Motor Trend - 2020 Kia Telluride vs. 2020 Toyota Highlander

[YEH]

2020 Toyota Highlander vs. 2020 Kia Telluride Comparison Test - MotorTrend

The 2020 Toyota Highlander is much improved from Toyota's last 3-row SUV, but how does it compare to our SUV of the Year, the 2020 Kia Telluride?

www.motortrend.com

Overall, the Highlander's cabin is a mixed bag, but entering the Telluride is like getting upgraded from economy to business class. "This interior stands out from the get-go," MotorTrend en Español managing editor Miguel Cortina said. "The design and attention to detail, from the stitching on the seats to the wood on the dashboard, makes this interior look sharp."

Even ignoring the material quality difference between the disparate Telluride and Highlander trims, the Telluride comes out on top. Its fundamental design is exceptional...

To that end, the Highlander is a miss. Its biggest issues are its engine and transmission. Continuing a long, frustrating tradition for Toyota, the Highlander's V-6 makes the majority of its 295 hp almost at redline—a space on the tach that few customers would ever dare explore—while its eight-speed automatic's tall gearing and tendency to get into eighth gear as quickly as possible further frustrates acceleration.

The Highlander doesn't steer or handle any better than it accelerates. Steering feel is numb and vague, leading to lots of frequent corrections as you navigate winding roads. Toyota's pillow-soft suspension tuning isolates passengers from most of the rough stuff going on underneath, but it's prone to roll hard in corners and float over bumps, prompting some comparisons to Toyota's Sienna minivan.

The Telluride, though not faultless, is the far superior drive of the two. The most impressive part about it is how well balanced it feels. Its suspension is firm without being punishing; it handles smartly, with good feedback and feel; and there's none of the tail-wagging-the-dog sensation that so many of the front-drive-based vehicles in this segment exhibit. Despite being nowhere near a sporty SUV, the Kia nevertheless manages to be confidence-inspiring on a good road.

The only ground the Telluride leaves for the Highlander is in official EPA fuel economy estimates. The Highlander is rated at 20/27/23 mpg city/highway/combined, whereas the Telluride nets 19/24/21 mpg. But as the saying goes, "Your mileage may vary." On our 135-mile evaluation loop, the Kia returned 19.7 mpg; the Toyota scored 18.1 mpg. You can credit the difference to the Kia's superior engine and transmission tuning.

The Kia beats the newer Toyota in pretty much all depts., even fuel economy.

And the new Highlander is on the up-to-date Toyota TNGA platform, whereas the Telluride won't get the new Hyundai N3 platform til the next gen.

 

[MarcinTexas]

Impressive. More positive press to drive sales...and wait times.

 

[jw_tx21]

2020 Toyota Highlander vs. 2020 Kia Telluride Comparison Test - MotorTrend

The 2020 Toyota Highlander is much improved from Toyota's last 3-row SUV, but how does it compare to our SUV of the Year, the 2020 Kia Telluride?

www.motortrend.com

The Kia beats the newer Toyota in pretty much all depts., even fuel economy.

And the new Highlander is on the up-to-date Toyota TNGA platform, whereas the Telluride won't get the new Hyundai N3 platform til the next gen.

Yet another favorable review. And Toyota sells nearly 20k of those Highlanders per month... if those customers come over to Kia, demand will remain off the charts for the foreseeable future given that Kia can't produce anywhere near 20k / month. Wow.

 

[blitt]

Yet another favorable review. And Toyota sells nearly 20k of those Highlanders per month... if those customers come over to Kia, demand will remain off the charts for the foreseeable future given that Kia can't produce anywhere near 20k / month. Wow.

....and, sadly, the current 'virus thing" in S. Koreais going to eventually affect production process!