Motortrend - October 2019 - Squares Square Off: 2020 Kia Telluride vs. 2019 Subaru Ascent Back-2-Back Test

[Michelw]

In the October 2019 issue of Motortrend, they compared the Telluride vs the 2019 Ascent.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/kia...uride-vs-2019-subaru-ascent-back-2-back-test/

Conclusion
So that's three for Ascent, four for Telluride—several of which were photo finishes—and one draw. That puts Telluride ahead by a nose in this early, quick back-to-back matchup—a more definitive win if you value cargo capacity, impressive feature content, and bold, striking design over other considerations (several SoCal staffers have been stopped and engaged in conversation by awestruck strangers). We tend to favor the Subaru in this pairing thanks to its superior acceleration, off-road advantages, and more comfortable seating. And we're itching to watch things shake out in a rigorous Big Test of all players.

 

[Husker Soze]

Ascent was on the top of my list...until I saw the Telluride. Just looking at the feature list, the Telluride seems to have a big advantage on that. Note that I haven't test driven the Telluride yet, so that's still yet to be determined if stays on the top of my list.

 

[Brett3550]

Love the Telluride but at least Subaru had enough sense to add a 4 & 7 pin connector to their (500 lb max tongue weight) hitch.

 

[Husker Soze]

Love the Telluride but at least Subaru had enough sense to add a 4 & 7 pin connector to their (500 lb max tongue weight) hitch.

...also nice that they have a cover for the hitch when not in use. That rear view mirror/camera is also great feature.

But I will most likely get the Telluride vs the Ascent. Just more features that I really like .... plus the "19 cup holders" marketing schtick just wasn't working for me for the Ascent.

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[Columnshift]

does the telluride have a smart rear view mirror like the ascent touring? looking close at both too bad can't get a sx vs touring feature by feature comparison if you know of one let me know.
will test drive both this saturday

when i test drive what should i make sure i "test" in both? rear access, room behind 3rd seat. cup holders for both bottles and large drinks
big issue COMFORT AND QUIET RIDE. both have reasonable power but give me some direction looking at the sx-p vs ascent touring

 

[Husker Soze]

does the telluride have a smart rear view mirror like the ascent touring? looking close at both too bad can't get a sx vs touring feature by feature comparison if you know of one let me know.
will test drive both this saturday

when i test drive what should i make sure i "test" in both? rear access, room behind 3rd seat. cup holders for both bottles and large drinks
big issue COMFORT AND QUIET RIDE. both have reasonable power but give me some direction looking at the sx-p vs ascent touring

No.

It really depends on the features you're looking for. I test drove the Ascent and thought that it's still lacking power. The infotaintment was the weak link for me. For that amount of money...it's pretty basic and looks like they're a few years behind on the technology front.

 

[Jaggrey]

When I test drove both I thought the Ascent’s steering felt really loose and the suspension kinda soft - it seemed to lean quite a bit. I drove it like 3 times thinking maybe I just wasn’t used to it - I currently drive a Mazda 6. But even my wife’s CX-5 or CX-9s I’ve driven have felt much more buttoned down than the Ascent. Then I test drove the Palisade and eventually the Telluride and they felt much closer to the Mazda than I was expecting. Totally different feel than the Ascent.