The Truth About The Kia Telluride - An Owner's Honest Review  

By popular demand, here is my video review for the wireless Carplay / Android Auto solution. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_UY6Fz-7eC8.html Need Porsche help or purchase advice? Book a consultation with me. calendly.com/carfanatic

I feel like the whole purpose of this video was the flex of having 2 Porsche’s in your garage 😂

The plastic under the seat is not a build issue. From the factory the seats are covered in plastic. The dealer is supposed to remove the plastic prior to delivery. If they don’t, then that isn’t the fault of the factory.

Enjoyed the review and what you enjoyed and issues you have. Comparing this to Porsche seems odd. Most of the negatives pointed out are personal issues/habits. I like the information about the oil issue and coolant and hope to see it addressed by kia either as a singular issue on this car or if there is a broader issue. Thank you for taking the time to make this video review as an average user. My family has been looking at the Telluride for a few years.

I love the look of these, but am going to be VERY curious what the long-term reliability of the Telluride and Palisade will be.

I had a 2021 S trim with AWD. Loved it. Unfortunately another driver pulled out in front of me and my son. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. I was traveling at about 55 miles per hour when the other driver drove into the intersection. There was no time to react. I hit the passenger side of the other car. The telluride was able to slow down some, how much I don’t know, but I didn’t have enough time to do anything at all. The drivers side of the Kia took the brunt of the collision. The entire cab of the telluride stayed intact. IMO the car couldn’t have performed better. I think that in an older car either me or my son would have likely submarined some under the dash and sustained injuries to our legs. Other than being shaken up by the force of the crash we didn’t have a scratch on us. Again thankfully the driver of the other car wasn’t hurt either. This is likely due to the fact I hit the drivers side. Had there been a passenger in his vehicle there is no telling what would have happened to them. Anyway, both cars were totaled. I replaced the telluride with a truck, that’s a long story too, but I plan on getting my wife a Telluride ASAP. Great vehicle.

7,500 for an oil change? Regardless of what the oil gallon says, don't go over 5k without checking your oil. Check color, quantity and quality at 5k or change it at 5k and you'll never have an issue with your engine, specially if those miles are in city.

It’s just not a Porsche. 🤣

I’ve been driving a Kia model for the last 12 yrs. Had a sorento then a borrego then back to Kia sorento. Finally got a telluride last year and I love it. Best Kia model in my humble opinion.

Too spacious???? This guy is nuts!!!

almost every 'issue' you complain about is common on almost every vehicle on the market today

You the issue driving playing with your phone

If you hit the sync button on the thermostat controls it will automatically sync the rear and you won’t have to rely on the touch screen.

A few comments. The coolant reservoir is an expansion tank and coolant levels will fluctuate with weather and driving conditions. A reading at the 'minimum' level on a cold winter morning will read 'maximum' or 'full' after a long summer drive. As for the oil consumption, I would recommend oil changes every 4500 miles with GDI engines (especially in the first 10K miles since new engines break in period will cause some oil burn). I have a 21 Palisade, which has the same engine and the manual cautions about higher oil use in the first few oil changes.

I work for KIA. Nice job on the video. Only negative feedback I have is regarding the pronunciation of Telluride. Proper way: Tell-you-ride Your way: Tell-uh-ride

Mostly a useful and informative video; thanks for sharing your experience! Regarding your issue with dropping your phone between the seat and the center console... you really shouldn't be messing with your phone while driving anyway, so this would probably solve your problem. ;)

You know, if you’re going to have a Telluride in your garage/driveway, you should at least learn how to pronounce “Telluride”. It’s “Tell-YOU-ride”, not “Tell-ER-ride”, ffs!

Bro please stop changing oil at 7500 miles. 5000 miles or 6 months is the maximum on any engine. Any higher on the manual is a marketing BS. Hyundai and KIA is notorious for burning oil, I would even change it before 5000 miles. I hope you can sell and trade it in from a more reliable brand like Toyota or Lexus.

I really enjoyed this video. I enjoyed that you gave your perspective of the car itself and your personal perspective. I have been wanting a Telliride for the 2 years and I want to make sure I get my money worth. So again thanks again and I’m going to subscribe to your page.

You got an SUV and complained about the space? Lmao. Good review until you complained about why people buy SUVs lol

Know what is more unsafe than digging your phone out? Having it in your hand to begin with. So basically you just want us to know you have 2 Porsches'. Your "complaints" make you sound like a whiner 🙄 BTW, who compares a KIA to a Porsche? Great video 👏

I guess the littlw things can become a gripe but bro, let's be honest, these are just first world problems. 😂 but nice car bro! Stay safe!

