Mountain Driving

[Ski99]

From Road and Track: " If you’re hauling kiddos up to a ski slope regularly, or commuting in a mountainous city, this might be enough of an annoyance to aim your dollars elsewhere."

Do any of you have real world mountain driving experiences to share. I will be doing lots of mountain driving with the kids and wanted to see if there were other data points other than the article above.

 

[Aeroguy]

In February, just before all the COVID restrictions hit us, I took my SXP across the border and up into British Columbia for a long weekend of skiing at Whistler. No issues at all and we handled all the roads, some with ice and snow, easily. Very comfortable ride. Would take it into even higher elevations in an instant.

 

[critrider]

From Road and Track: " If you’re hauling kiddos up to a ski slope regularly, or commuting in a mountainous city, this might be enough of an annoyance to aim your dollars elsewhere."

Do any of you have real world mountain driving experiences to share. I will be doing lots of mountain driving with the kids and wanted to see if there were other data points other than the article above.

I live around 1500 ft elevation but spend a lot of time @7-8000ft. Its for sure noticeable. The general rule of thump is around 3% HP loss for every 1000 ft elevation for NA engines. If you plan on towing something maybe allow for that HP loss. Usually a switch to sport mode helps, and you just get used to it.

 

[Ski99]

Thanks! No plans on towing anything, just the kids and ski equipment.

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[alexdrums]

From Road and Track: " If you’re hauling kiddos up to a ski slope regularly, or commuting in a mountainous city, this might be enough of an annoyance to aim your dollars elsewhere."

Do any of you have real world mountain driving experiences to share. I will be doing lots of mountain driving with the kids and wanted to see if there were other data points other than the article above.

If you want to zoom up and down mountains, I think a RWD-based SUV with a turbo V6 or better would be safer and a lot more fun.

 

[Gwyn]

If you want to zoom up and down mountains, I think a RWD-based SUV with a turbo V6 or better would be safer and a lot more fun.

Completely agree. You can not risk your safety and fun to some kia. You have, simply have to start at least at a g wagon level. And you need to smacked silly if you think that lowly 550 will cover you. If you are not going to drop at least the 156,000 dollars on the 64 version, you are simply not going to be safe or fun. Car and driver said so.

You will be laughing at all the other front wheel two drives parked in the sking parking lot as being unsafe and unfun tools.

Now on a serous note, if you are looking for the kia at higher elevation and you don't demand it be a racing car, then you will be fine.

 

[MarcinTexas]

The article in case anyone is interested.

The 2020 Kia Telluride Is a Nearly Flawless Three-Row SUV

The Telluride meets 95 percent of American families’ needs. But what about that fifth percentile?

www.roadandtrack.com

 

[Ski99]

Completely agree. You can not risk your safety and fun to some kia. You have, simply have to start at least at a g wagon level. And you need to smacked silly if you think that lowly 550 will cover you. If you are not going to drop at least the 156,000 dollars on the 64 version, you are simply not going to be safe or fun. Car and driver said so.

You will be laughing at all the other front wheel two drives parked in the sking parking lot as being unsafe and unfun tools.

Now on a serous note, if you are looking for the kia at higher elevation and you don't demand it be a racing car, then you will be fine.

I'm not looking to race through the mountains. Safe speed with kids but able to feel I have enough to get to 65 mph going uphill and can punch into 75 mph when I have to pass someone.

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[MarcinTexas]

I live around 1500 ft elevation but spend a lot of time @7-8000ft. Its for sure noticeable. The general rule of thump is around 3% HP loss for every 1000 ft elevation for NA engines. If you plan on towing something maybe allow for that HP loss. Usually a switch to sport mode helps, and you just get used to it.

Yeah - we have a Honda Odyssey and it struggles in higher elevations when fully loaded down. Par for the course for this type of family hauler. Our last trip to Breckenridge - we rented an Escalade from Hertz and it was a mountain champ. I guess I am of the opinion where I don't expect a minivan or a minivan replacement like the Telluride to behave like a full size V8 powered SUV at high elevation. The Road & Track article seemed to me more of the author just trying to find something to complain about. Also - I guess since I am in Texas - I don't really care how it performs crossing the continental divide....lol.

Also - I am old enough to remember when a V6 producing nearly 300 HP and over 250 lb/ft of torque was an amazing performer. So many vehicles these days have more power than we ever would have imagined in mainstream vehicles back when I got my license 30 years ago. It is good to keep things in perspective.

 

[critrider]

To put things into perspective when the Telluride was first revealed/tested by Journalist's it was in Telluride at around 8-9000 ft. A few of the testers were clocking high 8 or 9 sec 0-60 versus the sea level 7.2 sec. Its an SUV not a sports car so no big deal. If I lived full time @ high altitude I'd probably opt for a turbo or supercharger but for hitting the slopes on occasion its fine....