Cross shop with MDX 22 - Help please! No hate…

[kramer]

Telluride is the only 7 seater SUV I am excited right now due to punchy acceleration and overall package. Rented Telly with Turo and really liked it. But test drove Mdx 2022 and I was impressed with the build quality, Acura brand, dealers and service people. I did not like MDX for the weak acceleration and the infotainment. But liked USB C and wireless car play and superb handling. I was very convinced with Telly but the huge markups deter me. The Kia dealers are a joke and worried about lots of problems posted by fb group members regarding windshield, etc.
How reliable is Kia as a brand ? How is the service experience ? Do they agree fault and repair ? I have owned only Toyota previously and now own a Acura RDX. Acura MDX has less markup or no markup and SX Telly and mdx tech package costs same.
My heart says go with telluride but the brand, reliability and the Kia service reps, corporate tell me go with Acura. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[Tellthemride]

But test drove Mdx 2022 and I was impressed with the build quality, Acura brand, dealers and service people.

No doubt the service and waiting area experience at an Acura, or any luxury brand, dealership is going to be a better experience than a Kia dealership. Hands down.

But liked USB C and wireless car play and superb handling.

I bought a 12V USB C charger and Carlinkit 3.0 for my Telly. So fast charging and wireless carplay can be had in most cars.

I was very convinced with Telly but the huge markups deter me. The Kia dealers are a joke and worried about lots of problems posted by fb group members regarding windshield, etc.
How reliable is Kia as a brand ? How is the service experience ?

The car can be had at MSRP if you are willing to search and/or wait. No surprise people go to forums and message boards to complain, for ANY car make/model. Majority of owners have minor issues or none at all, which is why this car remains so high in rankings and is compared to other SUV’s as the benchmark to beat. Year after year. I’ve only had to bring the car in for oil changes and tire rotations in the past two years. The visits were pretty ordinary.

Do they agree fault and repair ? I have owned only Toyota previously and now own a Acura RDX. Acura MDX has less markup or no markup and SX Telly and mdx tech package costs same.
My heart says go with telluride but the brand, reliability and the Kia service reps, corporate tell me go with Acura. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

With any repair that requires warranty payout, all dealers will give you the runaround first and try to blame it on the owner negligence or environmental factors. Audi warranty was no difference for my last car. If it something common like the windshield, you will likely have little opposition.

 

[PittPa]

Sorry to break it to you, but the Honda and Acura bullet proof reliability is showing some holes. This is from an MDX owner of 15 years and 150,000 miles. The 2007 was a good car. But that was while ago.

 

[Hangfire]

Sorry, but I'd only be interested in the MDX in the Type S Advance package and that is $66K. IMO, other than that, the Telluride beats it in almost every area for the $.

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[thechief16]

Sorry to break it to you, but the Honda and Acura bullet proof reliability is showing some holes. This is from an MDX owner of 15 years and 150,000 miles. The 2007 was a good car. But that was while ago.

Agree. Had an 07 MDX that was a dream, upgraded to a '14 that has 110k now and has been less so, and now have an order in for a 2022 Telly rather than go MDX again. Better bang for the buck with the KIA, while I feel like Acura has been mailing it in for decade now.

 

[gettinlm]

I also looked hard at the MDX. The MDX is going to be a lot more fun to drive, and I do much prefer the looks of the new MDX to the last (bird beak) generation. Also, the brand appeal is there. Yes, this is a superficial point, but the Acura badge comes with more status. But Kia is changing that in strides. But it still has a ways to go before completely leaving its bargain-basement-brand reputation in the dust (only uneducated folks still hold that view, but it is still present).

The Telluride has so much going for it for the price- fully loaded and still $10,000 less than a similarly equipped (and smaller) MDX. If they were priced the same, this would be a much tougher call. But for now, it's the Telluride.