We love the good quarter mile time, the impressive skidpad g, and the visceral feel of the turn-adjusted downshift. But we also know that most people, most of the time, are just huddling in the school drop-off line or toiling from stoplight to stoplight in a never-ending series of errands. As the family car of choice today, three-row SUVs are punished for most of their days doing this kind of errand, along with road trips, car pools, and the occasional cross-town move. It can be pretty mundane, but as Kia Telluride proves, your three-row SUV doesn’t have to be.
While Telluride is unlikely to find itself giving up Dragon Tail, the level of polish, well-considered design, level of equipment, and simple goodness enhance everyday life. Its 291-hp 3.8-liter V-6 rumbles smugly from beyond the firewall, the engine’s linear response coupled with a polite eight-speed automatic gearshift to provide effortless thrust. Its assembled chassis is expertly tuned for the task at hand. And if you want to live some of that SUV dream life, the Telluride frees itself with off-road capabilities—even more so this year with the arrival of standard hill descent control and slightly higher ground clearance for the X-Line and X-Pro trims.
When we had the 2020 Telluride out for a 40,000 mile test drive, we said, “Kia has built a Range Rover for the mid-range.” We don’t just mean in terms of exterior styling, interior execution, or a lengthy list of features, though the Telluride excels in all of those areas. We mean that Telluride as a whole is really class above. That’s how this Kia caught our attention despite being mired in what should be forgettable fields—and it’s what earned the Telluride its remarkable fourth Best of 10 win in a row.
The Telluride’s runaway sales success (and buyers showing a willingness to pay egregious dealer markups) has given Kia the go-ahead to raise prices, and it has. As a result, Telluride is no longer the bargain it was when it first appeared. But it still strikes us as a good value. But now the secret has been revealed.
