5 comes with plenty of advanced driver aids. These include features that are rare or otherwise nonexistent in this class, including a blind-spot camera system and a 360-degree parking camera. Aids like adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance worked well in our testing and didn't make any false alerts.

Comfort

7.3/10

How comfortable is the Kia K5? The K5 is as silent on the highway as some luxury sedans. The front seats provide decent comfort over several hours, with a good amount of cushioning and moderate support from the side bolsters. We're also impressed with the climate control system's ability to cool the cabin on hot days.

The K5's interior is thoughtfully designed to be user-friendly. Despite the many electronic features, all the controls are well labeled and logically placed, and there was no need to consult the owner's manual. We just wish there were more physical controls.

The cabin is relatively spacious too, with a modest amount of headroom but an abundance of legroom. Tall adults should have no problem fitting up front, though.

Fitting a large infant seat should pose no problems, thanks to the spacious rear bench and easy-to-access anchors.

In-cabin tech

9.1/10

How’s the tech? The K5's standard touchscreen is a sizable 12.3 inches. It's well placed in the driver's sightlines and is canted toward the driver for easy operation. It looks decidedly upscale alongside the available matching digital instrument cluster.

The K5 is a class leader in terms of smartphone integration. Wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard, and there's an available wireless charging pad that features a cooling fan and a smart spring-loaded section that keeps your phone in place. A digital key is also on the options menu, allowing you to enter your car and drive off without carrying a key fob.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

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2025 Kia K5 pricing in Ashburn, VA

Edmunds suggests you pay

Build & Price

Buying Tips for the 2025 Kia K5 for March

Looking to get behind the wheel of the 2025 Kia K5? Here's what you need to know to negotiate a great deal:

Buyers are currently paying around 6% less than the MSRP for the Kia K5, which translates to savings of over $2,000 across the model's various trims.
The GT trim offers the largest savings at approximately 8%, making it a particularly good value opportunity.
No generally available customer cash rebates or special APR offers are noted for new car buyers at this time.
There is a decent availability of new Kia K5s, with significant variance by trim. The GT-Line has the most new inventory nationwide.
The K5, especially the GT-Line and EX trims, is selling more slowly than the average new car with higher days on the lot, which may give you more leverage in negotiations.
Leasing is an option for the GT-Line trim, with payments starting around $458 per month with $2,958 due at signing.
If you're considering used options, the lowest displayed price for a used Kia K5 is about $20,890, and there are a variety of options rated as good or great prices.
With considerable used inventory and lower days on the lot, you may find more room for negotiation with the used Kia K5.

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Storage & cargo

9.5/10

How’s storage and cargo? Despite the K5's fastback roofline, it's not a hatchback. The traditional trunk has a capacity of 15.6 cubic feet, which is slightly better than average, and the wide and low opening makes for easy loading of bulky objects. The seatback releases are located in the trunk, making it convenient to load longer items.

The cabin offers plenty of places to store your personal items, including a charging pad, another rubberized phone tray and a big center armrest bin.

Value

8.6/10

Is the Kia K5 a good value? The Kia K5 holds a slight advantage over most sedans when it comes to dollar-per-feature. The price-to-feature ratio improves with each successive trim level. There are some things missing from the options list such as genuine leather upholstery (the K5 has synthetic leather) and a head-up display, but we're convinced most will look beyond that.

The K5 is solidly built to boot, using a good amount of quality interior materials that outshine what's in other sedans in the class. Hard plastics are still present, but they're strategically placed away from high-touch areas to keep up appearances. Kia's warranty coverage is top-notch with 10 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain and five years/60,000 miles of basic coverage.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

MPG

5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the K5 with its base engine gets up to 30 mpg in combined city/highway driving, which is comparable to the efficiency of most other base-engine sedans in this class. A hybrid K5 isn't available, however.

X factor

7/10

The exterior styling is a standout in a traditionally dull sedan class. It's one of those cars that you could admire for a second before getting in. We have fairly low expectations for performance and entertainment in the family sedan class, but the K5 represents itself well enough.

