KiaTelluride

　　

2024 Kia Telluride Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　, rating written byMark TakahashiSenior Reviews Editor

　　Brian Wong has worked in the automotive industry since 2010, writing over 1,000 car-related articles and testing and reviewing hundreds of vehicles over the course of career. Brian is a senior reviews editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Cars.com, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports. Brian has also been featured on MotorWeek as an expert for several car comparisons. He loves convertibles (the smaller the better) and hates paying for parking, so Los Angeles is both the right and wrong city for him.

　　Since its debut for the 2020 model year, the Kia Telluride has become a popular pick for many people shopping for a three-row midsize SUV. It provides lots of comfort and spaciousness and has even earned an zzdcar Top Rated award every year since. That's no small feat as most vehicles eventually get overtaken by newer rivals. But every time a new competitor has come up to challenge the Telluride, it's fallen short.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2024 Kia Telluride LX 4dr SUV (3.8L 6cyl 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.06 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$169/mo  for Telluride LX

　　Telluride LX

　　LX 4dr SUV (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $35,990 MSRPLX 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $37,990 MSRPS 4dr SUV (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $37,890 MSRPS 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $39,890 MSRPEX 4dr SUV (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $41,590 MSRPEX 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $43,590 MSRPSX 4dr SUV (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $45,790 MSRPSX 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $47,790 MSRPEX X-Line 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) (Most Popular) - $45,885 MSRPSX X-Line 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $49,285 MSRPSX X-Pro 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $50,285 MSRPSX-Prestige 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $50,690 MSRPSX-Prestige X-Line 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $52,185 MSRPSX-Prestige X-Pro 4dr SUV AWD (3.8L 6cyl 8A) - $53,185 MSRP

　　vs

　　$229/mo

　　Avg. Large SUV

　　Last year, the Telluride underwent the most significant refresh in its short history, with updated styling, rugged new trim levels and enhanced driver assist features. 2024 brings a few more styling tweaks, though none of last year's major design updates have been undone.

　　That's likely to hold true for the 2024 Telluride as well. But as part of your car shopping, you might want to look at the related Hyundai Palisade. It shares a lot of the Kia's underpinnings but exudes a more luxurious personality. Other worthy alternatives include the all-new Mazda CX-90 and recently redesigned Honda Pilot. Read our Expert Rating below to get our full report on the Telluride's comfort, cargo space and more.

　　

What’s it like to live with?

To get a more accurate ownership experience, zzdcar added a 2020 Kia Telluride SX V6 AWD to the long-term test fleet. In the time it spent with our staff, the Telluride proved over and over why it's been the best SUV in its class. Check out our impressions of this vehicle and many others in real-world use.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the Telluride drive? The Telluride is a satisfying SUV to drive. Its V6 engine is responsive, though outright acceleration is ultimately average for a three-row SUV. In zzdcar' testing, our Telluride test vehicle sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, which is similar to the acceleration of the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade. The brakes are strong and can bring the Telluride to a halt in a hurry. We recorded consistent stops from 60 mph in 123 feet, which is a bit shorter than average for the class. The brakes are also easy to control for consistent and smooth stops on the street.

　　The steering is light at parking lot speeds and weights up naturally in turns. The Telluride is stable when going around turns and doesn't exhibit excessive body roll. We also like that the engine's fuel-saving stop-start feature works smoothly and quietly. Transmission upshifts can be a little rough under hard acceleration, and the transmission can hunt around on certain grades, but these are pretty small concerns overall.

　　

Comfort

9.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Telluride? The Telluride is quite comfortable. The seats are supportive and nicely contoured, with almost pillow-like headrests. Outside noise barely works its way inside, making for a luxury-car-quiet cabin even at freeway speeds. Engine noise is present, but it's never unpleasant or intrusive. For a three-row SUV, the Telluride is generally smooth-riding, although it can get a little rough over uneven pavement. The off-road-oriented X-Pro turns out to be great on pavement as well, providing another layer of ride comfort and insulation from potholes and road seams.

　　The climate control system is easy to use and properly regulates temperature in all three rows. While the seat heating and ventilation aren't the strongest on the market, it's nice to see them available for both first- and second-row passengers.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below