Moving On

[F2BT]

Long post incoming, but I finally got to test drive the Telluride after months of drooling over it...

I was underwhelmed, unfortunately. I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there. It felt better than a Kia Niro sure, but it still felt much less punchy than I expected. We were driving the S, which I thought was fairly nice, but when we pull in after the test drive, my wife turns to me and says “this doesn’t feel that nice.” Consider my mind blown and my world shattered.

We thanked the very friendly dealer (huge plus) for letting us drive and went on our way. I tried to justify my wife’s poor first-impression by taking her to see an SX Prestige that happened to be in the area. The interior was MUCH nicer, and now I understand why everyone wants a Prestige, but to my layman’s knowledge, it doesn’t change the performance of the vehicle, and I couldn’t shake how disappointed I was by the Telluride’s lack of pick up. I’d driven a Palisade SEL which felt just right in sport mode, and still felt smoother in comfort and eco modes than the Telly. So as we’re looking at this admittedly beautiful vehicle interior, I ask the salesmen what they’re asking, knowing full well there’s a markup. He tells me $10k over MSRP. I thank him too and we go on our way.

Now the SXP retails for around 47-48k. For the same price, I can get a base model Genesis GV80, or if I want to pay the markups being asked for it, I can get the mid-grade GV80. The base is 310 horsepower I believe. The mid-grade is 375. The interior looks leaps and bounds nicer than the Telluride even at the prestige level, and I don’t have to deal with the haggle buying experience going on right now (props to those Kia dealers willing to sell at MSRP, but you guys are unicorns, and usually 1500-2000 miles away).

There’s also the Bronco, which is coming this spring. Its high-end interior is well-appointed like the Telluride, and while it isn’t a people-mover, it’s a decent sized car with lots of room made even more so by windowed doors.

I’m not posting this to thumb my nose at the Telluride. I love the car. I have hated the buying experience. I was underwhelmed by the performance, and shocked by what I can get for a similar value and what I will assume (given Genesis is the brand’s luxury entry) will be a calm, straightforward buying process. The Bronco will probably be as obnoxious to buy as the Telluride has been, but who knows, Ford may have learned from Kia’s mistakes, and we may not have a pandemic shutting down factories.

My real reason for posting this is... am I missing something? Is there a reason to buy a Telluride over these other two alternatives when I felt some level of disappointment on my first test drive with it? I admittedly haven’t driven the GV80, but I’ve watched videos, and it looks like my ~50 grand is going to go much further with that vehicle, especially with the markups Kia salesmen are throwing at you.

 

[WD80PD]

Respect your opinion.. There will always be a car one step above another car. Me personally, I’m not buying a Telluride expecting it to be a sports car. I could go up to the GV80 and get the extra HP but then I’d lose on cargo room which is what I need most. Between the cargo room, leg room, MPG, safety features and Prestige Package, I’m totally satisfied with purchasing a Telluride.

 

[F2BT]

Respect your opinion.. There will always be a car one step above another car. Me personally, I’m not buying a Telluride expecting it to be a sports car. I could go up to the GV80 and get the extra HP but then I’d lose on cargo room which is what I need most. Between the cargo room, leg room, MPG, safety features and Prestige Package, I’m totally satisfied with purchasing a Telluride.

That’s a very good point about cargo space. It’s the one thing I’m a little worried about with the GV80 and Bronco. My wife and I don’t have kids, so for now it’s a nonissue, but it was something I was pretty excited about having with the Telly. I wouldn’t say I’m a speed freak regarding power, but we have a Niro right now as our secondary car and it has a bit of lurch/grind to heavy acceleration (expected, given it is such a fuel efficient car with very low horsepower). I was shocked to feel a bit of that engine grind present when accelerating heavily in the Telluride.

I think disillusionment is the best way to describe where I’m at right now. Aside from our Model 3, I can’t recall ever being more excited about the prospect of owning a car. Now, I’m just trying to justify maintaining that excitement, and time has taught me that once it’s gone, that spark is difficult to get back.

I appreciate the insight.

 

[ksyrah]

I was underwhelmed, unfortunately. I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there. It felt better than a Kia Niro sure, but it still felt much less punchy than I expected. We were driving the S, which I thought was fairly nice, but when we pull in after the test drive, my wife turns to me and says “this doesn’t feel that nice.” Consider my mind blown and my world shattered.

