Little nits just for fun.

[BasilFawlty]

There isn't a lot not to like about the Telluride - it's hands down the best all around car I've owned, but there are a few minor nits (very minor) I have with it so far after 2 months of ownership:
1. I wish the speaker grills on the doors were metal mesh instead of plastic (they don't look bad, but I mean...plastic grills on a Harmon Karden system).
2. The little cubby door where the phone charger is located doesn't have a good tactile feel - it's mushy. I'd like to have it with a more deliberate click upon closing / opening.
3. The navigation system directions don't tell you which side of the road your destination is on. It just says "your destination is ahead." I have an older Garmin NUVI dash-top GPS that tells you "your destination is ahead on the right, etc."
4. The image quality of the rear camera, with the very weak reverse lights, is marginal at best. (I plan to install the stronger LED lights mentioned in this forum).
5. The glove box could be bigger. If you keep the manual in the glove box there isn't room for much else.

Like I said - these are minor nits, not significant complaints. Do you have any minor nits?

 

[KML]

6) When you use the Kia Access to remote start, the custom climate temperature settings should include the seat heaters/coolers. This was automatic with my old Acadia based on the outside temperature. Guess the designers never sat on a car seat when it's -10F outside (-20C for my fellow Canadian's).
7) Allow numbers to be added to the NAV address book. Also agree with #3 above.
8) Adjust steering wheel controls for the radio stations / CarPlay to correct up as "next" and down as "previous" - not the other way around.
9) Add a battery monitor icon with volts and/or percentage - this vehicle sure does suck back power when it's turned off for a few days.
10) Improve front wipers. Yesterday was a cold day and I applied windshield fluid and the passenger blades barely removed any of the liquid - had to stop and clear the blade before you could see out the windshield.

 

[szillaxl]

I would like maybe a little more comfortable drivers seat and one of those compasses in the rearview mirror or on the instrument cluster that displays N, NW, S, SE, E etc

 

[BasilFawlty]

I would like maybe a little more comfortable drivers seat and one of those compasses in the rearview mirror or on the instrument cluster that displays N, NW, S, SE, E etc

My 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe had a similar self-dimming rear view mirror with the home link buttons - but it had a digital display that did just as you describe - showes N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW to give you a sense of which general direction you were headed. Just a nice touch and not sure why this mirror doesn't have this.

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[Tellthemride]

6) When you use the Kia Access to remote start, the custom climate temperature settings should include the seat heaters/coolers. This was automatic with my old Acadia based on the outside temperature. Guess the designers never sat on a car seat when it's -10F outside (-20C for my fellow Canadian's).

It does for AWD SXP, which it looks like you should have based on your sig.

Setup > Vehicle > Seat > Heated/Ventilated Features > Auto Controls That Use Climate Control Settings.

Auto heated and ventilated front seats on telluride SX

one of those compasses in the rearview mirror or on the instrument cluster that displays N, NW, S, SE, E etc

It does exist on the instrument cluster as well as a widget option for the head unit.

 

[szillaxl]

It does exist on the instrument cluster as well as a widget option for the head unit.

No that's a full compass that takes up a whole pannel Iike to see my speed or traction on the instrument cluster and same with the infotainment system

 

[BasilFawlty]

No that's a full compass that takes up a whole pannel Iike to see my speed or traction on the instrument cluster and same with the infotainment system

Ditto. If you had a simple direction indicator in the mirror (like my 13 year old Santa Fe) then it would be a simple way to quickly know your rough heading without having to fill up the center screen or infotainment system with a full compass.

 

[Othee6lool]

This is going to sound silly but one small nit to pick is that when you roll down the window when it is sleeting or snowing the water gets funneled right into the car down onto the controls in the armrest. When I it snowing I like to put the defroster full blast on hot but then it is too hot in the car so I roll the windows down a little. I do that in my silverado and water doesn't really come inside much.

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[BasilFawlty]

This is going to sound silly but one small nit to pick is that when you roll down the window when it is sleeting or snowing the water gets funneled right into the car down onto the controls in the armrest. When I it snowing I like to put the defroster full blast on hot but then it is too hot in the car so I roll the windows down a little. I do that in my silverado and water doesn't really come inside much.

I wonder if those window rain guard things would help?

 

[bags]

There isn't a lot not to like about the Telluride - it's hands down the best all around car I've owned, but there are a few minor nits (very minor) I have with it so far after 2 months of ownership:
1. I wish the speaker grills on the doors were metal mesh instead of plastic (they don't look bad, but I mean...plastic grills on a Harmon Karden system).
2. The little cubby door where the phone charger is located doesn't have a good tactile feel - it's mushy. I'd like to have it with a more deliberate click upon closing / opening.
3. The navigation system directions don't tell you which side of the road your destination is on. It just says "your destination is ahead." I have an older Garmin NUVI dash-top GPS that tells you "your destination is ahead on the right, etc."
4. The image quality of the rear camera, with the very weak reverse lights, is marginal at best. (I plan to install the stronger LED lights mentioned in this forum).
5. The glove box could be bigger. If you keep the manual in the glove box there isn't room for much else.

Like I said - these are minor nits, not significant complaints. Do you have any minor nits?

I think you hit these items spot on the head. I'm a bit less opinionated on #1 as I have an EX, which does not include the HK speakers.

I'd nitpick on not having wireless Apple CarPlay / Andriod Auto without an aftermarket accessory. It is a waste to have wireless charging in specific trim levels, but still have to plug your phone in to access the CarPlay features.

