What options are worth getting?

[chrispy]

Hi all, I am going to talk to the dealer tommarrow on the EX trim. What option should I look into and stay away from?

 

[PittPa]

Look into SX trim, stay away from EX trim.

 

[andybob]

I have a 2021 S model, my parents had a 2020 EX premium model and just traded it for an SX Prestige Nightfall model.

After spending time in all 3, the 2021 EX Premium seems like a great value. Better front and rear exterior lighting, built in Nav, cooled front seats, partial leather, power lift gate, etc.

I have a bit of buyers remorse with my S, I wish we had gone EX premium, but the S was available much sooner and better fit our finances. For what it’s worth, the Nightfall package looks really sharp in person, especially the wheels.

 

[andybob]

Look into SX trim, stay away from EX trim.

There is definitely some weight in this. A base model SX isn’t far off from an EX premium model.

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[PittPa]

There is definitely some weight in this. A base model SX isn’t far off from an EX premium model.

Joking aside, most reviews state that the SX trim gives a lot for the money. I realize that many have price points they are looking at and I am respectful of this. I went from looking at an X5 so anything that was offered in the Telluride seemed a great bargain compared to a $80,000 X5. I was hoping they had even more options! Good luck.

 

[Arnold_Trollzenegger]

I have a 2021 S model, my parents had a 2020 EX premium model and just traded it for an SX Prestige Nightfall model.

After spending time in all 3, the 2021 EX Premium seems like a great value. Better front and rear exterior lighting, built in Nav, cooled front seats, partial leather, power lift gate, etc.

I have a bit of buyers remorse with my S, I wish we had gone EX premium, but the S was available much sooner and better fit our finances. For what it’s worth, the Nightfall package looks really sharp in person, especially the wheels.

The wife and I bought an EX Premium back in December. We began our search looking at the S until we realized it didn’t have a power lift gate, which was quite surprising given the price. So we moved to the EX and we got the premium package because we still wanted captains chairs, but IMO the LED headlights have been incredible and nearly justify the cost of the premium package by themselves. I will never buy another car without LED headlights. Although, I would recommend springing the extra $2K or $3K for the base SX, if possible. We had a hard ceiling budget-wise and didn’t want to stretch for an SX (especially since we started our search looking at the S trim) but I do recognize the price difference between an EX Premium and an SX is not that large and if someone can move up without issue they probably should. The SX offers a ton of features for the money.

Also, to my knowledge the EX has full leather seats, with the exception of the third row, which is synthetic. I think the SX has synthetic leather in the third row though too.

 

[andybob]

The wife and I bought an EX Premium back in December. We began our search looking at the S until we realized it didn’t have a power lift gate, which was quite surprising given the price. So we moved to the EX and we got the premium package because we still wanted captains chairs, but IMO the LED headlights have been incredible and nearly justify the cost of the premium package by themselves. I will never buy another car without LED headlights. Although, I would recommend springing the extra $2K or $3K for the base SX, if possible. We had a hard ceiling budget-wise and didn’t want to stretch for an SX (especially since we started our search looking at the S trim) but I do recognize the price difference between an EX Premium and an SX is not that large and if someone can move up without issue they probably should. The SX offers a ton of features for the money.

Also, to my knowledge the EX has full leather seats, with the exception of the third row, which is synthetic. I think the SX has synthetic leather in the third row though too.

The OEM LED headlights (EX-P/SX) are pretty darn good. My old vehicle (fully loaded Focus ST) had adaptive Xenon lights and as soon as we got our Telluride S I upgraded to LED bulbs as the halogens were certainly abysmal at best. The aftermarket LED’s are good, but not as good as the factory lights that come on the EX-P and SX models. I may one day upgrade to the higher model lights (it’s about a $1000 upgrade to buy the lights and harness front member on here), but it would be well worth it. I also think the yellow daytime running lights are very sharp.

I did price out a Palisade SEL with convenience package to a Telluride S and the Palisade is a smidge more and does have a power lift gate. I do think the Telluride is a much better looking vehicle though which is why we purchased ours compared to the Hyundai counterpart.

