Comparing the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Kia Telluride Isn’t Fair
The Jeep Wagoneer and Kia Telluride are two of the newer SUVs to hit the scene. They’re both great options to consider but don’t exactly compare apples to apples. The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer outranks the 2022 Kia Telluride as the best three-row SUV, but were they judged on a level playing field?
2022 Jeep Wagoneer vs. 2022 Kia Telluride
According to U.S.News, the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is the best three-row SUV. It outranks the 2022 Kia Telluride, which is in second place. The Telluride is actually in a three-way tie for the second spot with the 2022 Ford Expedition and 2022 Hyundai Palisade.
Each vehicle is assigned a score based on rankings provided by respected automotive critics. Information is based on published reviews from newspapers, websites, and magazines.
The critics’ score, performance, interior, safety, comfort, awards, tow rating, and reliability are used with a formula to assign a score between zero and 10 to each vehicle. The Wagoneer has an 8.8, and the Telluride has a 6.6.
But does basing the score on numbers turn a blind eye to some features? For example, the Kia Telluride starts at $33,390. Plus, it earned the title of Best Car for the Money and Best Car for the Family. The Wagoneer didn’t get these accolades and starts at $58,995.
What does the Wagoneer outrank the Telluride?
The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is the number one SUV because it provides a spacious, upscale interior and has a well-cushioned ride. It has many standard features, cutting-edge tech, tons of cargo space, and a refined V8 powertrain.
Although, the cons for the Wagoneer include its high starting price. Also, it can be ungainly to maneuver in tight spaces.
The 2022 Kia Telluride ranks highly because it has a spacious, high-quality interior, ample cargo space, intuitive tech, and a long list of standard features. However, the engine lacks power and acceleration.
With the Wagoneer, you get a 5.0-liter V8 engine with 392 hp and 404 lb-ft of torque. It’s assisted by a 48V mild hybrid system and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.1 seconds.
The Telluride comes with a 3.8-liter V6 engine that churns out 291 hp and 22 lb-ft of torque. It can reach 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds. Also, the Telluride can tow up to 5,000 lbs while the Wagoneer can tow up to 10,000 lbs.
Does the Wagoneer or Telluride have better features?
The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer has 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat with up to 116.7 cubes. The 2022 Kia Telluride provides 21.0 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and up to 87.0 cubes
You get a standard 10.1-inch infotainment screen with the Wagoneer and a 10.3-inch unit with the Telluride. Both have a digital gauge cluster and wireless phone charging pad. Plus, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. But the Wagonner offers Amazon FireTV and Alexa.
Both SUVs have automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot warning. But the Wagoneer also has standard adaptive cruise control.
The Wagoneer and Telluride are both spacious, high-quality, and comfortable options. But the Wagoneer has more space, power, capability, and a higher price tag. It’s almost unfair to have it in the same class.
