What Toyota Is Comparable to the Kia Telluride?
The Kia Telluride has come a long way since debuting in 2019. The Telluride has become the best midsize SUV option on the market in the eyes of many experts and consumers. It has dominated rankings from popular automotive publications. Toyota produces some of the best SUV models in the game. What Toyota SUV is comparable to the Kia Telluride?
What Toyota is comparable to a Kia Telluride?
The Toyota Highlander is the closest midsize SUV offering that the Japanese automaker has to the Kia Telluride. The Highlander is a seasoned nameplate that has earned a reputation for reliability and longevity.
The Toyota Highlander lasts significantly longer than many of its competitors. It can last for over 200,000 miles. That’s over 14 years of ownership for the average American driver. A well-maintained Highlander model can easily last for 17 years of ownership. That’s more than double the average new vehicle ownership period of 8.4 years.
When you think of the midsize SUV’s longevity, suddenly its value proposition seems much more appealing. The 2023 Toyota Highlander starts at $36,420. It uses a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine to make 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The Highlander achieves 22 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway.
Car and Driver praises the Highlander’s standard tech and upper trim level interiors. It comes in six different trim levels that offer different degrees of quality and capability. Toyota produces a hybrid version of the Highlander as well for drivers that want to save money on gas.
The 2023 Kia Telluride competes with the best in its class
The Kia Telluride has become popular because it offers great value for the money. Older Telluride model years were significantly more affordable than rivals and came with more luxurious standard features. The 2023 Telluride is more expensive than previous model years, but it still offers plenty of value, especially long-term.
The 2023 Kia Telluride starts at $35,890. It uses a 3.8-liter V6 engine to make 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The Telluride gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway.
The Kia Telluride is comfy and has an attractive exterior design. It’s loaded with great standard features like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, SynTex seat trim, and smart cruise control with stop-and-go. Normally these features are reserved for upper trim levels.
2023 Toyota Highlander vs. 2023 Kia Telluride
The Toyota Highlander costs just $530 more than the Telluride before taxes and fees, thanks to the Telluride’s recent price bump. The Kia Telluride produces more horses, but the Highlander makes plenty of torque. Toyota’s midsize SUV has slightly better fuel economy.
The Telluride may be more popular in rankings, but the Highlander is known to outlast rivals. So, if you want the better midsize SUV for the money long-term, a case can be made for the Highlander. If you would prefer to own your midsize SUV for closer to the average new vehicle ownership period (8.4 years), then the Telluride provides the better short-term ownership experience.