 

[chrispy]

Thank you all for the feed back. I was going go with the EX-P Trim, but now you guys got me considering SX Base. All depends on what I can afford. Besides the Trim, What are the other options should I consider?.

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[andybob]

Other than a tow package, I can’t think of any other major options. Most other options are mud guards, floor mats, illuminated scuff plates, etc.

There are many threads on here about mud guards and floor mats. I have not purchased mud guards for our vehicle yet, but WeatherTech mats went in the car as soon as we got home from the dealer.

Overall, Kia does a good job adding options as standard equipment into the different models (LX, S, EX, and SX). Basically the higher the trim you go, the more standard equipment (and less options) you have.

 

[Kao]

I purchased the complete set of floor mats for my car from Smart Liner and had them waiting as soon as it arrived. I chose Smart Liners because they have one solid liner piece for the second and third row floors completely covering the space between the Captain's chairs. (Shaped like the capital letter "I") Two piece liners allow for fluids to spill on the carpet beneath. Also the Smart Liners fit perfectly snug, are easy to remove for hosing and cost about 2/3 what Weather Tech costs. The tan colored liners are almost a perfect match for the Nappa Dune Leather and look sharp against the black interior. You can specify the 8 seater (bench) 2nd row if you don't need coverage between Captain's Chairs.

As for trim level, if your budget allowed for it, I'd spring for the SX Prestige. I needed the towing option for a boat and having the 360 degree overhead camera is a great feature. Did I "need" a heated steering wheel? No! But after having one, I will never buy another car without one. This car is the best car you will ever own, so get everything you want, that you are able to afford. Just my 2¢...

 

[2020Telly]

Thank you all for the feed back. I was going go with the EX-P Trim, but now you guys got me considering SX Base. All depends on what I can afford. Besides the Trim, What are the other options should I consider?.

In my opinion, any option that will delay your allocation and delivery is not worth getting added. The EX-Premium or the SX non-prestige come pretty well equipped. There are aftermarket crossbars and really nice aftermarket all weather mats that function better than the Kia OEM ones for less. If you can get the Tow Hitch with Harness Option for $500 or less and dealer installed it might make sense if you plan to carry a hitch mounted bicycle rack or do any towing. Although the Kia website suggests it is coming soon. In my opinion the Towing Package is not worth it and could delay your delivery. It adds more expensive rear suspension components that have a questionable towing benefit and better aftermarket options will be available soon enough. I got mine with the Kia cargo net, folding cargo tray, carpeted floor mats and the roof crossbars. I didn't think I would like the cargo net and folder cargo tray, but I find them actually pretty useful when used together and the third row is folded down. The cargo net also lets me hold bags and luggage in so I can close the liftgate.

 

[Kao]

I would completely disagree with you on the self leveling suspension with the Towing package. If you're just
hauling a bike, an aftermarket tow hitch from U-haul is fine to add on. But if towing an 18 foot boat (3400 pounds), 200 hp motor and trailer, the suspension package is a must have. People who don't haul this kind of weight for a boat or teardrop style trailer, aren't the best to take advice from. That said, you can buy aftermarket suspension shocks to add on, but you can't just tow 5000 pounds with an aftermarket tow hitch.

As for a cargo net, nice gadget, but you can buy that for $10 at Target or any auto parts store. Don't get suckered by the $50 options one you pay Kia when you order it thru them.

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[2020Telly]

I would completely disagree with you on the self leveling suspension with the Towing package. If you're just
hauling a bike, an aftermarket tow hitch from U-haul is fine to add on. But if towing an 18 foot boat (3400 pounds), 200 hp motor and trailer, the suspension package is a must have. People who don't haul this kind of weight for a boat or teardrop style trailer, aren't the best to take advice from. That said, you can buy aftermarket suspension shocks to add on, but you can't just tow 5000 pounds with an aftermarket tow hitch.

As for a cargo net, nice gadget, but you can buy that for $10 at Target or any auto parts store. Don't get suckered by the $50 options one you pay Kia when you order it thru them.

