Hyundai and Kia have extremely comparable vehicle lineups. Though it’s important to note that Hyundai has established a luxury branch named Genesis that largely addresses those gaps, Kia does provide a few vehicles that Hyundai doesn’t. Hyundai’s aesthetic is generally much more restrained and understated, with slender curves and unobtrusive round forms making up the majority of the design elements. However, compared to their Hyundai cousins, Kia vehicles have sportier style that gives them a more aggressive and dynamic appearance. In a similar vein, compared to the Hyundai model, Kia SUV vehicles have a more robust, off-road oriented look. In general, Hyundai automobiles are more likely to blend in with the crowd, but Kia styling is more angular and futuristic, designed to grab attention and make a statement.
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Performance and Handling
Although Hyundai and Kia share platforms and drivetrains, we already established that each company maintains its own independent engineering divisions. This is significant because it enables individual ride and handling characteristics to be tuned for each brand of car. It’s risky to generalize given the large range of vehicles available, including hatchbacks, sedans, crossovers, and vans. In contrast, a comparable Hyundai vehicle is probably going to prioritize a smoother, but disconnected-feeling ride, whilst you will probably find that Kia vehicles provide more dynamic, engaging handling qualities. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but in our opinion, Kia automobiles’ special chassis tuning significantly increases fun.
Price and Value
Kia automobiles are typically less priced than their Hyundai counterparts. The comparable Hyundai Elantra starts at $19,850, while the Kia Forte starts at $17,890. Although the Forte is less priced, Kia didn’t scrimp on quality or features. Like Hyundai, Kia provides one of the best warranties in the industry, which is ten years and 100,000 miles. Both companies offer quality that is unmatched in the industry and stand behind their products. In the J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study*, Kia placed third for 2021, ahead of brands like Toyota, Chevrolet, and even Mercedes-Benz. Even Hyundai’s luxury division, Genesis, ended behind Kia. Only Porsche and Lexus were ranked higher among mass market brands in terms of quality than Kia. At the top of that list, Kia is, in our opinion, in good company. It’s also important to note that J.D. Power named the Kia Optima, Sorento, and Sportage as the top models in each of their respective classes.
The Kia Advantage
In conclusion, Kia cars offer greater value and better quality, with bolder style and a more dynamic driving experience, even though Kia and Hyundai offer comparable vehicles. Simply put, no matter what you value most in a car, Kia automobiles are better overall. Of course, it is ultimately up to you to decide. We recognize that purchasing a new car is a significant investment. We advise you to test drive both brands since we are certain that you will ultimately decide on a Kia. Any way you look at it, it’s unquestionably the better option. Please forgive me, Hyundai.
Which makes a better car, Hyundai or Kia?
Which automobile is superior?
the Hyundai or the Kia? Overall, both companies provide a wide range of reasonably priced cars, but their lineups have been designed to appeal to distinct types of drivers. The goal of Hyundai is to offer the best value for motorists seeking a comfortable ride and traditional appearance.
Hyundai or Kia, which is more dependable?
In the auto business, there are two ways to quantify reliability: over a longer period of time (more than 90 days) (three years). Both companies receive excellent ratings, making them excellent options for used and certified pre-owned cars as well as good, reliable new cars.
- Both Hyundai and Kia have excellent ratings in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, with only 74 faults per 100 vehicles for Hyundai and 72 problems per 100 for Kia.
- The same is true of J.D. Power’s longer-term Vehicle Dependability Study, which rates Kia and Hyundai at 126 and 124 faults per 100 vehicles, respectively.
- These two brands, together with Hyundai’s high-end Genesis brand, dominate the market for both short-term quality and reliability.
Is Hyundai more dependable than Kia?
According to Amodeo, “automakers are increasingly considering how closely customers’ interactions with their vehicles resemble those of other consumer electronics.” “For instance, cell phones often receive over-the-air software updates, and as a result, automakers are increasingly required to use this strategy to address issues, enhance features, and add capabilities in order to maintain customer satisfaction. The best automakers at this will have a tremendous edge.”
