2015 Kia Cadenza vs 2015 Hyundai Genesis and 2015 Toyota Avalon

If you're looking for a luxury sedan, you enjoy performance, but not without sacrificing comfort and style. The luxury sedan race is a packed one, with a wide variety of worthy entrants. In this category the Kia Cadenza, the Hyundai Genesis and the Toyota Avalon all are going to give you more horsepower and features than the typical compact car. Plus, they all get decent fuel economy, with the 2015 Kia Cadenza and 2015 Hyundai Genesis closely matched with 19 mpg in the city and the Genesis averaging slightly more with 29 mpg on the highway to the Cadenza's 28. The 2015 Toyota Avalon will save you a little more at the pump with 21 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. We'll take a closer look at the Kia Cadenza vs. the Hyundai Genesis vs. the Toyota Avalon and see which is the luxury vehicle that will rule them all.

The 2015 Kia Cadenza has a smooth, curvaceous exterior, giving it a classy look with no excess baggage or pomp; both the 2015 Hyundai Genesis and the 2015 Toyota Avalon have a boxier, less streamlined look than the Kia Cadenza. This is just the beginning of the benefits of the Cadenza, as it holds a clear weight/handling advantage. The Kia Cadenza weighs about 500 pounds less than the Hyundai Genesis and has a nearly identical curb-to-curb turning circle; the Cadenza weighs about 200 pounds more than the Toyota Avalon but the Cadenza's turning radius is 36.5 feet versus the Avalon's 40 feet, which gives the Cadenza a 10 percent edge for handling in tight situations. Sit down in a Kia Cadenza and you have the smoothest operator on the block. Even better, the 2015 Kia Cadenza is the only one of the three cars with SiriusXM Traffic, an application which gives you updates on traffic flow and recommends alternative routes when there's a jam up ahead.

Price is important to many of us, so let's talk about it. The Toyota Avalon base model is the most affordable, but it comes without many of the features that more expensive ($34,000-$40,000) Toyota Avalon trim options come with. The Kia Cadenza is about $100 more than the Avalon base model, but the Cadenza base model comes standard with all the safety features that the pricier Kia Cadenza Limited trim comes with, such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Brake Assist System (BAS) and Traction Control System (TCS). The Hyundai Genesis competitor price is nearly $6,000 more than the Cadenza - that's a major difference of 17 percent for a bulkier vehicle that gets very similar fuel economy.

Since we're on the topic of vehicle size, the Kia Cadenza and the Hyundai Genesis both have large interiors, with the Genesis narrowly topping the Cadenza with 123 cubic feet to the Cadenza's 122.7. The Avalon is a distant third with 119.6 cubic feet - from front to back, Avalon passengers will feel more cramped. If it's power you crave, the Kia Cadenza checks in at a robust 293 horsepower for its V6 engine, significantly more than the Avalon's 268 for its V6 models.

When it's all said and done, the Kia Cadenza has the best blend of cost, handling and performance over the others, making it a superior luxury sedan. It loses a few points to the others, but neither the Hyundai Genesis nor the Toyota Avalon has nearly as many categories they are superior in. We have several Kia Cadenzas available on our lot, so come on in to look at, test drive or purchase one at Friendly Kia in New Port Richey, FL, about 20 miles from Clearwater and Trinity, less than 40 miles from Tampa and St. Petersburg, and less than 25 miles from Spring Hill. If you plan on purchasing a new or used car, please take advantage of our trade-in policy and our exclusive partnership with Kelley Blue Book KBB.com's Trade-In Marketplace/Buying Center.