I Thought That Nothing Could Rival the Honda Civic Sedan at Its Price Point, But Then I Tested the New 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line, and Have Discovered a Great New Option For Buyers To Consider

I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Having tested the 2025 Honda Civic, I feel that it is almost unbeatable. Particularly the hatchback versions. So, when Kia sent us a new K4 to test, that clouded our judgment a bit. How could Kia possibly match or top that new Civic? Well, they have, and depending on your priorities, the K4 may even be a better option. In this unconventional review, we’ll focus on the things that differentiate these two great vehicles. 

Kia K4 vs. Honda Civic - Exterior Style and Interior Styling

The great news for shoppers in the sub-$30K car market is that great looks are free. Both the Civic and K4 are handsome cars outside. We particularly like the coupe-style rear doors on the K4. Kia's now signature C-pillar is also a styling element we feel sets the K4 apart. 

Our sub-$30K K4 GT-Line tester had a two-tone interior that knocked our socks off. The steering wheel’s flat top and bottom was also novel, and we loved it. 

Kia K4 vs. Honda Civic - Powertrains

We tested the K4 GT-Line. Its 2.0-liter engine and variable automatic transmission were adequate for the role, and that is what you now get with the Civic. In our driving on mixed suburban and urban roadways, including some pretty heavy traffic, we observed 42 MPG in the K4. With that kind of mileage, we’d likely skip getting a hybrid. 

Kia K4 vs. Honda Civic - Body Styles

For 2025, Kia offers the K4 with a trunk, and it has four doors in a sedan layout (with coupe styling). Honda offers a sedan or a hatchback. However, in 2026, Kia will introduce its K4 hatchback. Personally, I favor the convenience and added cargo volume that a hatchback offers. That is just one person’s opinion. The great news is that both brands will be offering both options, so buyers can pick and choose. 

Kia K4 vs. Honda Civic Pricing

We’ve reviewed prices and see that both of these models offer a tremendous value. You get a LOT for not much money. Our K4 GT-Line tester had a consumer cost of $28,345, including Kia’s inland freight and handling fee, but less whatever Doc fees your Kia dealer charges. Honda’s Sport with similar content has a price of $27,831. 

Kia K4 - Notable Features

We love that Kia offers a spare tire in the K4. Honda offers a spare on only certain trims. We also loved how easily we could connect to the wireless Android Auto in the K4 - even without using a power cable to initiate the pairing. Here, Kia is the match of Honda, which also offers an outstanding infotainment package. 

Here's a listing of all the top-selling cars with spare tires. 

Kia K4 - The Drive

We found the K4 to have a great personality. We’d call it “chill” or “mellow.” The K4 GT-Line with its 147 hp engine was just adequate, and never felt sporty. If you want more power, there is a GT-Line Turbo with 191 hp available, but it comes at a meaningfully higher price tag. We’d probably skip the turbo in this car, and live with the base power rating. The handling is nice. It’s always enjoyable to try a low-slung sedan after being in crossovers most of the time.

If performance is a priority for you in this vehicle segment, see if you can stretch the budget to the Mazda3 Turbo. It starts at $34K. 

Kia K4 GT-Line Conclusion

If you are shopping for a sub-$30K vehicle, it’s hard to overlook the Kia K4 GT-Line. It offers a great look, stylish interior, plenty of space for four or even five passengers, and many features we think make it a great value. One thing we really like about the Kia line is its 100,000-mile warranty for initial owners. This is one area where Kia objectively beats Honda. If we were shopping for a sedan under $30K, we’d check out the Kia K4 before deciding on any of the other choices in the marketplace. 

Do you think Kia has a viable option to the Honda Civic in its K4 GT-Line? Is this a vehicle you would cross-shop? Tell us in the comments below.

All images by John Goreham. 

John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.