Seven of the top 10 issues identified by the study are infotainment-related: voice recognition, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, Bluetooth, insufficient power outlets or USB ports, confusing or challenging navigation systems, infotainment touch screen or display screen, and inaccurate/outdated maps.
For the second year in a row, the Porsche 911 received the top rating for overall vehicle dependability. The 911 has received this distinction three times in the last four years.
The highest-ranking brand was Kia, which improved from third place in 2021. Buick, Hyundai, Toyota, and Dodge are other popular mass market brands that score highly for reliability of their vehicles, placing second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Genesis ranked first among luxury vehicles, followed by Lexus, Porsche, Cadillac, and Lincoln.
On average, mass market brands like Kia and Hyundai experienced less issues than their premium competitors. More technology is frequently found in vehicles from premium manufacturers, which raises the possibility of issues.
The survey also discovered that the quality of mass-produced cars has greatly increased recently and is now on par with that of premium manufacturers.
Hyundai and Kia are they the same?
Although Kia and the Hyundai Motor Group are separate companies, Kia Motors is a subsidiary of Hyundai. The distinction between Kia and Hyundai is that each brand has its own brand philosophies to build its vehicles in a distinctive manner. They are connected but distinct, as you can see!
Are Kia automobiles durable?
Maintaining the factory-recommended maintenance plan and taking care of problems as soon as they appear are the best ways to maintain your Kia in good working order. Any material or workmanship flaws should be covered by the Kia guarantee that comes with new and certified pre-owned cars, but these protections ultimately run out.
If your car needs repairs after the first warranty period has passed, an extended warranty might assist cover the cost of such unforeseen expenses. Kia has an extended warranty that may be purchased directly from the company, but you can also acquire coverage from third parties.
Independent extended warranty providers frequently provide more options for coverage, older vehicle coverage, a larger network of repair facilities, and more comprehensive benefits. Endurance and CarShield are two companies that we suggest.
Endurance: Best Coverage
Up to 8 years or 200,000+ miles of additional warranty coverage are possible with Endurance. Additionally, Endurance offers some of the market’s most comprehensive contracts. There are five different coverage options available, ranging from straightforward powertrain coverage to complete bumper-to-bumper warranty protection.
CarShield: Best Value
Additionally, CarShield provides extended warranty protection for cars with up to 300,000 miles on the odometer, potentially doubling the Kia factory warranty’s scope of coverage. CarShield offers a solid reputation in the market, a wide range of coverage options, and some of the most affordable contracts available.
For more information, see our comprehensive CarShield review. To get a free, no-risk CarShield quote, click the button below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kia is a dependable automaker. Overall, Kia receives a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0 on RepairPal, placing it third overall (out of 32 brands).
Both Kia and Toyota are well-known for their dependability, and both have a 4.0 out of 5.0 RepairPal reliability rating. Kias may be marginally more reliable, while RepairPal puts Toyota seventh overall and Kia third.
Kias require an average of 0.2 unforeseen repair shop visits year, according to RepairPal. This is half of the 0.4 visits per year average for all brands. You have a one in five risk of needing an unforeseen repair each year, according to this statistic.
Previously, the Kia name was associated with low-cost, subpar vehicles. This is partly because the brand’s automobiles had a lot of issues when it first appeared in the United States. Since then, Kia has made fleet improvements and has earned a reputation for having great reliability.
Yes, Kias have a reputation for lasting just as long as other trustworthy cars like Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota. Although the powertrain is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for up to 100,000 miles, many owners keep their Kias for much longer.
What drawbacks exist with Kia vehicles?
Kia may have improved in a number of areas, such as the electronic and hybrid market, but some of their models still fall short when it comes to safety. For instance, reviews of the Kia Seltos have been mostly negative due to the lack of safety features that are commensurate with the vehicle’s pricing.
Both hill hold and brake assist are absent. At the moment, features like an electric parking brake are rather widespread. The Kia Rio, which lacks adaptive cruise control, a review camera, and even blind-spot monitoring, is the same.
Is Kia’s luxury brand Hyundai?
