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2016 Kia Cadenza Reviews, Ratings & Specs

Change Year or Change Vehicle
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.
Kelley Blue Book Value®
$16,188 - $21,432
Used Fair Purchase Price Range
MPG (up to)
19 City / 28 HWY
Horsepower
293
Seats
5
4.38 Owner Reviews (8) 3.7 Expert Reviews Photos (75) Video Reviews (4) Compare Models & Features For Sale Near Me (4)

Expert Review

By Kelley Blue Book Editorial Staff
3.7 Overall Score
Performance
3.8
Interior
3.9
Comfort
3.7
Value
4.2

Editor's Overview

The 2016 Kia Cadenza is more sedan than you'd expect at less than you'd expect to pay. Roomy, comfortable, attractive, with a competent and smooth powertrain, luxurious interior and impressively lengthy complement of features, the Cadenza defines the notion of a lot of automotive bang for your hard-earned bucks.

Show Full Review
What's New Interior Features Exterior Features Driving Impressions Pricing Notes Notable Equipment

Kia Cadenza Models & Trims

Base - $16,188 - $19,559

Horsepower: 293 hp
Engine Type: Regular Unleaded V-6
Standard Seating: Leather
Standard Wheels: 18 X 7.5 (in.) Aluminum
  • Bluetooth
  • Navigation System
  • Heated Seats
  • Sunroof
  • Back-Up Camera
  • Premium Audio
  • Smart Device Integration
  • Wi-Fi Hotspot
  • Keyless Start
  • Keyless Entry
  • Automated Emergency Braking
  • Blind Spot Monitor
  • Cross-Traffic Alert
  • Lane Departure Warning

Premium - $16,307 - $19,702

Horsepower: 293 hp
Engine Type: Regular Unleaded V-6
Standard Seating: Leather
Standard Wheels: 18 X 7.5, 19 X 8.5 (in.) Aluminum
  • Bluetooth
  • Navigation System
  • Heated Seats
  • Sunroof
  • Back-Up Camera
  • Premium Audio
  • Smart Device Integration
  • Wi-Fi Hotspot
  • Keyless Start
  • Keyless Entry
  • Automated Emergency Braking
  • Blind Spot Monitor (Optional)
  • Cross-Traffic Alert (Optional)
  • Lane Departure Warning (Optional)

Limited - $17,737 - $21,432

Horsepower: 293 hp
Engine Type: Regular Unleaded V-6
Standard Seating: Leather
Standard Wheels: 19 X 8.5 (in.) Aluminum
  • Bluetooth
  • Navigation System
  • Heated Seats
  • Sunroof
  • Back-Up Camera
  • Premium Audio
  • Smart Device Integration
  • Wi-Fi Hotspot
  • Keyless Start
  • Keyless Entry
  • Automated Emergency Braking
  • Blind Spot Monitor
  • Cross-Traffic Alert
  • Lane Departure Warning

Owner Reviews

4.38
5 star
63%
4 star
13%
3 star
25%
2 star
0%
1 star
0%

My Kia is very physically comfortable for someone like me who has back issues.

My Kia is great outside of minor issues such as car door problems. The seats are very comfortable and adjustable which is great for someone like me who does not like to be too close to the steering wheel, so the easily adjustable seats are a bonus. It also notifies when the driver does not have on a seat beat with a loud ringing which is annoying but helpful for someone like me who often forgets. I have not had many issues with the car outside of the ones that I have created due to my own clumsiness.
Ariana S
Helpful

The best Kia has to offer.

This vehicle is the Kias version of a all luxury vehicle from the heated steering wheel to the all around heated seats. Full navigational controls, fully compatible with my phone so I never have to take my hands off the steering wheel or my eyes off the road. It rides like any other high end luxury vehicle it is everything you could possibly need in a vehicle.
Kevin D
Helpful

Car is well built and and seems to be a lot better car for money than comparable American made cars!

Car rides very nice! Like the air conditioned seats. Car has been trouble free since purchasing! Trunk is hard to put bigger items in and when wet raising trunk water drips into trunk area and on you!
William H
Helpful
See All Reviews (8)

Video Reviews

Unboxing 2016 Kia Cadenza - Affordable Luxury You Need To Know About

Unboxing 2016 Kia Cadenza - Affordable Luxury You Need To Know About

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Unboxing 2016 Kia Cadenza - Affordable Luxury You Need To Know About
Unboxing 2016 Kia Cadenza - Affordable Luxury You Need To Know About
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2014 Kia Cadenza – Redline: Review
2014 Kia Cadenza – Redline: Review
174,427 views
2016 Nissan Maxima vs Kia Cadenza
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2017 Kia Cadenza SX-L – Redline: Review
2017 Kia Cadenza SX-L – Redline: Review
190,317 views

Compare Models & Key Features

For Sale Near Me

Crash Test Results: Front, Side & Rollover

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a non-profit group which conducts safety testing beyond federal regulations. "Good" is the highest rating.

  • Moderate Overlap Front G
  • Side G
  • Roof Strength G
  • Driver-side Overlap Front N/A
GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor

Safety Features

  • Electronic Stability Control (ESC) *
  • ABS And Driveline Traction Control *
  • Side Impact Beams
  • Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags *
  • Rear Parking Sensors
  • Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning
  • Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags
  • Curtain 1st And 2nd Row Airbags
  • Airbag Occupancy Sensor
  • Rear Side-Impact Airbag *
  • Restricted Driving Mode
  • Rear Child Safety Locks
  • Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts -inc: Rear Center 3 Point, Height Adjusters and Pretensioners
  • Back-Up Camera
* Optional Safety Feature

Safety Recalls (0)

This Vehicle Has No Recalls

Payment Calculator

Estimated Monthly
Payment

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Expert Rating 3.7 /5 What's New Interior Features Exterior Features Driving Impressions Pricing Notes Notable Equipment
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Kelley Blue Book® Fair Purchase Price (Used)

Updated weekly, the Kelley Blue Book® Fair Purchase Price for used cars is generally the midpoint of the Fair Market Range. It is Kelley Blue Book's estimate of what a consumer can reasonably expect to pay this week in their area for this year, make and model used vehicle with typical miles and configured with their selected options, excluding taxes, title and fees, when buying from a dealer. It's based on actual used-car transactions, plus data from other reliable third-party sources as well as market conditions.

