What's the one essential feature missing from the Telluride?

[2020Telly]

We discussed that possibility in posts #2 & 3 above.

If you want the look of something that looks more "off-road" you can buy aftermarket screw on recovery tow hooks and just leave them on. I just don't see being able to do something like a Jeep with the amount of plastic covering the front end of the Telluride in front of the frame.

 

[3Rivers]

If you want the look of something that looks more "off-road" you can buy aftermarket screw on recovery tow hooks and just leave them on. I just don't see being able to do something like a Jeep with the amount of plastic covering the front end of the Telluride in front of the frame.

It's not about the appearance so much as ease of access. I actually think the red hooks on a Trailhawk can sometimes look garish, but there's no question that you won't have to fumble for them, or pry open a hidden panel, in the dark or under the snow. That said, we don't/didn't have them on our 4x4 Cherokees, and we survived.

With anything owner-installed, I always wonder whether it will able to take the full weight of the vehicle when necessary.

 

[2020Telly]

It's not about the appearance so much as ease of access. I actually think the red hooks on a Trailhawk can sometimes look garish, but there's no question that you won't have to fumble for them, or pry open a hidden panel, in the dark or under the snow. That said, we don't/didn't have them on our 4x4 Cherokees, and we survived.

With anything owner-installed, I always wonder whether it will able to take the full weight of the vehicle when necessary.

If you didn't have them visible, unless you had a massive skid plate, you probably had an easy way to attach to the frame on a 4x4 cherokee that safely work for a recovery strap. The 2020-2022 Telluride doesn't have any easy way to attach a recovery strap. Tug from the from the front fascia that will go flying before you can recover the Telluride and strap to the front suspension and you might be driving funny after damaging the frontend. That's why I think it's essential on the Telluride. Doesn't have to take on the full weight, just enough to give you a little help to get out of a tricky situation.

 

[veloduffer]

The Telluride keeps all these running with ISG activated as well. Unless you mean with the electric motor, the fan speed was maintained on high speeds and the AC compressor stays on.

I think the ISG shuts down the climate if the temperature outside is not hot or cold. When it is was in the 60s last week, the A/C turned off when I was at the traffic light, as the temperature wasn't extreme.

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[Tellthemride]

View attachment 26938
I'm stuck with this when i don't want to take the time to set up my Bluetooth, open a music app, figure out what i want to listen to... Now, they actually added the capability to make a playlist on the infotainment screen by checking boxes of artists or albums you want. But, when you turn the car off, it doesn't save it. It ends up only playing the artist or album it was playing when you shut the car off. I had a cheap jeep cherokee as a rental once and it let me play an iPod and AA at the same time.

I've probably driven 20+ newer models of vehicles in the past few years and the Telluride is the only thing I couldn't plug my iPod into. I didn't bother as the Sedona I test drove worked with my iPod so i figured it was automatic. (Why wouldn't it be?) It really ticked me off when I bought it. So much so, I was going to exchange it for an Odyssey but they didn't have a blue Elite in their dealership group.

Apple now gets $10 a month from me for Apple Music which is worthless on AA so I have to control it via my phone. They limit what you can do through the infotainment center in the name of safety... So I guess I'll just mess around with my phone while I'm driving rather than pushing a button and just telling the car what I want to hear like most other cars do. Yes, I'm triggered haha.

If you bought a bluetooth transmitter for your iPod, you can probably get the setup you are looking for. Music from the iPod and maps from AA.

Amazon.com : bluetooth transmitter

All the telluride is missing is an Aux port, which most modern phones don’t come with anymore. Likely why they skimped on it.

 

[Tellthemride]

I think the ISG shuts down the climate if the temperature outside is not hot or cold. When it is was in the 60s last week, the A/C turned off when I was at the traffic light, as the temperature wasn't extreme.

If you pay attention next time, you should see climate controls stay on. What happens is the fan speed lowers to circulate the in cabin air and the AC compressor turns off, so technically won’t get any colder. But once your interior cabin temp gets too far from the set temperature, your engine should start again.

 

[ronniebell]

While car shopping last month, I noticed in the forums that many Palisade owners are annoyed by the lack of power-folding mirrors on their vehicle. They seem especially upset that this feature wasn't added as part of the 2023 refresh. Second place on their wish list seems to be fog lights.