Did you try it in sport mode? I was surprised at the difference.

______________________________

 

[NDBlackEX]

I just drove one two days ago. I never really put my foot into it but I never felt like it didn't have enough power to get you going. The thing that kinda throws me is the floor hinged accelerator. I found myself at stop lights feeling like I couldn't get it going but once I slid my foot up a little bit, it came to life. I suppose it's designed that way to help with fuel efficiency. If the pedal isn't as touchy, you can't jam on the accelerator. It saves on gas I guess. I got used to it. When my wife was driving, she got on it accidentally and it felt like it had plenty of torque. We're coming from a Honda CRV mind you. The CRV is no slouch but it definitely doesn't have the torque of a big V6.

I think they're pretty competitive 0-60 wise in their segment. Remember that they aren't a luxury brand. I see that association all too often. It's not an Audi, it's more like a Honda Pilot. Economical people mover, not performance oriented. You can option these midrange brands up like the luxury brands on the inside and from a safety perspective but you don't get the performance or suspension of the higher end vehicles.

But, it's not for everyone. I can see some things that might be turn offs for people with the Telluride. If you don't like it, you don't like it.

 

[Tobstertx3]

Pedal Commander will make it feel like a different vehicle if you feel lts lacking.

 

[bruesjoh04]

Long post incoming, but I finally got to test drive the Telluride after months of drooling over it...

I was underwhelmed, unfortunately. I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there. It felt better than a Kia Niro sure, but it still felt much less punchy than I expected. We were driving the S, which I thought was fairly nice, but when we pull in after the test drive, my wife turns to me and says “this doesn’t feel that nice.” Consider my mind blown and my world shattered.

We thanked the very friendly dealer (huge plus) for letting us drive and went on our way. I tried to justify my wife’s poor first-impression by taking her to see an SX Prestige that happened to be in the area. The interior was MUCH nicer, and now I understand why everyone wants a Prestige, but to my layman’s knowledge, it doesn’t change the performance of the vehicle, and I couldn’t shake how disappointed I was by the Telluride’s lack of pick up. I’d driven a Palisade SEL which felt just right in sport mode, and still felt smoother in comfort and eco modes than the Telly. So as we’re looking at this admittedly beautiful vehicle interior, I ask the salesmen what they’re asking, knowing full well there’s a markup. He tells me $10k over MSRP. I thank him too and we go on our way.

Now the SXP retails for around 47-48k. For the same price, I can get a base model Genesis GV80, or if I want to pay the markups being asked for it, I can get the mid-grade GV80. The base is 310 horsepower I believe. The mid-grade is 375. The interior looks leaps and bounds nicer than the Telluride even at the prestige level, and I don’t have to deal with the haggle buying experience going on right now (props to those Kia dealers willing to sell at MSRP, but you guys are unicorns, and usually 1500-2000 miles away).

There’s also the Bronco, which is coming this spring. Its high-end interior is well-appointed like the Telluride, and while it isn’t a people-mover, it’s a decent sized car with lots of room made even more so by windowed doors.

I’m not posting this to thumb my nose at the Telluride. I love the car. I have hated the buying experience. I was underwhelmed by the performance, and shocked by what I can get for a similar value and what I will assume (given Genesis is the brand’s luxury entry) will be a calm, straightforward buying process. The Bronco will probably be as obnoxious to buy as the Telluride has been, but who knows, Ford may have learned from Kia’s mistakes, and we may not have a pandemic shutting down factories.

My real reason for posting this is... am I missing something? Is there a reason to buy a Telluride over these other two alternatives when I felt some level of disappointment on my first test drive with it? I admittedly haven’t driven the GV80, but I’ve watched videos, and it looks like my ~50 grand is going to go much further with that vehicle, especially with the markups Kia salesmen are throwing at you.

Sport mode makes a bit of difference in terms of responsiveness in the Telluride. I actually wish there was a middle ground that would give you the sport mode response without the unnecessary gear holding and relatively high cruising RPM. I usually just keep it in smart mode so it is better than eco or comfort and will automatically switch towards sport if you’re really putting your foot down.