Here's my justification:

• The Kia Tow Hitch sits higher than the aftermarket ones, so that makes it better to me for hauling a bike vs the various options from Curt, Reese and Stealth that sit below the bumper.
• The self-leveling suspension adds comfort when hauling passengers and hundreds of pounds of cargo by giving you a less stiff coil springs and special more expensive shocks that are more prone to failure.
• As for towing with the self-leveling suspension you have to drive down the road for it to activate and you need a downward force on the axle (which is hard to do with only a couple hundred pounds on the hitch) to have the suspension activate, then when you park it sags again. But most people don't tow without carrying passengers and cargo and at some point after about 500 lbs of cargo and passengers the self-leveling shocks have a tougher time activating. There will be better shocks and you can get air bags to perform the same function and have more control.
• The self-leveling shocks are sold as a convenience feature in the Palisade and as a comfort option on Tellurides sold in Canada and the Middle East. That does tell me that it's not really a towing benefit. Towing a boat or a teardrop style trailer you will not see a benefit if you are expect the rear to rise back to drive height and it will cost you more to replace in the long run. If you have to upgrade to a WDH you can't as easily configure the drive height if the self-leveling shocks aren't activated while parked, so it gets more complicated to configure the WDH.
• I thought the cargo net was going to be a waste, but it came on my window sticker so I had to buy it. Then I realized it fits the Telluride rear cargo space perfectly and has three different configurations and I find myself using it all the time. So I'm just giving my opinion, if it comes with the order, it might be a nice surprise. Example 1, Example 2

But if you want to take pictures with your boat attached and parked and measure the wheel well, then drive down the road for 8-10 miles and remeasure you might prove me wrong that the suspension did what you think it did.

 

[chrispy]

Thank you all for the input, it has been most helpful. Going to order in a couple of month. Going to get car mats thru weather tech and a trailer hitch for bikes. Might get the cargo liner thru Kia unless I can find another company that makes one that flips. Any other upgrades you guys recommend?

 

[PittPa]

Thank you all for the input, it has been most helpful. Going to order in a couple of month. Going to get car mats thru weather tech and a trailer hitch for bikes. Might get the cargo liner thru Kia unless I can find another company that makes one that flips. Any other upgrades you guys recommend?

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[Kao]

I answer

Here's my justification:

• The Kia Tow Hitch sits higher than the aftermarket ones, so that makes it better to me for hauling a bike vs the various options from Curt, Reese and Stealth that sit below the bumper.
• The self-leveling suspension adds comfort when hauling passengers and hundreds of pounds of cargo by giving you a less stiff coil springs and special more expensive shocks that are more prone to failure.
• As for towing with the self-leveling suspension you have to drive down the road for it to activate and you need a downward force on the axle (which is hard to do with only a couple hundred pounds on the hitch) to have the suspension activate, then when you park it sags again. But most people don't tow without carrying passengers and cargo and at some point after about 500 lbs of cargo and passengers the self-leveling shocks have a tougher time activating. There will be better shocks and you can get air bags to perform the same function and have more control.
• The self-leveling shocks are sold as a convenience feature in the Palisade and as a comfort option on Tellurides sold in Canada and the Middle East. That does tell me that it's not really a towing benefit. Towing a boat or a teardrop style trailer you will not see a benefit if you are expect the rear to rise back to drive height and it will cost you more to replace in the long run. If you have to upgrade to a WDH you can't as easily configure the drive height if the self-leveling shocks aren't activated while parked, so it gets more complicated to configure the WDH.
• I thought the cargo net was going to be a waste, but it came on my window sticker so I had to buy it. Then I realized it fits the Telluride rear cargo space perfectly and has three different configurations and I find myself using it all the time. So I'm just giving my opinion, if it comes with the order, it might be a nice surprise. Example 1, Example 2

But if you want to take pictures with your boat attached and parked and measure the wheel well, then drive down the road for 8-10 miles and remeasure you might prove me wrong that the suspension did what you think it did.

