Why is a Telluride Better than a '22 Acura MDX and '23 Genesis GV70?

[Average Joe]

Looking for objective measures like:

Cost
Performance
Predicted reliability
Maintenance cost
Resale value
Fuel efficiency
Interior quality
Passenger/cargo space
Dealership experience (primarily as it related to maintenance needs)
Etc....

 

[ATL3630]

The Telluride has much more interior room. That’s for sure. Oh, and my dealership experience was not good.

 

[SLPV]

Looking for objective measures like:

Cost
Performance
Predicted reliability
Maintenance cost
Resale value
Fuel efficiency
Interior quality
Passenger/cargo space
Dealership experience (primarily as it related to maintenance needs)
Etc....

What you want are experts that know and drive different vehicles and able to objectively compare them. Telluride is rated number one by ConsumerReports.org, USNews.com, and Edmunds.com. I read their reviews and they provide the best information about the Telluride and other cars that I considered. There are also RoadAndTrack, CarAndDriver, Motortrend, and others. They'll point out good and bad points if they find them.

https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/best-midsize-suvs/

Test Drive: 2020 Kia Telluride

With the new 2020 Telluride, Kia wades back into the big 3-row SUV arena from which it was summarily dismissed after the 2009 model year. Built at Kia’s West Point, Georgia factory, the new Telluride is the right idea at the right time.

www.jdpower.com

 

[Bridge4]

acura is gross and they suck. Anyone who wants to buy ANY acura, needs to get their eyes and brain fixed. (this is a rude comment, I know that. I hate acura that much)


The Genesis is supposed to be awesome, and someone near me owns an earlier year and it drives by my house regularly. I think it can get significantly more expensive tho.

So TLDR: Acura is f&$%ing gross and Genesis could be better, but you will pay more.

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[Djames210]

I drove all three.
MDX- This was probably our second choice. The vehicle was very refined and loaded with technology, but cabin space was tight. Also, no touchscreen which is simply unacceptable. Controlling an entertainment screen with your finger on a tiny mousepad is just ridiculous. It was also $5k more than the Telluride.
Genesis- The Genesis was super nice with a luxurious, beautiful cabin. The tech was too advanced, as I prefer to keep things simple. Driving the Genesis made me feel old, like I was riding in a Buick. Price was many several thousands of dollars more than the Telluride.
Overall, the Telluride gave us exactly what we were looking for. It’s a handsome vehicle with a smooth and quiet ride. Tech is robust but nicely organized. Interior space is superior to anything in a comparable class. So there you have it.

 

[Tride77]

I also test drove the latest MDX when shopping since I was coming from a 2012 MDX, which is still my favorite generation of that SUV. I agree the cabin space, particularly the third row was tight. The second row has the feature of removing the middle for a captain’s chair like feel, but it just felt like the bench with a gap.

I really wanted Acura to switch over to a touch screen so that was another deal breaker for me. The Acura’s digital screen though is top notch.

I liked my Acura dealership experience as an owner and the Telly is too new to have much experience with the dealership, but I won’t be using the dealer I bought from for service (they were the only in the area selling at MSRP, that’s why I went with them).

Driving the Telly for over a month now and I have never felt like I settled or downgraded with my choice. The materials are a good quality and there’s no noticeable difference in fuel economy. Both are enjoyable to drive.

If time and money were not such big factors for me, I probably would have held off even longer just to try out the Type S MDX.

 

[Average Joe]

acura is gross and they suck. Anyone who wants to buy ANY acura, needs to get their eyes and brain fixed. (this is a rude comment, I know that. I hate acura that much)


The Genesis is supposed to be awesome, and someone near me owns an earlier year and it drives by my house regularly. I think it can get significantly more expensive tho.

So TLDR: Acura is f&$%ing gross and Genesis could be better, but you will pay more.

What do you find so gross about the ‘22 MDX in terms of aesthetics, reliability, resale, and dealership experience? “Gross” isn’t objective. Looking for objective comparisons?

 

[PittPa]

I just traded in a 2007 MDX with 150k on it that was still running great, just needed more safety features for my daughter. Let's see how the Telluride is running in 2035.

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[ActionJackzon]

I drove all three.
MDX- This was probably our second choice. The vehicle was very refined and loaded with technology, but cabin space was tight. Also, no touchscreen which is simply unacceptable. Controlling an entertainment screen with your finger on a tiny mousepad is just ridiculous. It was also $5k more than the Telluride.
Genesis- The Genesis was super nice with a luxurious, beautiful cabin. The tech was too advanced, as I prefer to keep things simple. Driving the Genesis made me feel old, like I was riding in a Buick. Price was many several thousands of dollars more than the Telluride.
Overall, the Telluride gave us exactly what we were looking for. It’s a handsome vehicle with a smooth and quiet ride. Tech is robust but nicely organized. Interior space is superior to anything in a comparable class. So there you have it.

