Trade Q7 for Telluride?

[tin369]

Hello,

I am new here. I have a 2018 Q7 premium plus, and we are about 3 years into ownership with very little driving done this year. In less than 3 years the brake pads have worn out and the dealership quoted 2-2.5K for just the brake pads. I reached out to my local indy garage and got it done for $800, still a bit more expensive.

German cars out of warranty cost a lot to maintain and I am thinking of trading it in before end of next year before the warranty expires. I was going to go electric with Tesla model Y but it may not suit our family needs, I still need to test drive it plus the range anxiety. Then I found out about Telluride and it has drawn me in, never considered a KIA but looks like with this they did a very good job and folks overall seem to be happy and the reviews are good.

So, need some guidance from owners who have made the switch and have owned it, how do you like it? will I miss anything coming from the q7. As I get older, I have come to appreciate things that are reliable and functional and don't care about brands and badges anymore.

Also, are more readily available or still in short supply. Lastly which trim is the best value. SX?

 

[Frankie Knuckles]

Hello,

I am new here. I have a 2018 Q7 premium plus, and we are about 3 years into ownership with very little driving done this year. In less than 3 years the brake pads have worn out and the dealership quoted 2-2.5K for just the brake pads. I reached out to my local indy garage and got it done for $800, still a bit more expensive.

German cars out of warranty cost a lot to maintain and I am thinking of trading it in before end of next year before the warranty expires. I was going to go electric with Tesla model Y but it may not suit our family needs, I still need to test drive it plus the range anxiety. Then I found out about Telluride and it has drawn me in, never considered a KIA but looks like with this they did a very good job and folks overall seem to be happy and the reviews are good.

So, need some guidance from owners who have made the switch and have owned it, how do you like it? will I miss anything coming from the q7. As I get older, I have come to appreciate things that are reliable and functional and don't care about brands and badges anymore.

Also, are more readily available or still in short supply. Lastly which trim is the best value. SX?

Hi and welcome!!! Having never owned a Q7, I can tell you that the value you would be getting with a Telluride is incredible. I have had premium brands before and can tell you that it rivals the Buick Enclave and the Cadillac Crossover. It’s much better looking than those mentioned and the average annual maintenance cost is less than 500 a year. The tech features are incredible for a top loaded SX Prestige model especially considering that you’ll pay below 50k. With regards to reliability, I cannot speak on this particular model because it’s only two years old. But it does have a 10 year powertrain warranty and 5 year bumper to bumper warranty (entertainment/radio is 3 years). With only a little over 5 weeks of ownership, I am truly impressed so far.

 

[WhiteSX]

Hello,

I am new here. I have a 2018 Q7 premium plus, and we are about 3 years into ownership with very little driving done this year. In less than 3 years the brake pads have worn out and the dealership quoted 2-2.5K for just the brake pads. I reached out to my local indy garage and got it done for $800, still a bit more expensive.

German cars out of warranty cost a lot to maintain and I am thinking of trading it in before end of next year before the warranty expires. I was going to go electric with Tesla model Y but it may not suit our family needs, I still need to test drive it plus the range anxiety. Then I found out about Telluride and it has drawn me in, never considered a KIA but looks like with this they did a very good job and folks overall seem to be happy and the reviews are good.

So, need some guidance from owners who have made the switch and have owned it, how do you like it? will I miss anything coming from the q7. As I get older, I have come to appreciate things that are reliable and functional and don't care about brands and badges anymore.

Also, are more readily available or still in short supply. Lastly which trim is the best value. SX?

Total Audi fan boy here. But, test drove a Telluride in March 2019. Absolutely felt like a German. Purchased an SXP. Haven't looked back. Fit / finish 90% of Audi. But, done very well. Tech is world class with the exception of the lack of wireless car play / Android. Could use a smidge more power. (came from an S7) Overall, price / features present a major value over luxury and mainstream competitors - at MSRP.

18 Months / 11K mi ownership - no issues other than the dealer experience is very different from the luxury brand experience. But then, you expected that. One disclaimer: I do admit I'm getting a bit bored with my SXP. Seriously thinking about the SQ7

Enjoy the ride!

 

[DWilli]

Hello,

I am new here. I have a 2018 Q7 premium plus, and we are about 3 years into ownership with very little driving done this year. In less than 3 years the brake pads have worn out and the dealership quoted 2-2.5K for just the brake pads. I reached out to my local indy garage and got it done for $800, still a bit more expensive.

