Kia K5 vs. Volkswagen Jetta GLI
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Kia K5 and Volkswagen Jetta GLI contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Kia K5 and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.
When comparing the Kia K5's and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI's specifications and ratings, the Kia K5 has the advantage in the areas of new vehicle base pricing and interior volume. The Volkswagen Jetta GLI has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, resale value and base engine power. Based on this comparison of the Kia K5's and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI's specifications and ratings, the Volkswagen Jetta GLI is a better car than the Kia K5.
Pricing: A used 2026 Kia K5 ranges from $29,328 to $34,788 while a used 2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is priced between $28,468 to $33,981. For a new model, the Kia K5's price is between $28,490 and $39,559, with the Volkswagen Jetta GLI priced between $32,152 and $35,820.
Resale/Retained Value: Looking at the 5-year depreciation rate for both models, the Kia K5 loses 46.9 percent of its value and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI loses 42.2 percent of its value. This means the Volkswagen Jetta GLI retains 4.7 percentage points more of its value and has the advantage of higher resale value versus the Kia K5.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Kia K5’s base engine makes 191 horsepower, and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI base engine makes 228 horsepower.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Kia K5, a midsize car, has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front shoulder room, front leg room, rear head room, rear shoulder room, and cargo space. The Volkswagen Jetta GLI, a compact car, has the advantage in the area of rear leg room.
Safety Ratings: When comparing crash test ratings from NHTSA, both the Kia K5 and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI have the same average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
28490 - 39559
Starting MSRP:
27390
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Midsize Cars)
27345
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Midsize Cars)
27300 - 27390
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
32152 - 35820
Starting MSRP:
33215
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)
28470
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)
21590 - 47100
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
32511
Price Range:
29328 - 34788
Category Avg Price:
(Midsize Cars)
32511
Category Avg Price Range:
(Midsize Cars)
32511 - 32511
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
# Good or Great Deals:
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
31159
Price Range:
28468 - 33981
Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)
30314
Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)
22070 - 52316
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
# Good or Great Deals:
5-year Depreciation
Depreciation $:
12966
Depreciation %:
0.47338325
Resale Value $:
14424
Residual Value %:
0.5266167500000001
Typical Category Depreciation %:
(Midsize Cars)
0.46625448
Category Depreciation Range:
(Midsize Cars)
0.46625331 - 0.47338325
5-year Depreciation
Depreciation $:
14234
Depreciation %:
0.42854561
Resale Value $:
18981
Residual Value %:
0.57145439
Typical Category Depreciation %:
(Compact Cars)
0.3979908
Category Depreciation Range:
(Compact Cars)
0.31796157 - 0.42854561
Kia K5 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
8.0 / 10
Safety:
8.0 / 10
Volkswagen Jetta GLI Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
8.3 / 10
Safety:
8.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Kia K5
Avg Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Avg Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Life Expectancy:
(Compact Cars)
12.4
Category Life Expectancy Range:
(Compact Cars)
8.8 - 16.2
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
2.0103535444826566
Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
2.6
Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
1.8 - 28.7
Kia K5 Rankings
Ranking
1 out of / 13Ranking
1 out of / 13Ranking
5 out of / 13Ranking
6 out of / 13Ranking
6 out of / 13Ranking
6 out of / 7Ranking
9 out of / 13Ranking
10 out of / 13Volkswagen Jetta GLI Rankings
Ranking
7 out of / 37Ranking
10 out of / 37Ranking
16 out of / 37Ranking
18 out of / 22Ranking
23 out of / 37Ranking
29 out of / 37Ranking
33 out of / 37Ranking
36 out of / 37Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Kia K5 Trim Levels
EX, GT, GT-Line, LXS
Volkswagen Jetta GLI Trim Levels
Autobahn
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
10 years / 100000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
3 years / 36000 miles
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
191 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque:
181 foot-lbs @ 4000 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.059 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
228 hp @ 5000 rpm
Torque:
258 foot-lbs @ 1500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.070 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2.5 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD / AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
Not yet available
Range (city/hwy):
Not yet available
Recommended Fuel Type:
Not yet available
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
26 / 36 / 30
Range (city/hwy):
343 / 475 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Standard/Optional Features
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Standard
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Navigation System:
Standard
Parking Sensors:
Standard
Power Lift Gate:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Heated Steering Wheel:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Standard
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Navigation System:
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
Standard
Heated Seats
Standard
Heated Steering Wheel:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
Standard
Air Suspension:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
Standard
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Standard
Driver Attention Monitoring:
Standard
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Lane Departure Warning:
Standard
Lane Keeping Assist:
Standard
Pedestrian Detection:
Standard
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Standard
Rear Seat Reminder:
Standard
360-Degree Camera:
Available
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Standard
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Lane Departure Warning:
Standard
Lane Keeping Assist:
Standard
Pedestrian Detection:
Standard
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Standard
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
40.2 inches
Front Leg Room:
46.1 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
58 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.8 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
56.1 inches
Cargo Space:
15.6 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
121.3 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
37.9 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.1 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
55.9 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.2 inches
Rear Leg Room:
37.4 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
54 inches
Cargo Space:
14.1 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
93.9 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3230 lbs
Width:
73.2 inches
Height:
56.9 inches
Length:
193.1 inches
Wheelbase:
112.2 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.3 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3241 lbs
Width:
80.2 inches
Height:
57.3 inches
Length:
186.9 inches
Wheelbase:
105.6 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.2 inches
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 x 6.5 inches
Wheel Type:
painted aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P205/65R16
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
18.0 x 7.5 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy with painted accents
Tire Size:
P225/45R18
Exterior Colors
Black
Aurora Black Pearl
Gray
Interstellar Gray
White
Snow White Pearl
Blue
Not available
Red
Not available
Exterior Colors
Black
Deep Black Pearl
Gray
Monument Gray / Monument Gray w/ Deep Black Roof
White
Pure White / Pure White w/ Deep Black Roof
Blue
Monterey Blue Pearl / Monterey Blue w/ Deep Black Roof
Red
Kings Red Metallic / Kings Red Metallic w/ Deep Black Roof
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Gray
Not available
Interior Colors
Black
Not available
Gray
Grigio Gray/Titan Black