The plastic by the seat is not a factory issue - it's the dealer who didn't prep it properly when it came in - that's protective plastic for protection before delivery

2 quarts for 7500 miles isn't bad as relates to industry standards.. but my suggestion is to shorten your drain intervals.. oil and filter every 5000 miles or 6 month which ever comes first.. the oil off burn rate should go down as the engine is still new.. but as it gets older with higher drain intervals it might come back as varnish sticks the oil control rings.. i know some dealership say 10,000 personal i wouldn't check ur manual as theirs a specific criteria to meet which allows for higher drain intervals which few people can do

Well you shouldn’t be on your phone when driving 😂

You are whining 🙄 too much!!!

Wireless connection and most cars don’t work right and if you have multiple drivers is definitely don’t work right

Thank you for review. I wish there is website or RU-vid channel where real owners review cars after longterm use (and arrnage them by make and year). Its much better for real people purchasing decisions.

Thanks for your honest opinion. Truly awesome work .. Kia Telluride is the role model showing off how things can be done smartly. 😊

I’m thinking about a Telluride or a Palisade for my wife, so this was helpful. Regarding random stuff filling up the space, I have the same issue with my Grand Caravan. Lots of space people leaving random stuff, which I then have to deal with. Maybe my next car will be a Fiat Abarth…

LOL! No, it doesn't look like a Range Rover. The Ford Explorer looks more like the Range Rover than the Telluride.

I think you need to stick to luxury cars…. I’ve had 2 telluride and love them. I actually prefer to drive it over my AMG…

I really enjoyed this video. I enjoyed that you gave your perspective of the car itself and your personal perspective. I have been wanting a Telliride for the 2 years and I want to make sure I get my money worth. So again thanks again and I’m going to subscribe to your page.

Jist bought a TELLURIDE and let me tell you how in love i am with the car already. ❤

You forgot to mention there are no steering fluid reservoir unlike the regular cars, it uses an electric steering

How are your going to compare this vehicle to a Porsche? They are no where near comparable. You had more gripes than positive things to say. Petty complaints. Besides you shouldn't be driving with messing with your phone. That would keep your phone from falling between the seat gap. Your last gripe just makes no sense. It's a family vehicle with space so yeah, the space is going to be utilized as a family hauler. What's wrong with that? You want more power, less space? Drive your Porsche. Not a fan of your review.

I bought a family SUV but it is too spacious my kids and wife have too much storage space.... How is that a complaint? Enjoyed the video to that point. Keep it up!

I have a 2020 s and it’s been junk it still has the vibration around 68-75 they have replaced axle joints and of course they blamed it on the tires road force and the funny thing is the replaced the tires and had them road forced balance and still have the issue and another issue it has a slight shudder when you take off at low speeds . Definitely trying to get rid of it before anything else goes wrong . Nice suv but there not very good at figuring out issues and they always blame any vibration on tires😂

That phone should not be in your hand while you're driving (as you said). Come on man!

Nothing would add up to the sticker-shock price on this. I can get a BMW, LandRover, Volvo or Hyundai Palisade for the same price. I'd like one, but not for shotgun prices...

Bro if you want to keep your car for s long time you need to change your oil every 3k and make sure it's always topped off. Oil acts as a coolant in addition to lubricant. Critical to engine life. Dont listen to "manufacturers recs" their goal is to get you thru the warranty and thats it.

the drop on the coolant means engine is getting too hot or overheating

Too much space?? Lmao! If you see that as a problem for collecting more “mess” or “crap” than you just realized where there is a need to step up the organization and cleanliness of the family vehicle and whoever is driving it most. 🤦🏻‍♂️ can’t please everyone.

I can't believe someone complaining about having so much space on an SUV 😂 Maybe the issue it's your wife's habits 🤷🏻‍♂️ Great video otherwise.

Have a 2020 SX Prestige with 58600 miles that we've had since October 2019. Kia backs their warranty as we've had a rear strut and battery replaced on this vehicle, all under warranty. Just put new tires on but that is to be expected at this mileage. We've taken it on 3 long road trips and it is a very comfortable car to drive and ride in. The minor items you noted are very, very minor. Dealer recommended oil changes every 5000 miles, which we follow instead of the 7500 mile interval Kia recommends. We've haven't had any oil issues. We definitely recommend looking at the Telluride if you are looking for a family sized SUV. We also had a second 2020 SX that we traded in for a Kia Stinger. That Telluride was also a nice vehicle, but did not have the Prestige package. Took that one on 2 long road trips and was as comfortable as our SX Prestige. Full disclosure, we've had Kia vehicles for almost 20 years starting with an Amanti. We've had 2 Amantis, a Spectra 5, a Cadenza, 3 Optimas, 2 Tellurides, and a Stinger. Any real issues were covered under warranty. As with any car, normal maintenance is important. We use our dealer for service, if you do it yourself or have service done elsewhere, make sure you save the receipts.