In terms of vehicle comparisons, a ~$50K Telluride and GV80 are going to be quite different machines. One is a fully loaded, larger, front-wheel drive based AWD vehicle with a usable third row. The other is going to be a base model, smaller, rear-wheel drive vehicle with a likely unusable third row. To get most of the features on the Telluride’s prestige package, you’re going to have to start adding option groups to the GV80. And you’ll have to add $6K right off the bat if you want AWD.

Ultimately, these are not vehicles that compete. The GV80 is out to get the X5, GLE, XC90, etc. Comparing it to the Telluride is difficult at best. And not like the Telluride is readily available, but they’ve already pushed the launch of the GV80 back to this fall.

 

[alexdrums]

That’s a very good point about cargo space. It’s the one thing I’m a little worried about with the GV80 and Bronco. My wife and I don’t have kids, so for now it’s a nonissue, but it was something I was pretty excited about having with the Telly. I wouldn’t say I’m a speed freak regarding power, but we have a Niro right now as our secondary car and it has a bit of lurch/grind to heavy acceleration (expected, given it is such a fuel efficient car with very low horsepower). I was shocked to feel a bit of that engine grind present when accelerating heavily in the Telluride.

I think disillusionment is the best way to describe where I’m at right now. Aside from our Model 3, I can’t recall ever being more excited about the prospect of owning a car. Now, I’m just trying to justify maintaining that excitement, and time has taught me that once it’s gone, that spark is difficult to get back.

I appreciate the insight.

Well, you have a Tesla, that explains everything. The Telluride is not going to have that kind of torque. If you don’t need the amazing cargo and people room of the Telluride, check out the 2020 Ford Explorer Platinum or ST. Better handling and more power than the Telluride, and there should be some heavy discounts come September.

P.S. The Bronco is an off-roader. Not really in the same class

______________________________

 

[F2BT]

I just drove one two days ago. I never really put my foot into it but I never felt like it didn't have enough power to get you going. The thing that kinda throws me is the floor hinged accelerator. I found myself at stop lights feeling like I couldn't get it going but once I slid my foot up a little bit, it came to life. I suppose it's designed that way to help with fuel efficiency. If the pedal isn't as touchy, you can't jam on the accelerator. It saves on gas I guess. I got used to it. When my wife was driving, she got on it accidentally and it felt like it had plenty of torque. We're coming from a Honda CRV mind you. The CRV is no slouch but it definitely doesn't have the torque of a big V6.

I think they're pretty competitive 0-60 wise in their segment. Remember that they aren't a luxury brand. I see that association all too often. It's not an Audi, it's more like a Honda Pilot. Economical people mover, not performance oriented. You can option these midrange brands up like the luxury brands on the inside and from a safety perspective but you don't get the performance or suspension of the higher end vehicles.

But, it's not for everyone. I can see some things that might be turn offs for people with the Telluride. If you don't like it, you don't like it.

I didn’t have any idea about the floor-hinged accelerator, maybe that’s why it felt laggy off the go. I had the exact same experience, the thing just didn’t go at the light like I expected it to. Maybe that’s the reason? I think economical people-mover is a good way of putting it, and it may have been my own ignorance leading me to expect something different.

Pedal Commander will make it feel like a different vehicle if you feel lts lacking.

I haven’t heard of this, I’ll have to check it out! Thanks!

Sport mode makes a bit of difference in terms of responsiveness in the Telluride. I actually wish there was a middle ground that would give you the sport mode response without the unnecessary gear holding and relatively high cruising RPM. I usually just keep it in smart mode so it is better than eco or comfort and will automatically switch towards sport if you’re really putting your foot down.

In terms of vehicle comparisons, a ~$50K Telluride and GV80 are going to be quite different machines. One is a fully loaded, larger, front-wheel drive based AWD vehicle with a usable third row. The other is going to be a base model, smaller, rear-wheel drive vehicle with a likely unusable third row. To get most of the features on the Telluride’s prestige package, you’re going to have to start adding option groups to the GV80. And you’ll have to add $6K right off the bat if you want AWD.

Ultimately, these are not vehicles that compete. The GV80 is out to get the X5, GLE, XC90, etc. Comparing it to the Telluride is difficult at best. And not like the Telluride is readily available, but they’ve already pushed the launch of the GV80 back to this fall.

I think the realization I’m having is that I’m not in need of a three-row SUV. I’d like it, but that isn’t initially what attracted me to the Telluride. So it’s lack of availability (plus some obnoxious dealers thrown in for good measure) has forced me to look elsewhere and reevaluate my wants/needs.

