Compare the2026 Honda CivicVS 2026 Kia K5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Honda Civic has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The K5’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Civic and the K5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Civic	K5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	189/372 lbs.	444/276 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	50%

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Civic is much safer than the K5:

	Civic	K5
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	POOR
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Compression L/R	45/22 pounds	292/67 pounds
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

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 Honda Civic is safer than the Kia K5:

	Civic	K5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	516 lbs.	687 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	260	297

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda Civic Hatchback is much safer than the K5:

	Civic	K5
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Peak Forces	no contact	40 G’s
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.54 in	1.85 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.38 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Head Protection	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	156 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	825 lbs.	1294 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Civic, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 1.2% less likely to roll over than the K5, which received a four-star rating.

The Honda Civic Hatchback 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 an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The K5 is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Warranty

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

There are over 34 percent more Honda dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Civic’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

Engine

The Civic Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 9 more horsepower (200 vs. 191) and 51 lbs.-ft. more torque (232 vs. 181) than the K5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Civic Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Kia K5 4 cyl.:

	Civic	K5
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	8.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.1 MPH	87.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Sedan gets better mileage than the K5:

			MPG
Civic Sedan
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	50 city/47 hwy
		LX 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	32 city/41 hwy
		Sport 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/39 hwy
K5
	FWD	LXS 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/37 hwy
		GT-Line/EX 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/36 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Hatchback gets better mileage than the K5:

			MPG
Civic Hatchback
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	50 city/45 hwy
		2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	30 city/38 hwy
K5
	FWD	LXS 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/37 hwy
		GT-Line/EX 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/36 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Civic Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The K5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Regardless of its engine, the Civic’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 (not available Hybrid). Kia only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the K5 LX, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The Civic 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.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Civic higher (6 out of 10) than the Kia K5 (4 to 6). This means the Civic produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the K5 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Civic has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The K5 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Civic has standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The K5 doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The Civic stops much shorter than the K5:

	Civic	K5
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Civic has larger standard tires than the K5 (215/55R16 vs. 205/65R16).

The Civic LX Sedan’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the K5 LXS’ standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Civic Sport Touring Hybrid Hatchback handles at .86 G’s, while the K5 GT-Line AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Civic Sport Touring Hybrid Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the K5 GT-Line AWD (27.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

The Honda Civic may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Kia K5.

The Civic Sedan is 1 foot, 2.1 inches shorter than the K5, making the Civic easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Civic Hybrid 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.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 41% lower rating, Kia is ranked 27th.

Ergonomics

The Civic’s front power windows 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.

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

Model Availability

The Honda Civic comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Kia K5 isn’t available as a four door hatchback.

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Honda Civic retains 72.11% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 53.11% resale value of the 2025 Kia K5 after five years, which can save the Honda’s owner up to $5987.224618 in depreciation.

Recommendations

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its November 2024 issue and they ranked the Honda Civic Sport Sedan higher than the Kia K5 GT-Line AWD.

The Civic was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025 and 10 more times in the last 41 years. The K5 has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2025 North American Car of the Year. The K5 has never been chosen.

The Honda Civic outsold the Kia K5 by over five to one during 2024.

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