German cars out of warranty cost a lot to maintain and I am thinking of trading it in before end of next year before the warranty expires. I was going to go electric with Tesla model Y but it may not suit our family needs, I still need to test drive it plus the range anxiety. Then I found out about Telluride and it has drawn me in, never considered a KIA but looks like with this they did a very good job and folks overall seem to be happy and the reviews are good.

So, need some guidance from owners who have made the switch and have owned it, how do you like it? will I miss anything coming from the q7. As I get older, I have come to appreciate things that are reliable and functional and don't care about brands and badges anymore.

Also, are more readily available or still in short supply. Lastly which trim is the best value. SX?

Never owned Audi, but have had several Lexus models. The Telluride we have rides smoother and quieter than our recent RX350. Only had it for 2200 miles but we are impressed so far.

______________________________

 

[slayer72]

Several years ago I shopped and wanted the Audi SQ5 but the costs involved when something goes wrong pushed me away from the brand. Try the Kia SX and judge for yourself.

 

[markjenn]

I would never again own a Audi, Merc, BMW, or Volvo out of warranty. They’re nice cars with the latest tech, but you lease them (and get extra warranty if needed for the lease duration). Throw the keys at the dealer when the lease is up. Your costs will be high but they’ll be predictably high and you can sleep at night.

I just bought a Mazda turbo CX-5 for $32K and while it might not quite match a $50K Q5 in some respects, it’s darn close and I will not be concerned at all with reliability or service costs outside of warranty.

- Mark

 

[IATelluride]

It's insanity when an Audi/BMW/Merc/etc has any sort of accident too. The costs are astronomical to fix them. Say you slide on ice into a curb with a Kia/Toyota/Ford etc. Sure you'll need a wheel and lower control arm and such. High end rides? Most now REQUIRE that if you have any suspension damage you must also replace the steering rack or other such nonsense even if no sign of damage. What shoud be a $1500 fix easily becomes $5000. Owning a high end ride is not "cool"...it's just foolish in my book.

 

[Frankie Knuckles]

It's insanity when an Audi/BMW/Merc/etc has any sort of accident too. The costs are astronomical to fix them. Say you slide on ice into a curb with a Kia/Toyota/Ford etc. Sure you'll need a wheel and lower control arm and such. High end rides? Most now REQUIRE that if you have any suspension damage you must also replace the steering rack or other such nonsense even if no sign of damage. What shoud be a $1500 fix easily becomes $5000. Owning a high end ride is not "cool"...it's just foolish in my book.

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve owned them and surely can purchase them again if I so desired. But what a waste of money on a depreciating asset. The Telluride gives me the comfort creatures, looks and premium feel at a fraction of the initial and maintenance costs. It’s a no brainer for me.

______________________________

 

[dugnichols]

Long time german car owner here. I love the driving experience, design, and fit & finish of these vehicles. Have had several BMW's (still have two vintage 02's) and sold my Audi A4 Avant to buy the Telluride. I'd been looking for a 7 passenger AWD vehicle for years but hadn't seen anything on the market that came close to what I like drive. The Telluride nails it. Exterior design, interior design, handling are beyond best in class IMO -- it easily competes with vehicles $20k - $30k more expensive. If you like the German cars, get the SX Prestige package.

 

[tin369]

Is there enough inventory or have to wait months? are there deals to be had? I will not be paying msrp, it it means I have to wait a year, that is fine.
Anyone got into a Tesla or own both?

 

[HairyMilkshakes]

Audi's are notorious for high maintenance costs and generally poor reliability. If you like the driving experience it's comparable to the Telly but still outpaces it by a bit in terms of comfort and interior design. Each to their own, though.

If you want a daily driver that you can rely on more, then go with a Kia - lower cost of ownership. You also need to check with your bank or on KBB to get current valuation if you decide to trade in vs. selling it private party. Banks like Chase offer services where if you provide VIN or plate # they will be able to pull the info immediately instead of you having to fill in the info on KBB every time.

 

[dugnichols]

Is there enough inventory or have to wait months? are there deals to be had? I will not be paying msrp, it it means I have to wait a year, that is fine.
Anyone got into a Tesla or own both?