Well, you have a Tesla, that explains everything. The Telluride is not going to have that kind of torque. If you don’t need the amazing cargo and people room of the Telluride, check out the 2020 Ford Explorer Platinum or ST. Better handling and more power than the Telluride, and there should be some heavy discounts come September.

P.S. The Bronco is an off-roader. Not really in the same class

I wouldn’t say I went into the test drive expecting to be thrown back in my seat (we have a Kia Niro as well, so we feel the difference every time we switch vehicles). I just expected... more, I suppose.

I may check out the Explorer Platinum, thanks for the advice! The Telluride just looks so much better, it’s a shame it may not be for me in the end.

And yeah, I know the Bronco is a whole different beast altogether. It’s just become a wild-card because as I said, I’m starting to reevaluate my needs and wants.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the feedback, these are definitely some things I didn’t know or haven’t considered!

 

[OaktownACE]

Long post incoming, but I finally got to test drive the Telluride after months of drooling over it...

I was underwhelmed, unfortunately. I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there. It felt better than a Kia Niro sure, but it still felt much less punchy than I expected. We were driving the S, which I thought was fairly nice, but when we pull in after the test drive, my wife turns to me and says “this doesn’t feel that nice.” Consider my mind blown and my world shattered.

We thanked the very friendly dealer (huge plus) for letting us drive and went on our way. I tried to justify my wife’s poor first-impression by taking her to see an SX Prestige that happened to be in the area. The interior was MUCH nicer, and now I understand why everyone wants a Prestige, but to my layman’s knowledge, it doesn’t change the performance of the vehicle, and I couldn’t shake how disappointed I was by the Telluride’s lack of pick up. I’d driven a Palisade SEL which felt just right in sport mode, and still felt smoother in comfort and eco modes than the Telly. So as we’re looking at this admittedly beautiful vehicle interior, I ask the salesmen what they’re asking, knowing full well there’s a markup. He tells me $10k over MSRP. I thank him too and we go on our way.

Now the SXP retails for around 47-48k. For the same price, I can get a base model Genesis GV80, or if I want to pay the markups being asked for it, I can get the mid-grade GV80. The base is 310 horsepower I believe. The mid-grade is 375. The interior looks leaps and bounds nicer than the Telluride even at the prestige level, and I don’t have to deal with the haggle buying experience going on right now (props to those Kia dealers willing to sell at MSRP, but you guys are unicorns, and usually 1500-2000 miles away).

There’s also the Bronco, which is coming this spring. Its high-end interior is well-appointed like the Telluride, and while it isn’t a people-mover, it’s a decent sized car with lots of room made even more so by windowed doors.

I’m not posting this to thumb my nose at the Telluride. I love the car. I have hated the buying experience. I was underwhelmed by the performance, and shocked by what I can get for a similar value and what I will assume (given Genesis is the brand’s luxury entry) will be a calm, straightforward buying process. The Bronco will probably be as obnoxious to buy as the Telluride has been, but who knows, Ford may have learned from Kia’s mistakes, and we may not have a pandemic shutting down factories.

My real reason for posting this is... am I missing something? Is there a reason to buy a Telluride over these other two alternatives when I felt some level of disappointment on my first test drive with it? I admittedly haven’t driven the GV80, but I’ve watched videos, and it looks like my ~50 grand is going to go much further with that vehicle, especially with the markups Kia salesmen are throwing at you.

if you need a third row then the Telluride is the best option out there. The X7 and Audi were faster with better pickup but the Telluride’s interior spacing is levels above both for a lot less.

if you don't need a third row then I agree there are some great alternate choices.

 

[miamibeachsteve]

The hype on Tellurides is out of control. People gushing about it on video reviews- sets you up for disappointment. I have test driven many faster vehicles - but I come back to the Telluride because it does not have twin turbos or a complicated engine that might be unreliable or expensive to repair. You can buy a Palisade under MSRP today!

 

[Buddy119]

That's funny. I was actually impressed with the acceleration of the Telluride. In all the review videos, the acceleration is described as adequate but not overwhelming. My expectations were low, and my current vehicles are different than yours. I have three large vehicles with V8 engines that average about 250 HP, so the 291 HP coming from that V6 in a mid-size SUV felt pretty good. If you are used to something different or had higher expectations, I can see how you would disappointed. As others mentioned, you might be more happy with the Explorer ST.

