Just bought an LX AWD - Review

[Steve in Denver]

I just bought an LX AWD in the dark gray color, only real add-on was the home link rear view mirror.

For the most part I really like it. It’s truly impressive for $35k...couldn’t touch it with any other vehicle at that price, and probably not even for $5k more.

Annoyances so far:
1. The turn signal doesn’t click with consistent timing. Like 4 or 5 equally spaced ticks, and then a fast tick, followed by 4 or 5 more normally spaced ticks. Is this a universal issue or just a quirk with mine?

2. The blower motor is really loud. Reminds me of my old Volvo 240. This may only be an issue with the LX (manual / single zone climate control up front)

3. Some wind noise at highway speeds.

4. Mediocre visibility over my left shoulder. The blind spot monitor is quite good, though, so this isn’t a huge issue.

5. The cargo weight specifications were really, really hard to figure out from online resources. I thought I was getting significantly more weight capacity than I actually ended up with (this was one of the reasons I went with the LX, but it turned out to be incorrect). I still really don’t understand what my weight capacity is. I think Kia screwed this one up pretty badly. (Similar to the tongue weight debacle)

6. I’m nervous about having a DI engine that doesn’t also have port injection to keep the intake valves clean.


It might sound like I’m unhappy with the purchase, but I’m actually really impressed with it overall, and I’d buy it again (although I might consider other trims now that I know about the weight issue). I never buy the first model year of a new vehicle or redesign...I’m sure they will address some things in a year or two. I was in a situstion where I couldn’t wait...and the Telluride was the only vehicle that really met my needs.

Steve

 

[jazzyone]

I just bought an LX AWD in the dark gray color, only real add-on was the home link rear view mirror.

For the most part I really like it. It’s truly impressive for $35k...couldn’t touch it with any other vehicle at that price, and probably not even for $5k more.

Annoyances so far:
1. The turn signal doesn’t click with consistent timing. Like 4 or 5 equally spaced ticks, and then a fast tick, followed by 4 or 5 more normally spaced ticks. Is this a universal issue or just a quirk with mine?

2. The blower motor is really loud. Reminds me of my old Volvo 240. This may only be an issue with the LX (manual / single zone climate control up front)

3. Some wind noise at highway speeds.

4. Mediocre visibility over my left shoulder. The blind spot monitor is quite good, though, so this isn’t a huge issue.

5. The cargo weight specifications were really, really hard to figure out from online resources. I thought I was getting significantly more weight capacity than I actually ended up with (this was one of the reasons I went with the LX, but it turned out to be incorrect). I still really don’t understand what my weight capacity is. I think Kia screwed this one up pretty badly. (Similar to the tongue weight debacle)

6. I’m nervous about having a DI engine that doesn’t also have port injection to keep the intake valves clean.


It might sound like I’m unhappy with the purchase, but I’m actually really impressed with it overall, and I’d buy it again (although I might consider other trims now that I know about the weight issue). I never buy the first model year of a new vehicle or redesign...I’m sure they will address some things in a year or two. I was in a situstion where I couldn’t wait...and the Telluride was the only vehicle that really met my needs.

Steve

1) it does that on mine.

2) noise is subjective. It’s not loud to me, especially on low. I recently rented an Infinity QX80 and now that was loud. It sounded like a wind tunnel on high.

3) hardly notice any wind noise

4) Agree, but I think looking over your left shoulder general gives you less visibility due to the proximity to the B pillar. I aim my mirrors at the blind spot to help mitigate this problem.

5) Are you talking rear cargo or roof rack? Either case, I am not sure why a trim level would be rated to carry more than another.

6) Use top tier gas and use cleaners as recommend in the manual. TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands

 

[jazzyone]

Double Post

 

[Steve in Denver]

2) noise is subjective. It’s not loud to me, especially on low. I recently rented an Infinity QX80 and now that was loud. It sounded like a wind tunnel on high.

3) hardly notice any wind noise

4) Agree, but I think looking over your left shoulder general gives you less visibility due to the proximity to the B pillar. I aim my mirrors at the blind spot to help mitigate this problem.

5) Are you talking rear cargo or roof rack? Either case, I am not sure why a trim level would be rated to carry more than another.

6) Use top tier gas and use cleaners as recommend in the manual. TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands

Blower noise is fine on low, and I don’t think speed 2 is very loud either, but the highest 2 settings are fairly loud compared to my Outback and Sienna. It’s not a big deal, but it’s a refinement I think they should make in the future. They paid such close attention to other details that this seems like it was overlooked.

As far as wind noise, it is a whistle type of sound and doesn’t happen all the time. Might just be with the right cross-wind, or specific speeds. Not a major issue, but I had gotten used to not having it on my other cars. Again, a detail that I think they will address in time.

