By Tony Lesesne
@TonyClesesne
Let's just say it. The Kia K5 GT Line is one of the best sports sedan on the market today and it comes at a price point that is affordable and compelling.
The K5 is packed with great looks, a dynamic interior and a bevy of high-tech features.
This is a test drive worth running to - just like LeMans. I’m starting with one of my favorites elements of the test drive, the performance and handling. To get a feel for it, I'm taking it out on the streets, the open road and around the cones for an agility tests.
It's not about speed. This is not a race car. See, good steering should feel easy and controllable through turns and curves; not jumpy or jittery, not requiring too much steering.
I’m feeling for the "feedback" through the steering wheel and looking for what the wheels are doing on the road. Variable power steering, which adds more heft at higher speeds and makes steering at slow speeds easier. But I want to check the roll steer, which is the tendency of the wheel of a car to steer itself as it moves through the suspension stroke. Handling is how a car behaves and responds to the driver in real driving situations and there are wide varieties of possible maneuvers, environmental and road conditions that impact handling. There’s a difference between normal handling and emergency handling. Normal handling is the deliberate maneuverability, flexibly, and effectively. Emergency handling aims to get the driver out of trouble like lost traction from taking a curve too fast.
Because of its low center of gravity height, the k5 passed the agility and handling test - no problem there - as a reminder, my test drives are focused on three basic categories: straight-line performance, cornering/handling, and top speed.
But Besides the physical performance elements of the test drive, there are other key factors in this test drive that the K5 also passed - like cabin noise - it was quite, parking - check, fuel economy and most importantly - the comfort and feel of the car - all get a passing grade.
We can also add cargo space and storage - from the trunk to the interior cubby holes - the K5 designers and engineers had it covered.
The K5 corners nicely but maybe it was ride. The torque peak is at just 1,500 rpm, which is suitable for city driving. Steering feel is expectedly light, and composed through The K5 is quiet, capable, and refined on the road, rivaling the best in the segment in comfort and likability. Even more appealing to prospective buyers is the fact that the K5 is a very safe option, with a large selection of available equipment.
The K5 is easily the best looking, non-luxury sedan you can buy right now. Be sure to watch the video show above to get the costs, insights and additional details and to see it in action.
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