2025 Kia K5 trim level differences

The 2025 Kia K5 is a midsize sedan available in four trim levels: LXS, GT-Line, GT and EX. All except the GT are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower. The GT gets a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 290 hp, making it one of the most powerful cars in its class. Front-wheel drive is standard, with the midlevel GT-Line available with all-wheel drive. For more info, check out the highlights of the K5's standard and optional features below. Compare the 2025 Kia K5 trim levels in-depth.

Which K5 trim does Edmunds recommend?

We still think the GT-Line is the sweet spot. Why? Because it offers a noteworthy upgrade to the base trim with a lot more standard and available features. It also looks cooler and has available all-wheel drive.

Kia K5 Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.1

30 reviews

5(56%)

4(20%)

3(6%)

2(8%)

1(10%)

Owners Say

The overall sentiment for the 2025 Kia K5 is mixed. Owners appreciate the car's quiet and smooth ride, striking looks, comfortable seats, and great fuel efficiency. However, some owners find the touchscreen controls confusing, and a few are dissatisfied with missing features, like storage compartments and sound system quality. There are also complaints regarding fitting and issues with trim falling off, as well as some mechanical problems in specific cases.

This summary is AI-generated from the text of owner reviews

See all 30 reviews of the Kia K5

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Most Helpful Owner Review

Great Dirving Sporty Looking Car

Jackster , 03/23/2025

2025 Kia K5 GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A)

I only had the car 1 month but drove it to Florida (all around) and back and put on 3,500 miles. My car is a GT-Line, Wolf Grey with the Red interior, Bose speakers etc. The car is a real pleasure to drive. Very Quiet on the road, and my mileage exceeded the 37 mpg epa rating, and that’s while maintaining speeds of 80 mph with 2 people and fully loaded with luggage. Little if any … wind noise. Note that at times I hit much higher speeds not knowing since it was so quiet & smooth. The engine RPM was mostly between 2 to 2.1 at 80mph. The power of the 2.5 liter is good, and slightly better than the 2019 Camry I had, which was a very good car as well. The Bose system sounded great, and all the alert sensors and some other sensors like keeping your car steering between the lines worked very well, but I preferred to turn that off most of the time. If you turn on your turning signals to changing lanes, and a car is present, not only does your side mirrors alert you, but you’ll get sound notices and the steering wheel will vibrate. Triple redundancy. The handling is very good, and secure, brakes are excellent and has a very good feel to them. A very important note is, I appreciate that the 2.5 engine has both Direct & Port Injectors on each cylinder. Port injectors will help cleaned the valves and clear any carbon build up. This is the same arrangement my Camry 2019 had which greatly reduces or eliminates carbon buildup in these Direct Inject Engines. The Nav system worked flawlessly and quickly. I also love you can remotely start your car with the key FOB (No additional charge) or with Kia Connect though Kia connect is only free the 1st 3 years. Also, happily, it doesn’t have the stop & start engine control which can cause more wear on your starter motor with little gain on MPG. The seats are very comfortable as I can attest driving 12 hours straight on my first stop. The car’s 8 spd auto shifted smoothly in all conditions. Plenty of room inside. Lot of storage in the console area for incidentals and drinks. I enjoyed the Panoramic roof. The negative was the Combine toggle Climate & Media control is a bit counter intuitive and sometimes causes more effort to control. Trunk space is good, as I had lots of luggage. The car feels solid & hopefully reliable down the line. The only other negative which is because I do my own oil changes etc, is this car takes a Cartridge oil filter (Not spin on) and takes 6.1 quarts of oil, (Not 5 qts) but I knew this well before I bought it but it’s location and design is good. So it’s not a real big deal, but this will cost a little more for oil changes. Recommended oil chg is 7,500 but I’ll be doing it every 5 to 6K for sure. BTW recommended oil is 0 -30W. Based on my limited time but very heavy usage I highly recommend this car, and I really enjoy driving it. Very sporty looking.

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2025 Kia K5, so we've included review for other years of the K5 since its last redesign.