The cargo weight issue is a huge annoyance for me. I regularly tow a camper (tongue weight of about 300 lbs) and a fully loaded vehicle (5 people). The best I can tell they have two weight ratings - one for 8 passenger (1323 lb) and one for 7 (1173 lbs) and it seems like it is unrelated to other factors. So while not strictly a trim issue, the only 8 seat configurations I could find were LX. The rest were 7 seat, so they had the lower weight rating.

What really annoys me about this is that the implied weight rating (GVWR - curb weight) is *much* higher. Something like 1600 lbs. I really could use the extra weight, but since they specified a lower cargo weight rating for some reason I probably have to follow the lower number for liability reasons.

This issue is the one thing that gives me pause, and I might have purchased a Pilot or something else if I had fully understood this. Oh, well. I will make it work. But it’s annoying, particularly because I don’t think there is any reason for it. Consider the 7 vs 8 passenger configurations. They are identical otherwise, so why can’t s 7 passenger configuration carry the same weight. Totally dumb.

______________________________

 

[ucinn]

I think the atkinson cycle of this engine will help keep those deposits from building up, but we shall see.

 

[Steve in Denver]

My sienna was Atkinson cycle, but still had port injectors (I think the primary reason for these was to keep the intake valves clean)

As for gas type, I do pay attention (always try to get Top Tier) but I’m not sure that will help with intake valve deposits since it is direct injection.

As you say, we will see.

 

[Luvcats69]

Do all trims have the same interior noise at highway speed?

 

[jazzyone]

Blower noise is fine on low, and I don’t think speed 2 is very loud either, but the highest 2 settings are fairly loud compared to my Outback and Sienna. It’s not a big deal, but it’s a refinement I think they should make in the future. They paid such close attention to other details that this seems like it was overlooked.

As far as wind noise, it is a whistle type of sound and doesn’t happen all the time. Might just be with the right cross-wind, or specific speeds. Not a major issue, but I had gotten used to not having it on my other cars. Again, a detail that I think they will address in time.

The cargo weight issue is a huge annoyance for me. I regularly tow a camper (tongue weight of about 300 lbs) and a fully loaded vehicle (5 people). The best I can tell they have two weight ratings - one for 8 passenger (1323 lb) and one for 7 (1173 lbs) and it seems like it is unrelated to other factors. So while not strictly a trim issue, the only 8 seat configurations I could find were LX. The rest were 7 seat, so they had the lower weight rating.

What really annoys me about this is that the implied weight rating (GVWR - curb weight) is *much* higher. Something like 1600 lbs. I really could use the extra weight, but since they specified a lower cargo weight rating for some reason I probably have to follow the lower number for liability reasons.

This issue is the one thing that gives me pause, and I might have purchased a Pilot or something else if I had fully understood this. Oh, well. I will make it work. But it’s annoying, particularly because I don’t think there is any reason for it. Consider the 7 vs 8 passenger configurations. They are identical otherwise, so why can’t s 7 passenger configuration carry the same weight. Totally dumb.

Never heard whistling noise in my EX

The EX also has 8 seats, but I don’t think there are suspension differences between trims (except with tow package). The weight difference between 7 and 8 passenger is only 150 lbs? Lol... US average weight is around 200 lbs. I guess the bench seats are only meant for kids or smaller adults.

______________________________

 

[jazzyone]

Do all trims have the same interior noise at highway speed?

the EX and SX has acoustic windshield and front glass. The LX and S has it only in the windshield. So the EX and SX should be theoretically more quiet.

 

[Steve in Denver]

The weight difference between 7 and 8 passenger is only 150 lbs? Lol... US average weight is around 200 lbs. I guess the bench seats are only meant for kids or smaller adults.

Yeah, the 150 lb difference for the additional passenger is not enough, but the real issue is that it reduces you overall load carrying capacity for no reason. So if you have a 7 passenger configuration, you only get 1173 lbs to work with. If you tow a max weight trailer (500 lb tongue weight) you are left with 673 lbs for other cargo and passengers, which isn't much. What makes it maddening (to me, anyway) is that with those guidelines you could never get anywhere near the GVWR. Curb weight is 4255 + 1173 max load = 5428 lbs, but GVWR is 5917 lbs. Almost 500 lbs of GVWR capacity that you can't use, at least not according to the max cargo weight spec.

 

[alexdrums]

Does the cargo weight capacity increase with the Towing Package?

 

[Steve in Denver]

I'm not sure, but based on the information presented in the owner's manual it looks like there are two cargo weight numbers. My owner's manual has 4 tire and loading information labels (page 5-159 and 5-160) Basically 7 or 8 passenger and 18 or 20 inch wheels. 1173 for 7 pass, 1323 for 8 pass. No mention of the towing package / self leveling suspension.

All of the other specs suggest it would be able to carry significantly more load. It really feels like there isn't a good reason for their load numbers, rather they just multiplied the number of seating positions by 150 lbs and added 120ish pounds for other cargo. I mean, what's the reason the 8 passenger can hold 1323 lbs, but the 7 passenger can only hold 1173...it's ridiculous.

______________________________