I’m considering the Telluride for my growing family. I know many of you might have gone through the same decision process between the Telluride, Palisade, or Honda Pilot. What made you choose the Kia? Is the recall issue something I should be worried about?
We picked the Telluride over the Pilot because it felt more complete. The Pilot seemed too basic, and the interior felt outdated.
I have a Model 3, and my wife wanted a Sorrento to replace her Outback. After test-driving the Sorrento, it felt too small. The Telluride felt just right for our family (5 kids). Initially, I wasn’t expecting much, but after a 4000-mile road trip, I was impressed. It has better tech than my Tesla. I’m a fan now.
The Pilot seemed boring to me. The interior felt old, and the exterior was too generic. Some people may like that, but it didn’t appeal to me, especially at that price. The Telluride and Palisade are similar but with different styles. The Telluride has a rugged look, while the Palisade seems like a hearse to me. The interior in the Telluride is almost perfect, and it has so many features for the price.
The Pilot felt too bulky to drive, and the third row in the Highlander didn’t fit my youngest. The Grand Highlander is much more expensive. I tried the Subaru Ascent, but it felt underpowered. The Telluride fit our needs perfectly: it has a middle bench, space for tall people in the back, good gas mileage, and some nice tech. The 10-year warranty is a big bonus. Just keep up with maintenance.
Check out Consumer Reports. The Pilot isn’t rated as highly. I own a Pilot but am switching to the Telluride.
I test drove both the Palisade and the Telluride. The Telluride felt so much better. The Palisade was nice, but it felt like a minivan. The Telluride felt more modern, and the tech is fantastic. The shifter was a big factor for me too. I could never get used to the buttons in the Palisade. My last car had a shift knob, which I preferred over the buttons.
The Palisade didn’t offer a bench seat in the configuration we wanted. I think the Telluride looks better and feels sportier. It also holds a lot of stuff for its size. The Pilot looks outdated, even after its recent refresh. Coming from an old Odyssey, the Pilot felt too similar. Regarding the recall issue, all cars have recalls, but with Kia’s 100k-mile warranty, I feel covered for the long haul.
@Johnstone
I agree with your points. Just a small correction: you can get a bench seat in the Palisade, but it’s available in limited trims. You can find leftover 2024 SELPremium models with the bench seat in the southeast USA. Best of luck .
We were deciding between the Telluride, Kia Carnival, and a few other minivans. My wife hates minivans, but the Telluride had everything we needed, except for extra trunk space. It also has AWD, which is important for us in the northern Midwest. The Telluride also has great towing capacity. We got the SX X-Pro trim with lots of features, including the tow package. I’ve owned several brands, but the Telluride is by far the nicest car I’ve had.
I didn’t like the look of the Palisade, so I ruled it out. The Pilot didn’t come with a 360 camera in the mid trims, which was a dealbreaker for me. If the Touring trim had it, I might have considered it.
The Telluride has a more refined and modern interior. The third row is usable for adults, and Consumer Reports reviews are solid. The Pilot just felt plain to us, and my wife said the Palisade looks like an older person’s luxury vehicle.
I ruled out the Palisade because it didn’t have power folding exterior mirrors.
I did a lot of research on all these SUVs, and the Telluride offers the best value. Consumer Reports has rated it as a top SUV for multiple years. It’s a refined ride that feels almost like a luxury vehicle, but at a much lower price.
I looked at so many options, from Audi to Benz to Suburban to Hyundai to VW. I liked the body styles of some of the others, but the Kia impressed me with its features and interior. We chose the top trim, the Prestige package, and it’s loaded with features. The Kia might not have the prestige of a Benz or Audi, but for the price, it’s the best SUV. It’s definitely a great vehicle even if it doesn’t have the brand recognition.
It really comes down to personal choice. All the vehicles will do the job for a growing family. The Honda Pilot just felt boring to me, with its cheap interior. The Hyundai Palisade looks nice but has some flaws, like not having the features I wanted. The Telluride feels like a perfect blend of style, space, and value.