Hyundai delivers a more opulent and flowing style, whereas Kia creates cars with a sportier look. With a little more varied selection of cars, Kia’s lineup includes the Sedona minivan, which reaches a wider target population. Hyundai, meantime, sells a line of high-end vehicles under the Genesis brand.
Kia, a luxury manufacturer?
Kia is not known for its luxurious vehicles. The South Korean automaker still has a fairly affordable lineup despite a recent redesign. Unless you upgrade to the fully loaded SX trim, the Kia Telluride is not an exception.
The Tellurides’ $33,200 price tag falls in line with that of its non-luxury midsize SUV competitors. However, upgrading to the SX variant will cost you between $42,500 and $55,000, which is within the range of many premium cars’ starting prices.
So what do you need to do? Do you want to upgrade your Kia Telluride or get the Buick Enclave or Volvo XC90 base model? Although nobody can decide for you, there are certain important aspects that could influence your choice.
Is Kia the top automaker?
In a yearly J.D. Power research, Korean companies took three of the top four rankings, and for the first time, Kia outperformed all other brands in terms of vehicle dependability over the first three years of ownership.
This year, a new design for the 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study was created to incorporate more technologically oriented inputs like software updates. As a result, the average number of difficulties per 100 vehicles increased this year from an average of 121 to 192.
With 145 reported issues per 100 vehicles, Kia, which placed third last year, led all brands. Buick, a division of General Motors, rose to second place after tying for fifth place the previous year. Hyundai came in third and Genesis came in fourth, but was first among luxury brands.
The outcomes demonstrate the Korean brands’ sustained supremacy, which has also been demonstrated in recent J.D. Power Initial Quality Studies that focus on the first 90 days of ownership.
Among premium brands, Genesis comes in first place and is denoted by a gold bar. The top spot for mass market brands belongs to Kia, which is denoted by a gold bar. Tesla does not qualify for a study reward, so it cannot be ranked.
Ford and GMC, two of the Detroit 3 companies, reported significant gains to outperform the industry standard. Ram, on the other hand, dropped down the list and came in second-to-last.
According to Amodeo, the frequency of vehicle redesigns is largely to blame for such changes.
“A brand is set up to fall in the rankings if they launch a lot of new products in a given year,” he said.
Tesla did not participate in the Vehicle Dependability Study this year, despite participating in it last year, since J.D. Power is unable to interview Tesla owners in 15 important states, including California, according to Amodeo. However, he claimed that based on information from owners in the remaining 35 states, the electric car manufacturer was “roughly where they were last year,” when Tesla earned an average of 176 issues for every 100 vehicles.
The 33-year-old poll tracks issues faced by 100 owners of 3-year-old vehicles over the course of a year. In nine primary vehicle categoriesclimate, driving assistance, driving experience, exterior, features/controls/displays, infotainment, interior, powertrain, and seatsit addresses 184 particular issues.
For an award to be conferred, there must be at least three models with 80% of market sales or four models with 67% of market sales in the particular award segment. These requirements weren’t satisfied in the Large Premium SUV, Premium Sporty Car, Small Car, Small Premium Car, and Upper Midsize Premium Car categories.
The infotainment category is still the most problematic one, as it has been in prior years. Infotainment-related issues made up seven of the study’s top 10 problem areas and averaged more than twice as many issues per 100 vehicles as the next-highest category.
According to Amodeo, “customer needs are expecting more and more tech in the vehicle.” While some OEMs have managed to integrate some of this, some haven’t.
According to the study’s findings overall, mass market cars had less issues per 100 cars than their premium counterparts. Amodeo pointed out that mass-market products now have better build quality and that premium automobiles often have more tech elements that are prone to malfunction.
The Porsche 911 received the most accolades for individual nameplates in the survey.
It has achieved this distinction three times in the last four years, making it two consecutive times.
Hyundai Motor Group earned three trophies, compared to five apiece for GM and Toyota Motor Corp.
The Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Silverado HD, Chevrolet Suburban, Buick Encore, and Buick Envision were successful for GM. Toyota triumphed thanks to its Lexus NX, RX, UX, Corolla, and Tundra models.
Two sector awards were won by Ford Motor, including one for the Lincoln MKZ, which was phased out in 2020.