Of course, the Telluride has both those coveted features, but is missing other things. Which is the most important? What's the one feature you wished the Telluride offered, but doesn't? I don't mean what may be missing from your personal Telluride; this poll is asking about features that aren't available on any trim, even as an option. And if the feature is coming on the 2023s, it's considered covered, so a fully digital gauge cluster is no longer a missing item. If your pick isn't listed in the poll, please mention it in a comment.

I would like to see walk-away locks. My 2019 Honda Insight had them. When I first started driving my 2021 Telluride S, I was so disappointed that this feature was not part of the package.

 

[3Rivers]

I would like to see walk-away locks. My 2019 Honda Insight had them. When I first started driving my 2021 Telluride S, I was so disappointed that this feature was not part of the package.

If I leave the Telluride unlocked, even in my own garage, eventually I receive an alert from Kia Connect on my phone. Then I send a lock command from wherever I happen to be.

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[NDBlackEX]

If you bought a bluetooth transmitter for your iPod, you can probably get the setup you are looking for. Music from the iPod and maps from AA.

Amazon.com : bluetooth transmitter

All the telluride is missing is an Aux port, which most modern phones don’t come with anymore. Likely why they skimped on it.

First off, apologies for hijacking this thread...

I'm not interested in AA maps plus iPod necessarily. I was just making light of the fact that a vehicle that cost 30% less than mine had more functionality when it came to electronic accessories. I haven't used AA in my personal car in probably 18 months, I don't find it useful. I do use it for maps if a rental car doesn't have navigation.

I want to use my iPod because when I purchase new music, it takes me 30 seconds to sync it with my computer. The mp3 player requires me to go in and physically find the files and copy them to the player. I have not updated the music on my SanDisk mp3 player in the nearly two years I've had the car because it's a hassle. So, I use Apple Music if I really want to listen to something new in the Telluride.

My other vehicles get their iPods synced with fresh music anytime I get some. I used to sync all three cars' iPods and have them back in the car in about 5 minutes total. It's so simple. The mp3 player in the Telluride basically serves as a small bank of music so if I'm making quick trips, I don't have to fuss with my phone to have some music in the car. I haven't listened to the radio since they started putting usb ports in cars. I just hook up my iPod and it works every time. Well, with all but one vehicle...

It seems silly to me that you can't manually input an address into the nav while moving due to safety reasons but then they make you navigate your media manually on the screen. Well, I make it work but it's my biggest gripe with the vehicle and it's a huge deal for this music lover.

As for your music subscription, just drop Apple Music and go with Amazon Music instead.

I won't go to Amazon. Their streaming library has too many gaps for me and they don't pay the artists very well compared to Apple. (I have musician friends who's music I stream to help them out.) I also have iPods in the two other cars so I like the ease of use.

 

[voxel]

A RAV4 Prime like powerplant. The Telluride's low-end power is absolutely anemic. The Prime has 302hp and can do 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds while getting 38mpg. The Telluride's powertrain is straight up garbage for a modern car. Everything else is wonderful.

 

[Tellthemride]

First off, apologies for hijacking this thread...

I'm not interested in AA maps plus iPod necessarily. I was just making light of the fact that a vehicle that cost 30% less than mine had more functionality when it came to electronic accessories. I haven't used AA in my personal car in probably 18 months, I don't find it useful. I do use it for maps if a rental car doesn't have navigation.

I want to use my iPod because when I purchase new music, it takes me 30 seconds to sync it with my computer. The mp3 player requires me to go in and physically find the files and copy them to the player. I have not updated the music on my SanDisk mp3 player in the nearly two years I've had the car because it's a hassle. So, I use Apple Music if I really want to listen to something new in the Telluride.

My other vehicles get their iPods synced with fresh music anytime I get some. I used to sync all three cars' iPods and have them back in the car in about 5 minutes total. It's so simple. The mp3 player in the Telluride basically serves as a small bank of music so if I'm making quick trips, I don't have to fuss with my phone to have some music in the car. I haven't listened to the radio since they started putting usb ports in cars. I just hook up my iPod and it works every time. Well, with all but one vehicle...

It seems silly to me that you can't manually input an address into the nav while moving due to safety reasons but then they make you navigate your media manually on the screen. Well, I make it work but it's my biggest gripe with the vehicle and it's a huge deal for this music lover.