I love the new Bronco. It's a different animal altogether though. The backseat in the 4 door model is only 54" across, which is not enough to fit our 3 car seats.

My in-laws recently bought a new Honda Pilot for a few thousand less than a similarly equipped Telluride and with no wait. It's nice. They've have owned Honda's before and were pleased. For me, the Telluride looks 10 times better inside and out, so we are gonna wait for one. That's subjective though. To each his own.

______________________________

 

[2020Telly]

Acceleration isn't all about tons of HP or having a V6 vs V8 or non-turbo vs turbo. A motorcycle accelerates faster than a car because of it's power to weight ratio meaning it can generate much more torque than most cars. But at the same time a car can stop faster than a motorcycle because it has 4 wheels vs. 2. I built a modified 48V electric golf cart from a 23-year old Club Car DS frame that had just a stock 3.1 HP 36V motor that probably gets over 6-7 HP now. But the ability to pull my trailer with ease using my little modified golf cart or accelerate up a hill at a steady speed of 21mph is not because of HP, it's because of the torque I can crank out of that little electric motor combined with the grip on my tires and weight of the vehicle and weight distribution. For example if I sit on the rear seat of the RWD golf cart while my wife drives instead of my kids on the back seat, I can get an extra 2mph higher and accelerate faster off the jump over sitting right next to her in the front seat. I also have a lot of grip with larger tires (think of why a rwd farm tractor has massive rear tires and tiny front ones). Another example, I use to own a 1973 VW beetle based fiberglass dune buggy 20 years ago with maybe a 50HP rear mounted motor with big tires and RWD. I took that to a beach vacation where some guy in a BMW Z3 thought he could take off faster than me and I looked back at him as the light turned green. The point is, any car can go faster or accelerate more if you consider all the factors and I don't know much about that Pedal Commander, but I'm guessing it gives you a more responsive torque over factory settings. Better quality tires on the Telluride might be all you need to make it feel just right. On an S that won't substitute the the much nicer interior on the EX or SX, but for ride quality if you test drove a S FWD, consider that the OE tires are different than the tires that go on the AWD. I admit that I'm never impressed with OE tires, but the Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires I have don't feel great. I have to believe that Kia put better tires on the AWD with the Michelin Primacy Tour, except when you look on TireRack the Pirellis cost more!?!? In my opinion, tires being the thing that has four spots touching the road is the first thing to consider if you want to improve, grip, acceleration, road noise, gas mileage, comfort, and overall right quality. Good quality, properly inflated tires have made a difference in ride quality in different vehicles I have owned.

For my Telluride, I don't want to win a drag race, I just want an enjoyable ride to take my family where we need to go safely and get good gas mileage in the process so I can save more money to spend on my kids and other toys. However, if I wanted to give my Telluride a little more punch, I know there are some good aftermarket tweaks to make. If you want an offroad Bronco or Jeep Wrangler to be a daily driver and occasional toy, that's what it can do, but big toys cost big money to maintain. If you want an Explorer and don't care about limited interior size and seating options, then go for it. And if you want a Palisade because you think it's a better deal, more power to you. I just wouldn't want to be driving a Palisade 6 months from now when there are more Tellurides passing me on the road and have buyer's remorse. So I would really have to love the Palisade. As for if you want a Pilot or Highlander, both are also good vehicles. But I think you pay a premium now for a Toyota that no longer means it is a better car than others (I use to only drive Toyota). With the Pilot, I think the 2020 still uses a timing belt vs timing chain, so I keep my cars as long as possible and don't want to worry about when to replace a timing belt.

I agree with @miamibeachsteve the hype does set some people up for disappointment. The Telluride is not perfect and there are more expensive alternatives. But what you get dollar for dollar is a pretty good value when you compare to the competition. And not everyone has to be a fan. Some people buy a Tesla simply because they like the sleek look and status and know little about electric cars and that's enough for them, while others buy a Tesla even if they might think the look is bland and just want a nice electric car. I think that's in part why Tesla is finally turning a profit* because you can just get in the door with a Model 3 standard range one or go nuts and get the long range or performance with self-driving or some other model. I like that the Telluride has elements of other sharp vehicles that are often priced higher, but other people might not like or appreciate the same things and fortunately there are other cars out there. (I don't plan to trade it for a Cybertruck.)