Kelly Blue Book® values and pricing are based in part on transactions in your area.

J.D. Power Ratings Disclaimer

2. J.D. Power’s Power Circles Ratings do not include all information used to determine J.D. Power awards. See jdpower.com for more information. Your experience may vary. All information provided by J.D. Power is owned by J.D. Power and is protected by U.S. and international copyright law and conventions. Reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without the express written consent of J.D. Power, other than printing copies of the J.D.Power content by site visitors for their personal use. J.D. Power® is a registered trademark of J.D. Power.

Initial Quality Study: After 90 days.

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2016 Kia Cadenza

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Our automotive experts have over 50 years of collective automotive journalism experience writing for outlets such as Automobile, Car and Driver, Auto Express, Edmunds.com, MSN Autos, more than 75 newspapers across the country including The Chicago Tribune, and more. Now we have harnessed their talents to create a unique type of review that brings the best of the web together in a single opinion that readers can act on.

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The Car Connection’s experts test-drive completely new models as well as cars that have been substantially updated with new styling, new safety gear, and new engines and transmissions. The team also drives some models that haven’t seen major changes as needed to refresh their opinions of the car. In nearly all cases, our experts have driven the vehicle in question in its current form, for the hands-on experience needed to bring you the best advice.

There are a few vehicles that have not been driven by our experts due to availability. In those cases, The Car Connection’s reviews bring you the highlights from the most respected sources around the Web. In the rare cases where The Car Connection’s team of experts has not recently driven a car, we will still bring together the consensus opinion from around the Web and update the review when they get some “seat time” in the car.

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We’re rating cars based on Style, Performance, Comfort, Quality, Safety, Features, and Green. Most categories start at 5 (average) and go up or down from there.

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Comfort: Points can be earned or lost based on comfort in the front seats, back seats, or third-row seats (where applicable); good or bad interior storage; and good cargo capacity. Cars, SUVs, or trucks with significant cargo capacity can earn an additional point.

Safety: Cars with official crash data gain points for a five-star overall rating by the NHTSA, or Top Safety Pick status by the IIHS. Cars with Top Safety Pick+ status are awarded an additional point for those advanced safety features. An additional point is awarded for cars with exceptional safety features such as parking assistance, surround-view camera systems, or autonomous-driving features. Cars with official crash data lose points for a four-star overall rating by NHTSA, “Poor” ratings by the IIHS, any three-star NHTSA ratings, no standard rearview camera, poor outward vision, or any special notes by the IIHS or federal testers. Cars without crash data aren’t given a rating at all.

Features: Cars with excellent base equipment earn a point above average. Extra points can be added for exceptional available features, good customization options, good infotainment systems with screens larger than 5.0 inches, and good warranty or service programs. Cars may lose points for sub-standard or expensive features; bad feature packages; poor relative value; or bad warranty or service availability.

Green: Cars are assigned a rating based on their EPA-estimated highway and combined mileage ratings. Plug-in and battery-electric vehicles start at 8. Electric-only cars with a range of more than 250 miles; plug-in electric cars with an EV range of more than 50 miles; or cars with a combined equivalent MPGe rating of more than 100 mpg earn a perfect score.

What’s New?

Our rating system better reflects how people look at their cars. We start in the middle, and add or take away points based on features, usability and driveability. It’s pretty simple!

A clearer path to 10—and 0. Our system is designed to better identify what’s exceptional in new cars.

Our ratings are reviewed by experts, every week. Editors constantly evaluate every new car rating to make sure we’re giving readers the best information.

We’re asking for discussion. We want to be as transparent as possible, so we’re inviting readers to discuss our ratings with the experts.

It’s not like grade school. Our ratings go from 1-10 with 5 being an average score. In the past, most of our ratings have fallen between 6 and 8 and while our new ratings may have lower scores, it doesn’t mean we like the car any less. An overall score of 5 is average—anything above is better than average.

How Do We Get There?

For most ratings, we start at 5 and work our way up—or down. Cars gain and lose points based on feature availability, affordability, comfort, and quality relative to their competition.

Some of our ratings are based on specific criteria. Safety ratings, for example, are based on official crash data from both of the major U.S. safety organizations. Green scores are calculated on mileage estimates from the EPA.

All of our ratings are open to the public. Wherever possible, we’ll tell you how we’ve rated a car and why we arrived at the score we did.

We’ve added an “N/A” rating. For cars without official crash safety ratings or other data by authorities, we’ve removed those numbers from the overall score to give readers a better measure for that car’s actual performance. We’ll tell you why we’re withholding a score, and we’ll add those in as those become available.

We’ve factored “Green” into the overall average. We know many readers and shoppers prioritize fuel economy and we’re rewarding efficient cars.

The Car Connection’s experts consult these professional review sources when writing our reviews:

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How Often Are Ratings Changed?

We re-evaluate our ratings for new cars at least once a month—if not more.

How Can I Tell If You Recommend A Car?

We’ll tell you! For most models, we’ll identify our picks for powertrain and popular combinations we think are important to buy.

We’re changing our rating system to better serve our readers and start a conversation about new cars on the road today. We take seriously our responsibility to you and we want to be open and transparent.