I won't go to Amazon. Their streaming library has too many gaps for me and they don't pay the artists very well compared to Apple. (I have musician friends who's music I stream to help them out.) I also have iPods in the two other cars so I like the ease of use.

Ok, but even if you don’t care about AA in the Telluride, you can still use your iPod if you buy a wireless bluetooth transmitter. If your issue is not being able to use your iPod in the car, this is the solution.

A RAV4 Prime like powerplant. The Telluride's low-end power is absolutely anemic. The Prime has 302hp and can do 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds while getting 38mpg. The Telluride's powertrain is straight up garbage for a modern car. Everything else is wonderful.

Rav4 can accelerate to 60 in 1.3 seconds faster than the Telluride. You are calling the Telluride garbage for going 1.3 seconds slower? Also trying to compare a mid size ICE SUV to a compact SUV hybrid for gas mileage. Might as well be another person on this forum to say “well for $50k I expect this car to do dhahwbdushwbrusshvedugsvedisvbedusbebdhshbddjshebdjshbrxhshdhsuebdjsjh”.

 

[NDBlackEX]

Ok, but even if you don’t care about AA in the Telluride, you can still use your iPod if you buy a wireless bluetooth transmitter. If your issue is not being able to use your iPod in the car, this is the solution.

I could just use the Bluetooth on the iPod... I've been over all this. If I want to control my music beyond just skipping a track, I would need to navigate the 1" touchscreen on the device to do it. I get all the same music on Apple Music but again I must control it from my phone. The whole point is that in my other vehicles, my music is hooked up and ready to roll without having to plug my phone in or turn on Bluetooth and set up what I want to listen to and it's all controlable by voice command.

The Apple app on AA does have some voice command capability but for example; if you ask it to play a particular track, it plays that track and then just stops after it's over. Whereas my Ford Sync system will play that track and then just continue to play random tracks on its own. Apple on AA also limits what it shows you on the infotainment screen. Like, it will only show you the first couple of artists under each letter so if you're trying to use the car's display to find an artist who isn't one of the first few alphabetized, you can't access them. Again, it's a safety thing giving you limited search options and the other music apps I tried were basically the same.

But, at the end of the day, if Kia's music control voice commands worked anything like the Nav/UVO system it would probably be worthless anyway. It can't comprehend any numerical addresses as simple as 101 8th Ave S but if I ask it the most random questions like: "When's the next Denver Broncos game? or When's the Chinese new year?" it doesn't miss.

The forum needs more content that is about the pleasures and pains of ownership rather

There's some content on the pains of ownership!

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[ronniebell]

If I leave the Telluride unlocked, even in my own garage, eventually I receive an alert from Kia Connect on my phone. Then I send a lock command from wherever I happen to be.

Yes, I did this the first year, but as of June 18 of this year, my subscription is no longer active. It's the one year birthday of my Telluride (now with 20,000+ miles). I still get the alert on my iPhone, but the ability to lock the door via my iPhone is no longer available. I didn't want to continue the subscription @$20/mo.

 

[ronniebell]

A RAV4 Prime like powerplant. The Telluride's low-end power is absolutely anemic. The Prime has 302hp and can do 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds while getting 38mpg. The Telluride's powertrain is straight up garbage for a modern car. Everything else is wonderful.

The Toyota Rav Prime also has a very large battery which helps that acceleration. The Telluride's powertrain is far from "garbage." If you compare it to SUVs of the same category, like the Honda Pilot and the Toyota Highlander, I'm pretty sure it's comporable.

 

[voxel]

The Toyota Rav Prime also has a very large battery which helps that acceleration. The Telluride's powertrain is far from "garbage." If you compare it to SUVs of the same category, like the Honda Pilot and the Toyota Highlander, I'm pretty sure it's comporable.

Similar class cars.. sure. But overall in 10 years nobody will look at the Telluride powertrain and consider it anything but mediocre or subpar. It's wholly lacking on the low-end and not efficient at all. I barely getting 22mpg. In 10 years, we will have hybrids or EV powertrains that are more powerful, smooth, efficient. In 10 years the RAV4 Prime powertrain will still be used, idolized, and copied endlessly.