There’s no way a new modern car should use 2 quarts of oil in 7500 miles, if any. I suspect the oil was low on delivery.

The touchscreen is slower than dogsht. It's so annoying. Many times it's so slow you'll hit the screen twice thinking your first touch wasn't registered and then you accidentally hit the next button that pops up. Also if you have toddlers and need to use car seats or boosters in the main seats good luck. The seat belt acceptors are buried so far into the seat it's a night mare to try and click into while going around the booster seat.

Also our telluride overheated in its first 3k miles. Some pulley flew off inside the engine and hit the oil filter causing oil to peak out and oil pressure to drop. It was covered in the warranty but I was on the hook for a rental car for 7 days! I reached out to kia and they said it was up to the dealer if I got a loaner the dealer essentially said well we already got your money so f you

It's an ugly suv! And that front headlight is by no means modern nor sleek. Funky is how I'd describe that whole car.

I'm a 2022 Telluride SX Prestige owner at 7,100 miles, appreciate your 18K mile review, but as an audiophile, I think you missed the most critical flaw of the car. Frankly, Kia Motors has misled the consumer to believe the factory Harmon Kardon radio is premium. It's anything but premium. It's bad. Very disappointed with the factory audio system. Granted, most people are going to be satisfied, (and high-end audio is not a priority in most people's life), but the truth is, the factory system is C-R-A-P. As a result, I will be changing out the factory system to: JL Audio XDM 800 8 Channel Amp Focal ISU 165 component speakers (pair) for front doors, (woofer and tweeter). Focal ISU 165 component speakers (pair) for rear doors, (woofer and tweeter). Center Speaker size unknown. TBD and replaced/upgraded. Sub Size unknown. TBD and replaced/upgraded. AudioControl LC8i Line Output Converter/Processor Wire Bundle Kit for amp with Fuses SoundShield Car Sound Deadening Door Kit for Doors ~ 4 Rolls. Rating the exterior styling and looks: 9 out of 10 Rating the Factory Audio System, (Premium Harmon-Kardon): 5 out of 10 Rating how fun it is to drive in Sport mode: 6 out of 10. Rating the Volkswagen Atlas styling and looks: 6 out of 10. Rating the Volkswagen Atlas Factory Audio System: 9 out of 10. Rating the Volkswagen Atlas how fun it is to drive with their double clutch system: 9 out of 10. Would I buy the Telluride over again? No. Would I buy a Volkswagen Atlas Peak addition, fully loaded? Yes. I feel Kia Motors has misled the public to think their Audio System is Premium. It's anything but Premium. It's a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!

Why didn't you go with a Lexus or Toyota large SUV? Doubt you'd have those build quality issues.

Dont drive and use ur phone that will solve it lol

Meh, the last gripe is a wife thing, not the car. My wife does the same to her Palisade and it drives me nuts!

I own a 2020 SX and I agree with all your points. I love the vehicle. I wish it had a little more power. But it definitely checks all the boxes. A couple things if you use keyless entry on the passenger side press the handle once all doors unlock. Also being a family man. If the kids are in the back seat and you are parked and they try to open the door as traffic is passing it will automatically lock the doors. All the usb ports and heated and cooled front and rear seats are things some vehicles at double the price doesn’t have. For the price point a no brainer.

Pretty minor complaints. I think the one complaint I have is how you pronounced Telluride.

my ram1500 limited with air suspension rides better than a porsche

Junk,spend money on american cars,or if people did there would be the best american cars made to date

You didn’t check your oil for 7,500 miles?!?

Worry about the oil and antifreeze. Everything else is you being whiny.

You shuold probaly mention that you have the SX Prestige trim, as many of the feature you mention are only at that trim level

i had a 2020 lx and we recently went to 4 local kia dealerships to get into a 2023 ex-x line. every dealer had the cars marked up from 2k all the way up to 6k (jim shorkey kia). they would not budge because a sucker was sure to walk in right after us. ended up buying a 2023 Atlas Cross Sport SEL R line v6. we love it. the tellurides are an awesome bargain at MSRP. once they start shoveling on thousands of dollars on top of MSRP the kia is no longer a bargain. the VW MSRP'd higher than the kia but because of dealer price gouging, the kia would have costed us more. we are a family of three, the third row was always down in the telluride. i love the sporty look of the cross sport. it kinda looks like a little tank! lol . as much as i love the telluride, i'll most likely never go back to one out of principle. plus. we got ours in 2019 when nobody seen them around really. now everyone and their cousin has one and they're starting to feel played out.