*the other part is carbon credits they get from the government and billions they make from selling to other manufacturers

 

[jazzyone]

Did you try it in sport mode? I was surprised at the difference.

Me too, I’ve tried Sports mode early on, when I purchased the KT, then kept it on Econ mode mostly. Recently, I switch back and forth between modes but when I put it in Sports I am pretty happy with the performance.

Smart mode is supposed to automatically switch but it is more responsive directly in Sports mode.
0-60 is 7.2, it was probably measured with the mode set to Sports. While not a speed demon, it’s still respectable for such a big vehicle.

Kia Niro 0-60 is 8.6, so it may just feel more responsive and faster.

 

[SVoigt]

Long post incoming, but I finally got to test drive the Telluride after months of drooling over it...

I was underwhelmed, unfortunately. I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there. It felt better than a Kia Niro sure, but it still felt much less punchy than I expected. We were driving the S, which I thought was fairly nice, but when we pull in after the test drive, my wife turns to me and says “this doesn’t feel that nice.” Consider my mind blown and my world shattered.

We thanked the very friendly dealer (huge plus) for letting us drive and went on our way. I tried to justify my wife’s poor first-impression by taking her to see an SX Prestige that happened to be in the area. The interior was MUCH nicer, and now I understand why everyone wants a Prestige, but to my layman’s knowledge, it doesn’t change the performance of the vehicle, and I couldn’t shake how disappointed I was by the Telluride’s lack of pick up. I’d driven a Palisade SEL which felt just right in sport mode, and still felt smoother in comfort and eco modes than the Telly. So as we’re looking at this admittedly beautiful vehicle interior, I ask the salesmen what they’re asking, knowing full well there’s a markup. He tells me $10k over MSRP. I thank him too and we go on our way.

Now the SXP retails for around 47-48k. For the same price, I can get a base model Genesis GV80, or if I want to pay the markups being asked for it, I can get the mid-grade GV80. The base is 310 horsepower I believe. The mid-grade is 375. The interior looks leaps and bounds nicer than the Telluride even at the prestige level, and I don’t have to deal with the haggle buying experience going on right now (props to those Kia dealers willing to sell at MSRP, but you guys are unicorns, and usually 1500-2000 miles away).

There’s also the Bronco, which is coming this spring. Its high-end interior is well-appointed like the Telluride, and while it isn’t a people-mover, it’s a decent sized car with lots of room made even more so by windowed doors.

I’m not posting this to thumb my nose at the Telluride. I love the car. I have hated the buying experience. I was underwhelmed by the performance, and shocked by what I can get for a similar value and what I will assume (given Genesis is the brand’s luxury entry) will be a calm, straightforward buying process. The Bronco will probably be as obnoxious to buy as the Telluride has been, but who knows, Ford may have learned from Kia’s mistakes, and we may not have a pandemic shutting down factories.

My real reason for posting this is... am I missing something? Is there a reason to buy a Telluride over these other two alternatives when I felt some level of disappointment on my first test drive with it? I admittedly haven’t driven the GV80, but I’ve watched videos, and it looks like my ~50 grand is going to go much further with that vehicle, especially with the markups Kia salesmen are throwing at you.

To each their own, vehicle love is completely subjective. As to power, yup, not nearly as peppy as my wife's Q-5 with a four banger turbo. But does it have enough get up and go for normal driving and merging no the freeway (merging is a sport in Texas) for me? Yup, sure does and that is with driving it in ECO mode most of the time for me. For me it is good enough, especially for the price point. Do I enjoy driving my wife's Audi? Yup, sure do, do I like driving my Telluride long distance even better due to comfort? Definitely, not to mention liking the amount of money I saved over it. Just depends what your needs and desires are.... Good luck with your search.

 

[2020Telly]

Me too, I’ve tried Sports mode early on, when I purchased the KT, then kept it on Econ mode mostly. Recently, I switch back and forth between modes but when I put it in Sports I am pretty happy with the performance.

Smart mode is supposed to automatically switch but it is more responsive directly in Sports mode.
0-60 is 7.2, it was probably measured with the mode set to Sports. While not a speed demon, it’s still respectable for such a big vehicle.

Kia Niro 0-60 is 8.6, so it may just feel more responsive and faster.