Inventory is starting to become slightly more available, but only slightly. I'm saying this based on:

• the number of dealer posts I'm seeing here on the forum about incoming inventory -- there are more in the last several weeks than there have been all year.
• I've received follow up calls in the last few weeks from dealers I had contacted during my search
• my own sales person said that demand had been crazy but it was thinning out now

My overall sense is that production volume is starting to catch up a bit. But the SXP's are still hard to find, particularly if you are set on a certain color combination. As example, look at any dealer post in this forum and you'll see that the SXP all have a deposit on them already.

Many dealers are still charging more than MSRP because of the demand. Though there are plenty that are charging flat MSRP. In terms of time to wait to be able to get one at anything under MSRP, that will be a wait and see game. Really hard to know that answer -- the car just got Car and Driver 10 best for 2021 again.

______________________________

 

[TheNip73]

I will not be paying msrp, it it means I have to wait a year, that is fine.

This seems a bit stubborn.

If the Kia is the best value in the market and nothing else can beat it, why not pay MSRP.
Maybe on a lower end trim this is fine, but on the SX or SXP, this is a foolish mindset. Especially if it is based off of some legacy mindset you have that you must have a lower than MSRP to be getting a deal. The SXP at MSRP is a steal.

 

[Frankie Knuckles]

This seems a bit stubborn.

If the Kia is the best value in the market and nothing else can beat it, why not pay MSRP.
Maybe on a lower end trim this is fine, but on the SX or SXP, this is a foolish mindset. Especially if it is based off of some legacy mindset you have that you must have a lower than MSRP to be getting a deal. The SXP at MSRP is a steal.

Considering what you get, indeed it is a steal. No other comparably equipped vehicle will be below 50k.

 

[Lith_SXPN]

This seems a bit stubborn.

If the Kia is the best value in the market and nothing else can beat it, why not pay MSRP.
Maybe on a lower end trim this is fine, but on the SX or SXP, this is a foolish mindset. Especially if it is based off of some legacy mindset you have that you must have a lower than MSRP to be getting a deal. The SXP at MSRP is a steal.

This. Add to the fact that MSRP is only ~$2k over invoice should soften the blow a bit. I've always bought cars at invoice or lower, but there is(was) no wiggle room for Tellurides. You will be penny pinching for mfr incentives and wait months waiting for Costco discount, just to get it under MSRP. Will it improve in a year? Maybe, but if Kia plant closes down again for a period, it could get worse. Also consider current used 2020 are selling at prices of new 2021 or more.

 

[NvrHr]

Is there enough inventory or have to wait months? are there deals to be had? I will not be paying msrp, it it means I have to wait a year, that is fine.
Anyone got into a Tesla or own both?

We have a Tesla and just bought a telluride. I don’t really find them comparable, they serve completely different purposes. The Tesla is fuuuuuun to drive like so so so fun but road trips are out, even my sister’s which is 2.5 hours away we can’t take it. Because while it should hypothetically make it there, if the highway gets shut down due to accident or fire (happens with frequency) we would be completely SOL. Also, while the Tesla is extremely fun to drive I won’t be sad to see it go when the lease is up bc I find the charging kindof annoying. I think the next car will be a hybrid, get the better gas mileage but still be able to gas up in 5 minutes instead of like 2 hours.

______________________________

 

[Tellthemride]

What you may miss going from a Q7 to Telluride:

1. Dealership service quality and experience. Be prepared to downgrade heavily when you bring your Kia in for service at the dealer.
2. Driving performance and handling. Not too huge a difference unless coming from an SQ7.
3. Slightly lower quality interior materials and less soft touch surfaces. Not something you will really notice unless you like to touch surfaces in your car daily.
4. No frameless rearview mirror
5. No touch unlock behind the handle, no exterior unlocking from rear passenger doors.
6. No digital cockpit instrument cluster, no audio or navigation info in the instrument cluster
7. No power folding third row seats
8. No puddle lights on sideview mirrors for night door unlocking. No auto dimming side view mirrors.
9. No single panoramic sunroof, if you prefer this design over a dual sunroof.
10. No DVD player in the head unit, if you prefer to have one.
11. No SD memory card reader, if you prefer to keep music or video locally stored
12. No cornering lights and no rear fog
13. No night vision camera (I hardly ever used this)
14. LATCH anchors not as easy to access as Audi Isofix
15. Remote fobs are not linked to driver memory seat positions and door locking preference (1 vs 2 press unlock)
16. No power/memory steering wheel adjustment
17. Homelink garage buttons not illuminated
18. Only one rear window lock switch instead of two separate in Audi
19. Reverse and plate lights are incandescent instead of LED like Audi’s (easily replaceable)