That's exactly what it does. When I put my boat in the hitch, the back sinks so low I can't see the too of the year tire because it is hidden up in the rear panel. After rolling about 1500 feet down the road at about 25 mph, the rear has raised itself back up and the tire is visible and suspension is leveled out. Does just what it is supposed to do!! It does not take 10 miles to level out. It's clear you haven't seen it work. But that's why we all have options to buy what we want.

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[2020Telly]

I answer

That's exactly what it does. When I put my boat in the hitch, the back sinks so low I can't see the too of the year tire because it is hidden up in the rear panel. After rolling about 1500 feet down the road at about 25 mph, the rear has raised itself back up and the tire is visible and suspension is leveled out. Does just what it is supposed to do!! It does not take 10 miles to level out. It's clear you haven't seen it work. But that's why we all have options to buy what we want.

That’s great to hear! I have seen it work on cruiser motorcycles and Volvo station wagons. But I don’t see this as worth the money over good aftermarket options. Leveling the ride is nice for the headlight angle but for towing you want to level and distribute. As soon as someone tries to tow a pontoon boat and breaks the rear axle because they thought the tow package would distribute load they will learn the hard way.

I’m curious, when you tow your boat do you have any weight in the rear or are you carrying passengers? I’m thinking if you do that is what is activating the shocks not the hitch weight. I’m wondering if you tow with no weight directly over the shocks, will the shocks level? Essentially the issue I have is that these self-leveling shocks may make it easier to ignore when you have exceeded the rear GAWR to a new person towing not familiar with weight distribution and cargo management until it becomes a disaster.

With my standard shocks the coil springs are stiffer and the shocks are less forgiving so when I tow or hang cargo in a basket off the hitch, while the rear sags, I never have it go lower than the top of the tire. If you ever end up towing something with more hitch weight and require a WDH it may be more complicated to configure because of that sag when parked that you get from the Mando self-leveling shocks. That’s what makes the standard shocks easier to configure with a WDH, the parked height is the same as drive height, so as you adjust the WDH to distribute the weight you are getting back to level when parked the same as when you drive off. I believe aftermarket option will be able to get you back to full drive height while the Mando self-leveling help to a point, I don’t know that they ever get you back to max height while driving like an air bag or air shock might.

As many on this forum know I have no problem changing my mind if someone shows the math and physics.

I have changed my mind on topics by discussing with other forum members.

• I was a staunch LED retrofit proponent then I realized after a thread discussion that it was more about the whiter light and good halogens are an improvement over stock just as good as LED for less.
• I had no idea how a Telluride could tow a horse trailer like the marketing suggests, but then another forum member who bought a Telluride to tow his horse trailer showed me the specs for his ultra lightweight horse trailer that fit the Telluride specs.
• I was very skeptical of Nokian’s all weather being anything more than marketing fluff to sell all seasons, then another forum member discussion resulted in me changing my mind about all weathers.

But I’m still not sold on three things:

• AWD is not a safety feature like some are led to believe. In fact in bad weather they accelerate faster which should mean they should have better braking or handling but they don’t over FWD. AWD is a performance feature not safety.
• The RES screens, not worth the $1,500 and is old tech.
• The tow package on the Telluride is extremely lacking and misrepresents what is needed to safely tow and the guidance from Kia is missing.

 

[Wiluride]

Any options you feel are in your budget and that you desire.

Personally I would not buy a SUV without AWD... For me, the two are synonymous with one another.

I'd have bought the tow package if one without it hadn't been sitting on the lot 10 minutes from my house.

For the most part the white S AWD model I bought was exactly close enough to perfect for me, and it being right there on the lot, I bought it.

I would have liked real leather with the captains chairs, but would have had to move up to EX Premium AWD to get that... and would have cost me like $3500 more, and I would have had to wait for it to be built... so it just didn't seem worth it to me just to get real leather seats

 

[chrispy]

The processing has officially started. After reviewing the numbers over and over again, it made sense for me to get the EX and a couple of options. Of course Rhode Island 7% sales tax had a help in my decision. The dealer I am ordering from does not go over MSRP. Don't wait if you are going to order. The dealer thinks they will stop production on the 2021 in mid June.