So basically the things that are wrong with the vehicle are minor dislikes

It's a nice car. It's new and it's burning oil and coolant but mostly I'm concerned about that piece of plastic they didn't peel off.

Wow, 2 quarts low and disappearing coolant. Annoyances are annoying but engine problems this early are.... Geez that's not good.

some people are never happy no matter what

The plastic is a dealer removal issue and the head liner was probably the same or in transport. Not a “build quality” concern. Agree otherwise. 2023 has multiple improvements

I have a 2021 s model. Very happy with it.

7 months 18 thousand miles yikes no wonder you need oil buddy

Nice review, but far most these minus points are personal gripes or annoyances. And comparing the Telluride to your Porsche gets old after 3 times. Really?

Did you say fit 8 people and show a 7 seater 😂. Also you should not be using your phone while driving. How come you are dropping your phone when there is a place to keep your phone and use your u2 pro... thats also illegal in most countries 😮

Thanks...very helpful. I am seriously considering a 2023 Telluride...once the dealer markups subside.

Despite Telluride being marketed as an off road vehicle, it isn’t?

I can't unhear how you say "dis" instead of "this" about half the time and Ds instead of THs for everything lol.

I wish this car was available in Sweden, here we only get the Sorrento from KIA.

Have you guys heard that he owns a Porsche

I am a telluride owner and my only complaint is the engine makes awful whistling noises during a cold start in the winter. It is not fixable they claim it's the intake or something but it sounds at first like a squealing fan belt- I wish they would do a recall for it!

Won’t drop your phone if you don’t text and drive.

Keyless entry has no correlation with a button

Great suv before75000 miles

We've got a 22, about same mileage, rain sensing wipers won't work, which is annoying since you have to turn it on low or high only to get them to work at all. Also have an oil leak. Going to be taking it in for those and the recall for the towing hitch fires which we got a letter about. It's a nice car, but definitely having some issues.

You complain of rattles in Kia while owning Porsches, King of rattles? 😂

My porsches porsches porsches, my porsches, porsches

Another guy who just makes videos, trying to get views, sad...

Not a Kia hater but a skeptic on build quality as we have own a Kia Optima for several years now with only a few problems. But with it’s Theta engine reputation I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the engine will last as my 16 yr old son now drives it. We recently purchased a 22 Honda Passport Trailsport and so far very happy with zero complaints about the build.

Dude, the wife will be made at you.

Anyone else see that ghost in the backseat 😮

We have the same model and trim. I noticed the lane centering assist feature tends to turn in too soon relative to my target line into the apex of a turn. Its about a full second early. Besides some of the automation being overly active, we love it.

I've never heard someone complain about a car being to spacious....

This car looks like a Kia. No one is mistaking this for a Range Rover.

U could of bought a Toyota or Lexus

You are pretty picky!

Glad I opted for a Toyota Highlander. NO complaints. Well, it could be a little quieter. Handles much more crisply than the Telluride.

Nice review. All the flaws mentioned, with the exception of the mirror and headliner, are annoyances at best. I think it looks fantastic. The price point is good when compared to other vehicles in class. My wife loves her old Grand Cherokee, but may look into the Telluride for her next car. Did you see the 2023 has stretched the screen across to include the instrument cluster? Looks sharp! Thanks for the review!

“Not true keyless entry…” despite not needing to use your key at all. Got it lol 😂 Just saying, maybe check out the definition of “keyless entry” first! Also weird that one of your “complaints” is the amount of space. Ie literally one of the reasons you buy a car of this size. And as you said, it’s on you to actually keep it clean. What a super weird, irresponsible thing to say. “Shame on you Kia for providing all this room! It’s YOUR fault that we’re slobs and too lazy to keep it clean!” Things like excess oil burn off are legit concerns. But homie, if “too much space” is the type of thing you’re gonna complain about because you then choose to get it dirty, then get another car. PS I have a Telluride and I don’t treat mine like a dump because I actually take the time and effort to clean it, vacuum it with a hand vac, and generally don’t just let trash accumulate in it. And PS, that’s the case for every car/truck/SUV.

Saying Porsche and Kia in the same sentence is wrong!

Oil consumption? A lemon

You complain a lot about nothing

What’s that hazardous material hanging from the rear view mirror? In many states it’s illegal. Honestly, that’s high-speed material flying at you and your family in the event of a quick stop/accident. I’m just asking what are the odds?

Tell Ū Ride…Jesus bro.

Love the detail, I know some people might think that these are minor and very picky, but others like to have this knowledge, me included. That’s great that you can connect your phone wirelessly still, does that get in the way of the wireless charger? If you don’t mind, can you put a link to that the other video👍👍