Benefit gains you will notice when switching to SXP from a Q7:

1. Remote start
2. No longer paying for premium gas. Cheaper car repairs if needed.
3. Superior SCC and LFA
4. Quiet mode and Driver Talk (if you have kids)
5. More leg room and comfortable third row
6. USB charging ports galore
7. Better rear vent locations in the ceiling
8. Ventilated 2nd row seats
9. Built in 2nd row window shades
10. Blackout sunroof shades (versus the perforated Audi shades that can leave the car burning in the summer)
11. Touchscreen head unit (unless coming from a newer model year Q7)
12. 120 volt inverter (if you ever need one)
13. AWD lock option
14. Smart lift gate and rear occupant sensor (if you use it)

 

[tin369]

We have a Tesla and just bought a telluride. I don’t really find them comparable, they serve completely different purposes. The Tesla is fuuuuuun to drive like so so so fun but road trips are out, even my sister’s which is 2.5 hours away we can’t take it. Because while it should hypothetically make it there, if the highway gets shut down due to accident or fire (happens with frequency) we would be completely SOL. Also, while the Tesla is extremely fun to drive I won’t be sad to see it go when the lease is up bc I find the charging kindof annoying. I think the next car will be a hybrid, get the better gas mileage but still be able to gas up in 5 minutes instead of like 2 hours.

Do you have the model 3 or model y. I think my main concern is the fit and finish is still not up to par for the price of the car. We are basically paying for the awesome technology. I have heard that the telluride lane keep and auto pilot is similar to Tesla’s not sure how true this is.

 

[tin369]

What you may miss going from a Q7 to Telluride:

1. Dealership service quality and experience. Be prepared to downgrade heavily when you bring your Kia in for service at the dealer.
2. Driving performance and handling. Not too huge a difference unless coming from an SQ7.
3. Slightly lower quality interior materials and less soft touch surfaces. Not something you will really notice unless you like to touch surfaces in your car daily.
4. No frameless rearview mirror
5. No touch unlock behind the handle, no exterior unlocking from rear passenger doors.
6. No digital cockpit instrument cluster, no audio or navigation info in the instrument cluster
7. No power folding third row seats
8. No puddle lights on sideview mirrors for night door unlocking. No auto dimming side view mirrors.
9. No single panoramic sunroof, if you prefer this design over a dual sunroof.
10. No DVD player in the head unit, if you prefer to have one.
11. No SD memory card reader, if you prefer to keep music or video locally stored
12. No cornering lights and no rear fog
13. No night vision camera (I hardly ever used this)
14. LATCH anchors not as easy to access as Audi Isofix
15. Remote fobs are not linked to driver memory seat positions and door locking preference (1 vs 2 press unlock)
16. No power/memory steering wheel adjustment
17. Homelink garage buttons not illuminated
18. Only one rear window lock switch instead of two separate in Audi
19. Reverse and plate lights are incandescent instead of LED like Audi’s (easily replaceable)

Benefit gains you will notice when switching to SXP from a Q7:

1. Remote start
2. No longer paying for premium gas. Cheaper car repairs if needed.
3. Superior SCC and LFA
4. Quiet mode and Driver Talk (if you have kids)
5. More leg room and comfortable third row
6. USB charging ports galore
7. Better rear vent locations in the ceiling
8. Ventilated 2nd row seats
9. Built in 2nd row window shades
10. Blackout sunroof shades (versus the perforated Audi shades that can leave the car burning in the summer)
11. Touchscreen head unit (unless coming from a newer model year Q7)
12. 120 volt inverter (if you ever need one)
13. AWD lock option
14. Smart lift gate and rear occupant sensor (if you use it)

Even on the sx-p model I thought it came loaded and even has more tech than some premium luxury brands.
As long as it quite and comfortable and doesn’t have issue and is reliable. The other factors are minor for me to ignore.

 

[Familyman20]

I have zero experience in personally owning a luxury brand, but if trade-ins are any indication take a look at what others are turning in to their local KIA dealers for this vehicle. Pretty impressive.
The depreciation cost alone on some of these used vehicles selling at a KIA dealership dwarfs the Telluride msrp even! This has been documented for well over a year now by nearly everyone on the planet, you can't wrong here. GL