 

[2020Telly]

Similar class cars.. sure. But overall in 10 years nobody will look at the Telluride powertrain and consider it anything but mediocre or subpar. It's wholly lacking on the low-end and not efficient at all. I barely getting 22mpg. In 10 years, we will have hybrids or EV powertrains that are more powerful, smooth, efficient. In 10 years the RAV4 Prime powertrain will still be used, idolized, and copied endlessly.

Interesting opinion. I'm doubtful that will be the case in 10 years. I think people will appreciate what it was when it was new (like the flip phone for it's day). But where we will be in 10 years with EVs and batteries and the speed of innovation, I doubt people will be copying the vehicles of today. If anything I think people will be saying, wow I can't believe we use to pay that much for just 62mi range on battery and it still required gas!

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[voxel]

Interesting opinion. I'm doubtful that will be the case in 10 years. I think people will appreciate what it was when it was new (like the flip phone for it's day). But where we will be in 10 years with EVs and batteries and the speed of innovation, I doubt people will be copying the vehicles of today. If anything I think people will be saying, wow I can't believe we use to pay that much for just 62mi range on battery and it still required gas!

Folks drive the Prime mostly in EV mode. You hear about folks filling up once every two months. I owned a Prime too and I filled up two tanks (about 10 gallons per fillup due to Toyota having a 4 gallon buffer) maybe in 2000 miles of ownership (before I essentially traded it for a Telluride). I loved the powertrain. It was butter smooth (like an EV) and provided tons of power (Tesla like) throughout.

The Telly is comfortable but anemic at the low end and very janky. The mpg straight up is terrible.

I basically only drive the Telluride on longer trips. Only 1200 miles in 8 weeks of ownership. I drive my EVs wheneverpossible (and not to save money or gas)... I simply dislike the low-speed drivetrain of the Telluride. It's not enjoyable in stop and go traffic.

 

[voxel]

Rav4 can accelerate to 60 in 1.3 seconds faster than the Telluride. You are calling the Telluride garbage for going 1.3 seconds slower? Also trying to compare a mid size ICE SUV to a compact SUV hybrid for gas mileage. Might as well be another person on this forum to say “well for $50k I expect this car to do dhahwbdushwbrusshvedugsvedisvbedusbebdhshbddjshebdjshbrxhshdhsuebdjsjh”.

"for a modern car" - which includes EVs.

Telly is not really a $50K car. It's minivan frame with an SUV body that basically is a $37K car with nice safety features. The drivetrain is the weakest area.

MPG for the Telluride is par for the segment but not good when hybrid drivetrains like the Prime operate solely in gas/HV mode and still get 38mpg (Highlander supposedly 35mpg). The Atkinson cycle engines are tuned to run efficiently for higher car speeds (i.e over 45mph) and at lower speeds it is basically an EV drivetrain. That's what Kia needs to do in the future. I get 19mpg in the city on my Telly and 22mpg overall. All of that city driving could be electric and provide a smoother more pleasant daily low-speed driving experience.

Love my Telly on longer trips. Day to day in the city - no thanks.

 

[2020Telly]

Folks drive the Prime mostly in EV mode. You hear about folks filling up once every two months. I owned a Prime too and I filled up two tanks (about 10 gallons per fillup due to Toyota having a 4 gallon buffer) maybe in 2000 miles of ownership (before I essentially traded it for a Telluride). I loved the powertrain. It was butter smooth (like an EV) and provided tons of power (Tesla like) throughout.

The Telly is comfortable but anemic at the low end and very janky. The mpg straight up is terrible.

I basically only drive the Telluride on longer trips. Only 1200 miles in 8 weeks of ownership. I drive my EVs wheneverpossible (and not to save money or gas)... I simply dislike the low-speed drivetrain of the Telluride. It's not enjoyable in stop and go traffic.

For what the Telluride's engine is it is actually impressive that they can get that much power 262lb-ft and maintain that much horsepower (291hp) in a mass produced naturally aspirated V6 engine and still get over 20mpg. It's on the larger side non-turbo v6 with a 3.8L.

If you look at the other 3.8L or greater V6 non-turbo Naturally Aspirated ICE engines out there

• Chevy/GM 4.3L V6 on the Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra that only gets 285 HP and 16 mpg city.
• Toyota 4Runner 4.0L V6 gets 245HP and 16 mpg city.
• The Nissan Frontier 3.8L V6 is the only one that beats the Telluride and Palisade with 310 HP and 281ft-lb of torque but it still only gets 18MPG.