These also led to my choice of Telluride, vs MDX and Genesis

Including cabin space being better with Telluride

 

[RogersMJ]

MDX was our second choice, and we were coming from a 2016 MDX. However...the Telluride was a pretty easy pick for us. Compared to the MDX, the Telluride is WAY roomier (the MDX has awful use of interior space, even the new one...third row is nearly useless), the Telluride rides better/absorbs bumps better/better damped, the transmission is smoother (especially compared to the 2016 MDX, new MDX is much better than the '16), Telluride has more comfortable seats (especially the headrests), has easier to use tech (the "absolute position" touchpad in the MDX is an abomination and everyone involved with it should be fired -- I spent days with it in a loaner RDX so I know exactly how bad it is). I find interior materials quality to be roughly equal between the top end Telluride and MDX.

For my money, the only thing the MDX is better at is handling in the corners. That's literally it, and while I love a good handling car (my daily is a 3 series), I don't really care that much in a three row SUV. I want a three row SUV to have (among other things) a third row that humans with legs can actually sit in, to be comfortable, and to have technology that doesn't piss me off every time I use it.

You also asked about the GV70...which I think is a strange comparison because the GV70 is a small SUV. GV80 would be closer in size to the Telluride, albeit with a way smaller third row (possibly even worse than the MDX? I haven't been in a GV80 but the third row looks absolutely tiny). If you want a premium small/kinda sporty SUV, I think the GV70 looks awesome.

 

[HillCountry]

My personal decision process: TLDR… My family and I prioritize space and comforts over better handling.

I came from a 2010 Acura MDX. Loved its handling; the SH-AWD is fun.
I would want the Advance package on a new MDX. For $60k+, the 0-60 is lackluster. I might have been able to overlook other stuff had this metric been better.

I prefer a shifter to buttons. Telluride makes better use of console space. 3 AC vents on the center dash instead of 2. I prefer the simplicity of fewer/bigger buttons. I prefer a combo of dials, rockers, and buttons rather than predominantly buttons. I wanted a touchscreen instead of the trackpad format. I like that my Telluride takes 87 octane while MDX requires premium.

My kids are older now — Telluride offers more interior space while proper captains chairs provide separation. The captains chairs may make carpools easier (I’ll know more once carpools resume in fall).
I will miss steering wheel memory, key fob dedicated to driver 1 and driver 2, torque vectoring, paddle shifters, more supportive/bolstered seats (my husband is still reminding me I can’t corner the Telluride like an MDX so less-sculpted seats are adequate).

I do wonder some about reliability. I hedged with extended warranty.

I don’t prioritize resale value because we keep our cars a long time.

Dealership experience has been better at Acura so far. KIA dealerships don’t seem accustomed to selling to customers who want $50k vehicles. One salesperson opened the conversation by asking where I wanted my monthly payment to be. (Though my perception may be off-base here.)

I have not had any service done at KIA yet, but I am not expecting loaners, endless fresh cookies and snacks, chilled water, and coffees. Conversely, I do expect lower rates on routine maintenance.

I hope this helps someone.

 

[RogersMJ]

One salesperson opened the conversation by asking where I wanted my monthly payment to be.

That's basically what one of the Kia dealerships near me did, but I could never get them past that. They wouldn't tell me the sale price of the Telluride, they just kept asking "where [you] want to be" and "what [your] goals are." My goal is to buy the damn car, just tell me the price. "We've never lost someone over price." Great, then tell me the f*$%ing price. Nope. (They were probably trying to hide a big markup.) Went to a different dealer that gave me all prices and fees within 5 minutes of me asking, bought from them. They had a much more upscale feel. Dealerships really are a roll of the dice.

Now, to be fair, the Acura dealer we bought our '16 MDX from 5 years ago kind of did the same thing, he asked what I wanted our payments to be. But once I said I don't care, and he left it alone.

As for reliability, I no longer believe Acura is more reliable than any other modern brand. Both of the recent Acuras in my family have had not huge reliability problems, but they've been far from flawless. Our MDX in just 5 years and 70k miles had multiple minor transmission issues, two failed steering column motors, failed rear shock mounts, and a failed cabin blower motor.

