Her + His Car Reviews
2020 KIA Telluride SX V6 AWD
Our car reviews are innovative and interesting as we provide insightful and expert reviews from both Her + His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| $46,860 | Our test model with all-wheel drive, had a base of $43,490. With options, the price rose to $46,860. |
| Performance | |
| This new 2020 KIA Telluride with its V6 3.8 liter engine is super powerful advancing 291 horsepower at 6,000 rpm allowing for up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity. It is also very smooth and effective when accelerating on roads of various surfaces. This new crossroad, 3-row introduction is... impressive, in all categories. Though a bigger vehicle, handling of the 2020 Kia Telluride AWD V6 was direct and responsive in a precise manner. Driving this new introduction is beyond a delight; a standout of new introductions. |
Quite brisk, to be honest, with a 3.8 liter V6 and an eight speed automatic that is smooth as butter when shifting. No complaints about handling. It takes about a second to get used to how it drives--it's that familiar feeling and that accommodating. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| 24 highway miles/19 city miles and 21 combined miles | The Telluride does quite well in this area. Given how heavy it feels and how majestically it rides, it gets 21 miles per gallon overall, uses 4.8 gallons of gas to drive 100 miles, and gets 19 miles per gallon in the city and 24 on the highway. You will spend about $2,250 more in fuel costs over a five year period compared to similar vehicles, and your annual fuel cost will be $1,950 based on driving five years and 15,000 miles using gasoline that costs about $2.70 a gallon. |
| The Car | |
| What an exceptional introductory vehicle this 2020 Kia Telluride is. Most buyers, are cautious to purchase a new model in its first year of infancy, can throw caution to the wind with the Telluride, as it hits all the measures and checkboxes of a more mature model that has been on the market for years. The 2020 Telluride offers so very much and delivers a 10 out of 10 as a first year's model. Not being shy, and attempting to slice into sales of GMC, Chevrolet, Subaru Accent, Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot, the Kia Telluride will take sales away from each of these. Why? Because of KIA's design and marketing's formula to deliver outstanding value, performance, reputation (yes, reputation) and industry-strong warranty. |
Every year, auto riders and car geeks alike pick one car that stands out from every other, showering it with adoration, curiosity, and of course, clamoring to see it on the road whenever they can. This year, there are two--Chevy's awesome new mid-engine Corvette. And the one pictured above, the 2020 Kia Telluride SUV. You may not exactly clamor to see it on the road, after all--that honor belongs to sports cars, ultra-luxury models, and nearly one of a kind exotic.
But never mind all that. We can honestly say the Telluride is "all that" and a bag of chips so to speak. It's a joy to drive, a piece of loveliness to behold and a revelation in which to ride, and one heck of a bargain for a SUV that is way, way ahead of anything it competes with in its market segment, and a product that will give many a luxury SUV a run for its money. When you get behind the wheel, you are absolutely swathed with luxury accoutrements like quilted leather seats, a dashboard that looks terribly expensive, and gauges and controls that are right at the top of its price class. It is tomb quiet, handles as though it was born for curves and straightaways, and is plenty roomy all around. I honestly could not find a single thing to fault--and I really looked! |
| Safety | |
| Driver and Passenger Air Bags, Front & Rear Head Air Bags, Front Side Air Bags, 4-Wheel ABS, Four Wheel Disc Brakes, Daytime Running Lights, ESC, Child Safety Locks, Traction Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Integrated Turn Signals, Child Safety Lock.
Many other safety features listed under "Technology". Also, owners of this vehicle receive Roadside Assistance for 5 Years or 60,000; can use directly from your smartphone without having to make a call. |
Standard advanced safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, and a drowsy driver warning system. |
| Technology | |
| Advanced Technology is where this vehicle sets the Gold Standard. The SX has Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Collison Avoidance Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Parking Distance Warning Reverse, Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Rear Occupant Alert with Ultrasonic Sensors, Safe Exit Assist.
Smart Key with Push Button Start, Navigation with Enhanced UVO Link features includes 1 year services, AM/FM/with 10 inch Touchscreen and Rearview Camera, Android Auto and Apple Car Play, Smartphone integration, SiriusXM® radio with free 3-month subscription, Tri-Zone automatic climate control, 60/40 split folding 3rd row sears, Slide window curtains on rear doors. Front Power Tilt and Sliding Sunroof. Smart, Hands-free liftgate, Acoustic Front Windshields, Power Folding Heater Exterior Mirrors with Turn Signal Indicators. Wireless Phone Charger. Outstanding 10 Speaker Harmon/Kardon Sound System for all ears to hear sound everywhere and impeccably. Parking Distance Warning, Home Link universal learns your garage code for easy access, Rain-sending front windshield wipers. Surround View and Blind Sport Monitoring. |
The 2020 Kia Telluride is considered to be a midsize SUV, even though it looks quite a bit larger than that, and feels like it too until it gets underway, and then it can feel quite lively on the road. You can get it in seven or eight passenger configurations, and front wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive can be had as an option. It comes in LX, S, EX, and SX versions. You can only get one engine with it, and thankfully it's a darned good one-- a 3.8 liter V6 that produces 291 horsepower, 262 lb-ft of torque, and has an eight speed automatic transmission.
If you just have to have the very best, head straight to the Kia Telluride SX , our tester, which truly outdoes some luxury brands with what it offers you as standard equipment. While you get all the equipment I mentioned above for the lesser models, the SX adds LED headlights and foglights, dual sunroofs, front parking sensors, an upgraded driver information display, interior ambient lighting, driver-seat memory functions, the second-row captain's chairs, a surround-view parking camera system, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system. It also receives a blind-spot camera system, automatic high beams and a low-level automated highway driving system. An optional 5,000-pound towing capacity tow package with a self-leveling suspension is available for EX and SX trims. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| The 2020 Kia Telluride, which hold 8 passengers, has a super great squared, exterior frame; all supported with 20" black, finished alloy wheels. The interior is well maintained and uses well-anointed materials, all giving it an A-Plus feel. The dashboard is well-spaced with nothing trips on each other. The second row bench can easily be taken out for the very comfortable ride. This vehicle has power folding - and - sliding second row seats that make changing them effortless. Or, leave the captain's chairs in, for a ride of 7. Passengers enjoy the soft, nappa leather and adjustable front quilted heated and ventilated seats. Actually the 2nd seat are heated and ventilated, too - a really great feature for larger families. While the Telluride seats eight (sans the Captain's chairs), it secures 2 sets of LATCH car seat connectors. What sets this new introduction apart is space -space - space. It boasts twenty-one cubic feet of emptiness are behind the rear seats ready to be filled. When the 3rd row is folded, it allows for more than 45 cubic feet - quite a lot. Well done KIA. |
When seen from the side, the Telluride is dramatically different from all of its competitors with nice character lines along its flanks, some nifty expensive looking trim, and cool wheels, especially the black tinted ones. The front end isn't too bad, but it looks a bit too overworked and dazzling for my tastes. It needs to be a bit toned down, in my opinion. The rear end is distinctive too, but blends in a bit more with the rest of the product compared to the front end. But inside, wow! Everything you want and more, and it's very tastefully done, too. |
| Warranty | |
| 10 Year/100,000 Mile Limited Powertrain Warranty. 5 Year/60,000 Mile Basic Warranty. 5 Year/60,000 Mile Roadside Assistance. | The Telluride has a 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty, a five year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty, and a five year/60,000 mile roadside assistance plan. |
