Moving On

[alexdrums]

I'm in a weird situation myself.

I own a 2010 Cadillac CTS with 160,000 miles. In February it was diagnosed with needing a new timing chain estimated at $2,500. I decided that I would rather put that money into a down payment on a new car instead of repairing the Cadillac now and in the future.

So, in the beginning of March, I test drove and ordered a new 2020 Kia Telluride for MSRP from a local dealer. I chose the Kia because I needed something with more cargo room, would be a good daily vehicle for my 2.5 hour commute (round-trip) and was under $50,000.

However my order has been delayed from May to June to now unknown. A silver lining of the pandemic had been I've been able to work from home and don't need a car right away.

So while I have been waiting for the Telluride, the newly revealed Bronco has caught my eye and I think I would like it more than the Kia especially since I don't have the need for a three row SUV as I don't have a family and I may not have to commute to my office full-time. Even though I don't off-road, I liked the look of it so much I reserved one.

So I have a little dilemma. Do I give up an excellent, well rated, safe daily commuter like the Telluride for an unknown vehicle like the Bronco that may be a terrible daily commuter?

I would love to hear other people's opinions.

Cars that are tuned for off road are usually not fun for the commute...the Toyota 4Runner is a good example. Don’t buy a car that specializes in something you don’t even do...no matter how good it looks!

 

[Jcf]

The wait on the Telluride such a short time compared to the Bronco. I considered the Bronco but not really even the same class of vehicle. I think we will all be happy with the Telluride. Mine should come in around October/November with the Wolf Gray.

 

[Jcf]

As others have said Your other options are not even in the same class as the Telluride. I think it’s best to have a budget, a list of needs, do the research and go from there.
We have two luxury vehicles and while they both are more powerful than the Telluride, I am pretty excited I can get that luxury feel, lots of space, amazing warranty and enough room for two big dogs for under 50K.

Long post incoming, but I finally got to test drive the Telluride after months of drooling over it...

I was underwhelmed, unfortunately. I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there. It felt better than a Kia Niro sure, but it still felt much less punchy than I expected. We were driving the S, which I thought was fairly nice, but when we pull in after the test drive, my wife turns to me and says “this doesn’t feel that nice.” Consider my mind blown and my world shattered.

We thanked the very friendly dealer (huge plus) for letting us drive and went on our way. I tried to justify my wife’s poor first-impression by taking her to see an SX Prestige that happened to be in the area. The interior was MUCH nicer, and now I understand why everyone wants a Prestige, but to my layman’s knowledge, it doesn’t change the performance of the vehicle, and I couldn’t shake how disappointed I was by the Telluride’s lack of pick up. I’d driven a Palisade SEL which felt just right in sport mode, and still felt smoother in comfort and eco modes than the Telly. So as we’re looking at this admittedly beautiful vehicle interior, I ask the salesmen what they’re asking, knowing full well there’s a markup. He tells me $10k over MSRP. I thank him too and we go on our way.

Now the SXP retails for around 47-48k. For the same price, I can get a base model Genesis GV80, or if I want to pay the markups being asked for it, I can get the mid-grade GV80. The base is 310 horsepower I believe. The mid-grade is 375. The interior looks leaps and bounds nicer than the Telluride even at the prestige level, and I don’t have to deal with the haggle buying experience going on right now (props to those Kia dealers willing to sell at MSRP, but you guys are unicorns, and usually 1500-2000 miles away).

There’s also the Bronco, which is coming this spring. Its high-end interior is well-appointed like the Telluride, and while it isn’t a people-mover, it’s a decent sized car with lots of room made even more so by windowed doors.

I’m not posting this to thumb my nose at the Telluride. I love the car. I have hated the buying experience. I was underwhelmed by the performance, and shocked by what I can get for a similar value and what I will assume (given Genesis is the brand’s luxury entry) will be a calm, straightforward buying process. The Bronco will probably be as obnoxious to buy as the Telluride has been, but who knows, Ford may have learned from Kia’s mistakes, and we may not have a pandemic shutting down factories.

My real reason for posting this is... am I missing something? Is there a reason to buy a Telluride over these other two alternatives when I felt some level of disappointment on my first test drive with it? I admittedly haven’t driven the GV80, but I’ve watched videos, and it looks like my ~50 grand is going to go much further with that vehicle, especially with the markups Kia salesmen are throwing at you.