Helpful shopping links

2025 Kia K5 video

Best & Worst Car Redesigns | Ford Bronco, Nissan Z, HUMMER, Kia K5, Subaru BRZ & More

NOTE: This video is about the 2022 Kia K5, but since the 2025 Kia K5 is part of the same generation, our earlier analysis still applies.

2025 Kia K5 Features & Specs

Trim:

LXS

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$27,190
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	30 MPG
Cost to Drive	$114/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	15.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

See all features & specs

Reliability

The 2025 Kia K5 has a 5 years / 60,000 miles basic warranty and 2 recalls.

Recalls

2 recalls found

Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.

If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).

Recall Number:: 25V493000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC346
Number of vehicles affected:: 100063
Defect Description:: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 K5 vehicles. The left and right rear window trim pieces may loosen and detach.
Defect Consequence:: Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will inspect and replace the C-pillar trim assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 26, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC346.

Recall Number:: 25V351000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC341
Manufactured from:: 2024-02-20 to 2025-04-23
Number of vehicles affected:: 82281
Defect Description:: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K5 vehicles. A software error in the Power-net Domain Controller (PDC) may cause the parking lights to flicker. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Defect Consequence:: Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: The PDC software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 24, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC341.

Warranty

5 years / 60,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 10 years / 100,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 5 years / 100,000 miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles

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Safety

Key safety features on the K5 include:

Back-up camera
Blind Spot Monitoring
Lane Departure Warning
Alarm
Tire Pressure Warning
Stability Control
Pre-collision safety system
Post-collision safety system

NHTSA Overall Rating 5 out of 5 stars

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating	Rating
Overall	4 / 5
Driver	5 / 5
Passenger	4 / 5
Side Crash Rating	Rating
Overall	5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating	Rating
Overall	5 / 5
Driver	5 / 5
Passenger	5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings	Rating
Front Seat	5 / 5
Back Seat	5 / 5
Rollover	Rating
Rollover	4 / 5
Dynamic Test Result	No Tip
Risk Of Rollover	10.7%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test	Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test	Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original	Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated	Poor
Side Impact Test – Original	Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Updated	Marginal
Roof Strength Test	Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint	Not Tested

FAQ

Is the Kia K5 a good car?

The Edmunds experts tested the 2025 K5 both on the road and at the track, giving it a 7.5 out of 10. Edmunds’ consumer reviews show that the 2025 K5 gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 30 reviews) What about cargo capacity? When you're thinking about carrying stuff in your new car, keep in mind that the K5 has 15.6 cubic feet of trunk space. And then there's safety and reliability. Edmunds has all the latest NHTSA and IIHS crash-test scores, plus industry-leading expert and consumer reviews to help you understand what it's like to own and maintain a Kia K5. Learn more

What's new in the 2025 Kia K5?

According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2025 Kia K5:

Refreshed exterior and interior styling
Standard 12.3-inch touchscreen
New standard engine gains horsepower
Part of the first K5 generation introduced for 2021

Learn more

Is the Kia K5 reliable?

To determine whether the Kia K5 is reliable, read Edmunds' authentic consumer reviews, which come from real owners and reveal what it's like to live with the K5. Look for specific complaints that keep popping up in the reviews, and be sure to compare the K5's 4-star average consumer rating to that of competing vehicles. Learn more

Is the 2025 Kia K5 a good car?

There's a lot to consider if you're wondering whether the 2025 Kia K5 is a good car. Edmunds' expert testing team reviewed the 2025 K5 and gave it a 7.5 out of 10. Our consumer reviews show that the 2025 K5 gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 30 reviews). Safety scores, fuel economy, cargo capacity and feature availability should all be factors in determining whether the 2025 K5 is a good car for you. Learn more

How much should I pay for a 2025 Kia K5?

The least-expensive 2025 Kia K5 is the 2025 Kia K5 LXS 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $27,190.

Other versions include:

LXS 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) which starts at $27,190
GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) which starts at $28,190
GT-Line 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 8A) which starts at $29,790
GT 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM) which starts at $33,290
EX 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) which starts at $34,960