 

[Wolf27]

1) ISG (auto start/stop) being defaulted in the ON position every time and having to manually turn it off every time you start the car is 100% the biggest gripe I have with this car. Every other car I’ve been in that has had it was off and selectable either by a button or a menu setting. And yes, I know the workaround, and the turning of it off is 2nd nature 3 weeks in, but it is dumb to not have it default off, or remember the last setting the last time the vehicle was on.

Below is really just me being petty or overly critical about the car, and really aren’t anything, but for the sake of being pedantic in this safe space, here it goes:

2) Fog lights can’t be on with just the running lights. This isn’t as huge of a deal but I do like the look during the day of having more lights on without the actual headlights themselves. How it is now is pretty common and I’ve usually gone snip snip on my past cars’ wiring to make it happen, doubt I’ll do it here.

3) wireless Apple CarPlay would definitely be nice but not at all a deal breaker or an inconvenience in my eyes.

4) lack of power folding 3rd row seat controls is kinda lame. I get it for maybe an LX through even EX, but on an SX-Prestige, this should be a feature. Wasn’t a deal breaker but by the time you layer in Nightfall and Wolf Gray on my particular car, this isn’t a “cheap” 3-row SUV anymore and these small non-available features will need to be added over the lifetime of the model to really cement itself as a top dog in the category and keep pinching above its weight class.

5) Dealing with Kia dealerships. K900, Stinger, Telluride, are huge steps up from what Kia has built in the past and is attracting a different customer than a base model Rio, and at the risk of sounding way too self absorbed, I feel I should be treated a bit better and doted on a little more, considering I dropped right around $60k with MSRP + TTL and Arizona’s horrid registration costs. I dealt with this with Hyundai in a past life having their halo Genesis Coupe, and my dad had an Equus. The sales and service experience was still that of buying a cheap econocar and that nearly turned us away from the telluride. I’m not asking to be treated like I’m buying a McLaren or a special ordered Urus, but I do think to really convert the entry level luxury buyers they need to have a little more white glove approach like the new Genesis dealers are FINALLY learning.
Obviously, this is very subjective to individual dealerships and not a corporate issue on the whole, and can vary wildly between dealers and even sales staff, but I was treated better buying my USED corvette at a Chevy dealership than I was with the telluride. Kinda dreading the first service experience to be honest.

6) The gosh darn windshield, man. I knew what we were getting into after scouring this forum but good god, day 4 we have a quarter sized snowflake crack just off driver view. Repairable for sure, and covered under my insurance, but still and inconvenience and disappointment. 135k on the Ford this replaced and had 2 small chips in it (aside from the usual small pitting).

But, good god is it a good looking car, for its price, and really at almost any price point.

 

[qwikhit]

Imagine having it default to on and no way to turn it off

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[Wolf27]

Imagine having it default to on and no way to turn it off

If they could figure out a way to not kick the AC compressor off with it, wouldn’t be a huge deal for me. But when the air blows warm after sitting at a light for 40 seconds when it’s 120* here, not gonna happen!

 

[bruesjoh04]

If they could figure out a way to not kick the AC compressor off with it, wouldn’t be a huge deal for me. But when the air blows warm after sitting at a light for 40 seconds when it’s 120* here, not gonna happen!

That would require some heavy redesigning or developing some sort of mild hybrid system seeing that the compressor is typically run by the engine.

Good news for you is the ISG system does not kick in above 95°, so you won’t even have to deal with it for large chunks of the year in lots of the AZ desert.

 

[Tellthemride]

If they could figure out a way to not kick the AC compressor off with it, wouldn’t be a huge deal for me. But when the air blows warm after sitting at a light for 40 seconds when it’s 120* here, not gonna happen!

Even if we could increase fan speed when ISG kicks in too. I don’t like how the default fan speed is so low with the engine off.

 

[KML]

It does for AWD SXP, which it looks like you should have based on your sig.

Setup > Vehicle > Seat > Heated/Ventilated Features > Auto Controls That Use Climate Control Settings.

Auto heated and ventilated front seats on telluride SX


It does exist on the instrument cluster as well as a widget option for the head unit.

Thanks Tellthemride for the note on auto climate control for seats and steering well.

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[KML]

Thanks Tellthemride for the note on auto climate control for seats and steering well.

FYI - I'm very happy that the seat heater automatically turns on now that I set it correctly (thanks again Telltheride), but my wife (the passenger) is not happy at all as only the driver seat turns on automatically

 

[BasilFawlty]

FYI - I'm very happy that the seat heater automatically turns on now that I set it correctly (thanks again Telltheride), but my wife (the passenger) is not happy at all as only the driver seat turns on automatically

Yeah, what’s up with only the driver seat turning on automatically? I’ve noticed that too.

 

[BasilFawlty]

I think you hit these items spot on the head. I'm a bit less opinionated on #1 as I have an EX, which does not include the HK speakers.

I'd nitpick on not having wireless Apple CarPlay / Andriod Auto without an aftermarket accessory. It is a waste to have wireless charging in specific trim levels, but still have to plug your phone in to access the CarPlay features.

Yeah, I forgot about not having wireless care play. It sucks to have to plug my phone in to get ACP. You can buy a little dongle to turn the center USB port into wireless. But for $50k+ you shouldn’t have to do that!

 

[Tellthemride]

but my wife (the passenger) is not happy at all as only the driver seat turns on automatically

I know what you mean. I usually just flip it myself manually for her as soon as we get in. It warms up fast enough she hasn’t complained so far.