I agree, Sport Mode does noticeably change how the steering wheel reacts to the driver. I use to keep it on ECO but have now switched to Smart mode. I find it feels better and I get better gas mileage in Smart.

______________________________

 

[rhinoamerican]

I'm in a weird situation myself.

I own a 2010 Cadillac CTS with 160,000 miles. In February it was diagnosed with needing a new timing chain estimated at $2,500. I decided that I would rather put that money into a down payment on a new car instead of repairing the Cadillac now and in the future.

So, in the beginning of March, I test drove and ordered a new 2020 Kia Telluride for MSRP from a local dealer. I chose the Kia because I needed something with more cargo room, would be a good daily vehicle for my 2.5 hour commute (round-trip) and was under $50,000.

However my order has been delayed from May to June to now unknown. A silver lining of the pandemic had been I've been able to work from home and don't need a car right away.

So while I have been waiting for the Telluride, the newly revealed Bronco has caught my eye and I think I would like it more than the Kia especially since I don't have the need for a three row SUV as I don't have a family and I may not have to commute to my office full-time. Even though I don't off-road, I liked the look of it so much I reserved one.

So I have a little dilemma. Do I give up an excellent, well rated, safe daily commuter like the Telluride for an unknown vehicle like the Bronco that may be a terrible daily commuter?

I would love to hear other people's opinions.

 

[SC300ES]

Isn't there an anticipated long wait on the Bronco also?

You should first make sure your Telluride was ordered to begin with. There are discussions on that you can read up on.

Don't cancel your order if it actually was put in by your dealer.

How's the Caddy? Does it have one of those set ups where your engine dies if the timing belt breaks?

 

[jw_tx21]

I'm in a weird situation myself.

I own a 2010 Cadillac CTS with 160,000 miles. In February it was diagnosed with needing a new timing chain estimated at $2,500. I decided that I would rather put that money into a down payment on a new car instead of repairing the Cadillac now and in the future.

So, in the beginning of March, I test drove and ordered a new 2020 Kia Telluride for MSRP from a local dealer. I chose the Kia because I needed something with more cargo room, would be a good daily vehicle for my 2.5 hour commute (round-trip) and was under $50,000.

However my order has been delayed from May to June to now unknown. A silver lining of the pandemic had been I've been able to work from home and don't need a car right away.

So while I have been waiting for the Telluride, the newly revealed Bronco has caught my eye and I think I would like it more than the Kia especially since I don't have the need for a three row SUV as I don't have a family and I may not have to commute to my office full-time. Even though I don't off-road, I liked the look of it so much I reserved one.

So I have a little dilemma. Do I give up an excellent, well rated, safe daily commuter like the Telluride for an unknown vehicle like the Bronco that may be a terrible daily commuter?

I would love to hear other people's opinions.

I think you answered your own question. And the first Broncos won't be off the line for many more months. And, they will have large markups too. What might be better is to get a Telluride (don't get it all tricked out) drive it for a few years then get your Bronco when their supply eases up and kinks are worked out. I can't believe for 1 minute that Ford won't have major problems with the Bronco... after screwing up the Explorer AND Aviator launches.

 

[rhinoamerican]

SC300ES, yes, if the timing chain breaks the engine dies. Luckily, I haven't had to drive it much since I've been locked down at home but if I still had to commute to work I would have to have it fixed for around $2,500. That's money I'd rather put towards a new car.

The Telluride was ordered according to the dealer. But while I have not seen any proof, I do believe him. They seem to be a good dealership so I have no issue with them, but who knows when it will be built or delivered? Could be September or October at this point.

Ford claimed that reservations would be fulfilled in the order in which they were placed with deliveries beginning in Spring 2021 but because there were so many reservations some people can be waiting up to 18 months. I agree they botched the Ford Explorer and Aviator launches. I test drove the Explorer and while I liked it, the price and interior turned me off. It is a concern that the Bronco will have First Year issues and its such an unknown at this point. The dealer I placed the reservation with is currently claiming they will sell at MSRP but who knows if that will be honored.

JW_TX21, I've thought about your suggestion and its a good one - just getting the Telluride and driving it for a few years as its such a good SUV, especially if I had to go back to work and do that long commute.

Just so many variables in my particular situation its been really frustrating trying to make a decision. haha.

I really appreciate your opinions.

Thanks