 

[DarkMossJustin]

That’s great to hear! I have seen it work on cruiser motorcycles and Volvo station wagons. But I don’t see this as worth the money over good aftermarket options. Leveling the ride is nice for the headlight angle but for towing you want to level and distribute. As soon as someone tries to tow a pontoon boat and breaks the rear axle because they thought the tow package would distribute load they will learn the hard way.

I’m curious, when you tow your boat do you have any weight in the rear or are you carrying passengers? I’m thinking if you do that is what is activating the shocks not the hitch weight. I’m wondering if you tow with no weight directly over the shocks, will the shocks level? Essentially the issue I have is that these self-leveling shocks may make it easier to ignore when you have exceeded the rear GAWR to a new person towing not familiar with weight distribution and cargo management until it becomes a disaster.

With my standard shocks the coil springs are stiffer and the shocks are less forgiving so when I tow or hang cargo in a basket off the hitch, while the rear sags, I never have it go lower than the top of the tire. If you ever end up towing something with more hitch weight and require a WDH it may be more complicated to configure because of that sag when parked that you get from the Mando self-leveling shocks. That’s what makes the standard shocks easier to configure with a WDH, the parked height is the same as drive height, so as you adjust the WDH to distribute the weight you are getting back to level when parked the same as when you drive off. I believe aftermarket option will be able to get you back to full drive height while the Mando self-leveling help to a point, I don’t know that they ever get you back to max height while driving like an air bag or air shock might.

As many on this forum know I have no problem changing my mind if someone shows the math and physics.

I have changed my mind on topics by discussing with other forum members.

• I was a staunch LED retrofit proponent then I realized after a thread discussion that it was more about the whiter light and good halogens are an improvement over stock just as good as LED for less.
• I had no idea how a Telluride could tow a horse trailer like the marketing suggests, but then another forum member who bought a Telluride to tow his horse trailer showed me the specs for his ultra lightweight horse trailer that fit the Telluride specs.
• I was very skeptical of Nokian’s all weather being anything more than marketing fluff to sell all seasons, then another forum member discussion resulted in me changing my mind about all weathers.

But I’m still not sold on three things:

• AWD is not a safety feature like some are led to believe. In fact in bad weather they accelerate faster which should mean they should have better braking or handling but they don’t over FWD. AWD is a performance feature not safety.
• The RES screens, not worth the $1,500 and is old tech.
• The tow package on the Telluride is extremely lacking and misrepresents what is needed to safely tow and the guidance from Kia is missing.

AWD is totally a performance feature and I’m happy with its performance so far.

I’m used to RWD cars and since Telly came in FWD or FWD-biased AWD, I wanted more push from the rear wheels in Sport Mode and went for it. Not sure if “Lock” made anything safer on my trip to the mountains in a blizzard, as I try to use general best practices for winter/mountain driving and probably should have put on some better tires like Blizzaks for maximum safety.

RES?

Has anyone purchased this option? Photos?

The so-called “Tow package”:

I try not to call it a tow package and clarify that it’s two things: a factory-mounted OEM trailer hitch receiver + Mando self-leveling shocks that’s more a ride comfort feature and for leveling-out sag from heavier loads. ZF Sachs claims a towing benefit on their promo video but doesn’t go into details so who knows where they were even going with that. It’s basically mentioned in passing and not emphasized.

Usually, it’s easiest just to refer people to the towing safety discussion where mostly you and some others emphasized and stressed the numerous considerations for safe towing: weight distribution, tongue weight, stress on axles, etc.

Since not all Telly owners dive deep into the discussions here,
I think it would be smart if Kia Motors America included a small printed information guide, perhaps a laminated quick-reference card with illustrations and warnings/recommendations specifically addressing towing best practices, perhaps included in the storage well so that new Telly owners can easily find, read and access this info before towing anything?