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[HillCountry]

That's basically what one of the Kia dealerships near me did, but I could never get them past that. They wouldn't tell me the sale price of the Telluride, they just kept asking "where [you] want to be" and "what [your] goals are." My goal is to buy the damn car, just tell me the price. "We've never lost someone over price." Great, then tell me the f*$%ing price. Nope. (They were probably trying to hide a big markup.) Went to a different dealer that gave me all prices and fees within 5 minutes of me asking, bought from them. They had a much more upscale feel. Dealerships really are a roll of the dice.

Now, to be fair, the Acura dealer we bought our '16 MDX from 5 years ago kind of did the same thing, he asked what I wanted our payments to be. But once I said I don't care, and he left it alone.

As for reliability, I no longer believe Acura is more reliable than any other modern brand. Both of the recent Acuras in my family have had not huge reliability problems, but they've been far from flawless. Our MDX in just 5 years and 70k miles had multiple minor transmission issues, two failed steering column motors, failed rear shock mounts, and a failed cabin blower motor.

Similar here… My MDX had some issues too in its 180k miles. If it had been rock solid, my consideration set would not have included other brands.

 

[Djames210]

That's basically what one of the Kia dealerships near me did, but I could never get them past that. They wouldn't tell me the sale price of the Telluride, they just kept asking "where [you] want to be" and "what [your] goals are." My goal is to buy the damn car, just tell me the price. "We've never lost someone over price." Great, then tell me the f*$%ing price. Nope. (They were probably trying to hide a big markup.) Went to a different dealer that gave me all prices and fees within 5 minutes of me asking, bought from them. They had a much more upscale feel. Dealerships really are a roll of the dice.

Now, to be fair, the Acura dealer we bought our '16 MDX from 5 years ago kind of did the same thing, he asked what I wanted our payments to be. But once I said I don't care, and he left it alone.

As for reliability, I no longer believe Acura is more reliable than any other modern brand. Both of the recent Acuras in my family have had not huge reliability problems, but they've been far from flawless. Our MDX in just 5 years and 70k miles had multiple minor transmission issues, two failed steering column motors, failed rear shock mounts, and a failed cabin blower motor.

That’s funny you mentioned failed rear shock mounts on the Acura.

One of my cars was a 2013 RDX. I really liked that car, it had the perfect size and look for a compact SUV. But I did experience a failed rear shock mount (which led to tire tread wear issues), a faulty headlight lens issue (which would have cost $300 to fix) and Bluetooth connectivity issues.

 

[Average Joe]

Ok, let’s add the GV80 to the mix considering it’s over 6KLbs and qualifies for the IRS SUV tax perks.

 

[Djames210]

I drove all three.
MDX- This was probably our second choice. The vehicle was very refined and loaded with technology, but cabin space was tight. Also, no touchscreen which is simply unacceptable. Controlling an entertainment screen with your finger on a tiny mousepad is just ridiculous. It was also $5k more than the Telluride.
Genesis- The Genesis was super nice with a luxurious, beautiful cabin. The tech was too advanced, as I prefer to keep things simple. Driving the Genesis made me feel old, like I was riding in a Buick. Price was many several thousands of dollars more than the Telluride.
Overall, the Telluride gave us exactly what we were looking for. It’s a handsome vehicle with a smooth and quiet ride. Tech is robust but nicely organized. Interior space is superior to anything in a comparable class. So there you have it.

Edit: My review was for the GV80, not GV70.

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[LiquidUte]

To answer the thread title succinctly, for me it's better because of the best third row space in the class, best space *behind* the third row in the class and best value for the money. Plus it looks great.

I'll actually be using the third row occasionally for people and I didn't want a Suburban size vehicle. I don't want to pay 15K more to get these tech features on a luxury brand.

Case closed. They really hit the sweet spot for parents that do road trips / carpooling with kids and light to medium towing but don't want to drive a large SUV. Then there's the tech and style for the $$$. Home run.

 

[YEH]

A bit odd to include the much smaller GV70, but that has the Telluride beat on performance, maintenance cost (at least for the 1st 3 years), fuel efficiency (particularly the 2.5T) interior quality (has the MDX beat in interior quality).

Buyers have bee picking up the 1st GV70s, and while it would be tough to do, think the GV70 has a shot in matching the Telluride in resale value.

 

[Average Joe]

That’s what I was thinking about the GV70. It may present a better value proposition overall for those not in need in desperate need of a 3rd row.

 

[SLPV]

Best to compare the Genesis GV70 to other compact SUV’s like the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the BMW X3, the Audi Q5 and the Acura RDX.