 

[markjenn]

Just my $0.02, but I can’t imagine driving a Bronco for a 2.5-hr daily commute. Anybody wanting a Bronco should already be in the market for a Wrangler - they’re cut from the same cloth with a heavy emphasis on off-road capability’s at the expense of comfort and fuel mileage.

And owning the first year of a clean-sheet Ford design is super risky.

The hype surrounding the Bronco is ridiculous. It’s blinding people to what the car really is - a slightly refined version of the Wrangler with Ford Bronco nostalgia. I like it too, but keep your feet on the ground.

- Mark

______________________________

 

[Tellthemride]

I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there.

I read the original post to the end, but as soon as I got to this sentence I knew immediately where it was going.

It was smart of you to go for a test drive to figure exactly if you would like the engine performance. Majority of Telluride buyers know exactly what they are hoping to get out of the Telluride driving performance without test driving because top tier performance and handling are not a priority when considering this vehicle.

It’s also easy to forget about what class this car competes against because the build quality and features punches above its class, also consumers are confused because they think $10k markups is the only way to get this car. When you factor everything you get for MSRP, which it is possible to be had, nothing compares.

 

[noles1983]

Just my $0.02, but I can’t imagine driving a Bronco for a 2.5-hr daily commute. Anybody wanting a Bronco should already be in the market for a Wrangler - they’re cut from the same cloth with a heavy emphasis on off-road capability’s at the expense of comfort and fuel mileage.

And owning the first year of a clean-sheet Ford design is super risky.

The hype surrounding the Bronco is ridiculous. It’s blinding people to what the car really is - a slightly refined version of the Wrangler with Ford Bronco nostalgia. I like it too, but keep your feet on the ground.

- Mark

As a Wrangler daily driver owner, yes the Bronco hype is out of control. lol @ the thought of a 2.5-hr daily commute in a Wrangler/Bronco. I have made several 17 hour trips to Moab, UT. It is NOT fun driving there, the fun only starts once you get there and offroad

All that being said, I will never get rid of my Wrangler, I love it to death. I think the Bronco looks like the offspring of a FJ Cruiser and Kia Soul. But thats just me and im biased.

 

[ATL3630]

From what I read online - the Bronco production is behind and won't start shipping until June 2021 at the earliest. That's a long time away, particularly given the fragility of the world right now.

I cross shopped the 4Runner with the Telluride and I agree with the comments above, a vehicle designed for off road is not a good daily driver. To get the options I wanted in a 4Runner I needed a Limited, which doesn't have the same off-road chops as the Venture or TRD Pro. But those vehicles have ridiculous body roll on the road. Nose dip on breaking, leaning, etc. Great off road though.

 

[NCBill]

To me, if I was commuting in heavy traffic, then a mid-sized SUV would not be my choice. There are a myriad of better commuter cars out there. The Telluride is better when compared to the former leader in the family hauler category, the proverbial mini-van. Compared to a mini-van, the Telluride rocks. But if I was commuting, then something like a Toyota Camry would be my choice. Fortunately, I am done with the rat race (retired). Power and acceleration, not what you are typically going to find in this category.

Now a Bronco as a commuter or a family hauler? Not way. Its in that Jeep Wrangler category. I wouldn't commute in a Jeep, and I wouldn't commute in a Bronco either. But if I wanted to go off road in Moab, the new Bronco would be mighty nice. And quality wise, I would be counting on Ford being more reliable than Jeep.

______________________________

 

[2020Telly]

To me, if I was commuting in heavy traffic, then a mid-sized SUV would not be my choice. There are a myriad of better commuter cars out there. The Telluride is better when compared to the former leader in the family hauler category, the proverbial mini-van. Compared to a mini-van, the Telluride rocks. But if I was commuting, then something like a Toyota Camry would be my choice. Fortunately, I am done with the rat race (retired). Power and acceleration, not what you are typically going to find in this category.

Now a Bronco as a commuter or a family hauler? Not way. Its in that Jeep Wrangler category. I wouldn't commute in a Jeep, and I wouldn't commute in a Bronco either. But if I wanted to go off road in Moab, the new Bronco would be mighty nice. And quality wise, I would be counting on Ford being more reliable than Jeep.

I heard a rumor that Ford was considering spinning off the Bronco into a sub-brand.

 

[NDBlackEX]

It is a sub brand. Doing the same thing with Mustang and the Mach E.

Expect a Bronco pickup in the year or two after the regular Bronco launches.