I don't think comparing the Telluride to a Rav4 Prime is an apples to apples comparison. Regardless it's a dying technology on the Telluride for sure if any part of the claims are true that Hyundai is shutting down their internal combustion engine development to focus on electric cars.

 

[2020Telly]

"for a modern car" - which includes EVs.

Telly is not really a $50K car. It's minivan frame with an SUV body that basically is a $37K car with nice safety features. The drivetrain is the weakest area.

MPG for the Telluride is par for the segment but not good when hybrid drivetrains like the Prime operate solely in gas/HV mode and still get 38mpg (Highlander supposedly 35mpg). The Atkinson cycle engines are tuned to run efficiently for higher car speeds (i.e over 45mph) and at lower speeds it is basically an EV drivetrain.

I appreciate that you really loved your RAV4 Prime but I hope that in time you will come to hug your Telluride and appreciate it for what it is. A great value fuel burning vehicle that seats 7-8 with enough power, cargo space and safety features compared to it's large mid-sized SUV class during in a transitional period when we will be looking at all electric right around the corner.

I personally think you are giving Toyota and the RAV4 Prime a lot more credit than due. It's built on years of Prius technology development and experience. However, it's basically a low speed electric vehicle paired with a very small efficient fuel burning high compression Atkinson cycle engine in a small SUV (just like the larger Atkinson cycle Telluride engine). I was wrong when I said people will look back and say wow we paid that much for 62 miles of electric range, the 2022 RAV4 Prime advertises 42 miles on battery only (also subject to outside temperatures). To put that in perspective, I have an interest and hobby in modified off-road all electric golf carts and I participate in a forum for that. There are kits where you can convert a 48V golf cart to a street legal Low Speed Vehicle and take out the lead acid batteries to put in a 5.37 kWh lithium battery pack and you can get over 42 miles of range while still maintaining a charge of over 44v. Toyota just took advantage of an opportunity to electrify some small part of an existing vehicle with an 18.1 kWh battery to make it more functional in a parallel system for city driving at low speed. Some current EV or PHEV drivers brag about how fast it goes or the instant torque, I get it, I have a electric golf cart with enough low speed torque that could take off and do 22-31mph. But, if you drive the RAV4 Prime like it's stolen all the time excited about your 0-60 5.7 sec time, you won't be seeing 38mpg regularly and you still may have to dip into the fuel tank to get home on the highway and then you used up your battery so you'll have to use gas to get home to charge. Power and acceleration off a battery is at the expense of range.

It's my opinion that it’s not going to be the drivetrain that EVs will run on in 2023 because it's still based off of the 2012 Prius hybrid technology. It’s not innovative enough for the future and we will have moved way past that. In my opinion, while I think the RAV4 Prime is a very cool transitional application based on existing technology, it's not something I would buy for my needs especially at north of $40k. The RAV4 Prime is a base $26K small SUV with features and a badge on a unibody Corolla frame that make it cost the same price as a larger 5+ passenger vehicle. I need a larger family hauler that is fuel efficient and safe which I have in my Telluride that I paid much less for in early 2019 ($32.5K out the door for my S FWD). You are right about minivans but I think that’s what got me out of a Sienna and into a Telluride, have you seen the price of minivans? If I want to just carry 5 passengers and drive around town, I just use my smaller car. A vehicle the size of a RAV4 is excess for me in city driving because there are sedans that do the same and cost a lot less that you can also buy with hybrid drivetrains. When I make the switch to electric it will be to get rid of fuel entirely and the sedan will be the first that I replace. On a larger SUV, sorry EV9, I'm probably going to drive my Telluride 'till the wheels fall off and just wait for a more affordable EV6 to replace my sedan first. At that point I will have a plug-in hybrid system in my garage, the engines will just be in two separate purpose built vehicles. Gas burning larger mid-sized SUVs are not as fuel efficient at low speed as compare to smaller cars, we know this and SUVs will change when batteries get lighter, higher energy and longer range. But the Telluride isn’t bad in relative comparison to other comparable vehicles. The comment that you only kept your RAV4 Prime that you loved for 2,000 miles before going to a Telluride makes me think we aren't that far off.