Compare the2022 Kia TellurideVS 2021 BMW X7

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Telluride are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

Both the Telluride and X7 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Telluride has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X7’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Telluride are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The X7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Telluride and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Telluride the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 120 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X7 has not been tested, yet.

The Telluride comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The X7’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the X7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Telluride’s reliability 37 points higher than the X7.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 18th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 10th.

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride 4x4 gets better fuel mileage than the X7 M50i 4.4 twin-turbo V8 (523 HP) (19 city/24 hwy vs. 15 city/21 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Telluride uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Telluride higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW X7 (3). This means the Telluride produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X7 every 15,000 miles.

The Telluride stops much shorter than the X7:

The Telluride SX 4x4 handles at .81 G’s, while the X7 pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the X7’s (38.8 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1300 to 1400 pounds less than the BMW X7.

The Telluride is 6.4 inches shorter than the X7, making the Telluride easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Telluride has standard seating for 8 passengers; the X7 can only carry 7.

The Telluride has 1.6 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear legroom, 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.5 inches more third row headroom and 7.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Telluride’s middle and third row seats recline. The X7’s third row seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Telluride is .5 inches lower than the X7 (19.5” vs. 20”). The Telluride’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the X7’s (19.3” vs. 20.5”).

The Telluride’s cargo area provides more volume than the X7.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Telluride easier. The Telluride’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the X7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

The Telluride’s cargo area is larger than the X7’s in almost every dimension:

The Telluride’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X7’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

The Telluride has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X7 (1662 vs. 1208 lbs.).

The Telluride has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X7 (1664 vs. 1208 lbs.).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Telluride has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Telluride’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the X7’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Telluride EX/SX has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride SX offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The X7 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Telluride SX offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Telluride is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Telluride will cost $4295 to $8245 less than the X7 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $38953 to $53258 less than for the BMW X7.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Telluride as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Telluride was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 2 years. The X7 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The X7 has never been chosen.