 

[2020Telly]

It is a sub brand. Doing the same thing with Mustang and the Mach E.

Expect a Bronco pickup in the year or two after the regular Bronco launches.

I bet they would have done this sooner but they needed memories to fade from the OJ Simpson trial before reviving the Bronco namesake.

 

[ebox3000]

I read the original post to the end, but as soon as I got to this sentence I knew immediately where it was going.

It was smart of you to go for a test drive to figure exactly if you would like the engine performance. Majority of Telluride buyers know exactly what they are hoping to get out of the Telluride driving performance without test driving because top tier performance and handling are not a priority when considering this vehicle.

It’s also easy to forget about what class this car competes against because the build quality and features punches above its class, also consumers are confused because they think $10k markups is the only way to get this car. When you factor everything you get for MSRP, which it is possible to be had, nothing compares.

Exactly. I've had BMW SUVs (and currently own an aging 2012 X3) and the fit and finish and quality of materials of the Telluride competes... and I paid $57k for the X3 in 2012!... with the Telly, I'm $10k below what my X3 costs and have much more room.... also all things considered my Kia would still be under warranty while the X3 has had it's fair share of problems and I only have 80k miles on it. Thank goodness I purchased the extended warranty so all those issues have been fixed with a $50 copay... but that warranty expired last Thanksgiving.... so what I'm saying is anyone want to buy a 2012 M Sport X3?

______________________________

 

[jw_tx21]

so what I'm saying is anyone want to buy a 2012 M Sport X3?

Nope, I had a 2013 M sport 335i Convertible... fun, but I learned my lesson. An expensive lesson.

 

[MaximusPalisade]

Long post incoming, but I finally got to test drive the Telluride after months of drooling over it...

I was underwhelmed, unfortunately. I know that may catch me a lot of flak, but the power just wasn’t there. It felt better than a Kia Niro sure, but it still felt much less punchy than I expected. We were driving the S, which I thought was fairly nice, but when we pull in after the test drive, my wife turns to me and says “this doesn’t feel that nice.” Consider my mind blown and my world shattered.

We thanked the very friendly dealer (huge plus) for letting us drive and went on our way. I tried to justify my wife’s poor first-impression by taking her to see an SX Prestige that happened to be in the area. The interior was MUCH nicer, and now I understand why everyone wants a Prestige, but to my layman’s knowledge, it doesn’t change the performance of the vehicle, and I couldn’t shake how disappointed I was by the Telluride’s lack of pick up. I’d driven a Palisade SEL which felt just right in sport mode, and still felt smoother in comfort and eco modes than the Telly. So as we’re looking at this admittedly beautiful vehicle interior, I ask the salesmen what they’re asking, knowing full well there’s a markup. He tells me $10k over MSRP. I thank him too and we go on our way.

Now the SXP retails for around 47-48k. For the same price, I can get a base model Genesis GV80, or if I want to pay the markups being asked for it, I can get the mid-grade GV80. The base is 310 horsepower I believe. The mid-grade is 375. The interior looks leaps and bounds nicer than the Telluride even at the prestige level, and I don’t have to deal with the haggle buying experience going on right now (props to those Kia dealers willing to sell at MSRP, but you guys are unicorns, and usually 1500-2000 miles away).

There’s also the Bronco, which is coming this spring. Its high-end interior is well-appointed like the Telluride, and while it isn’t a people-mover, it’s a decent sized car with lots of room made even more so by windowed doors.

I’m not posting this to thumb my nose at the Telluride. I love the car. I have hated the buying experience. I was underwhelmed by the performance, and shocked by what I can get for a similar value and what I will assume (given Genesis is the brand’s luxury entry) will be a calm, straightforward buying process. The Bronco will probably be as obnoxious to buy as the Telluride has been, but who knows, Ford may have learned from Kia’s mistakes, and we may not have a pandemic shutting down factories.

My real reason for posting this is... am I missing something? Is there a reason to buy a Telluride over these other two alternatives when I felt some level of disappointment on my first test drive with it? I admittedly haven’t driven the GV80, but I’ve watched videos, and it looks like my ~50 grand is going to go much further with that vehicle, especially with the markups Kia salesmen are throwing at you.

just wanted to let you know that most Hyundai dealerships are at or within 1k of MSRP. Bought my calligraphy one month ago for MSRP - veteran incentive (500USD). YMMV.