Compare the2022 Kia TellurideVS 2021 Hyundai Palisade

The Telluride has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Palisade SEL/Limited/Calligraphy offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Telluride has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Palisade SEL/Limited/Calligraphy has a cross-path warning system.

Both the Telluride and the Palisade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Hyundai Palisade:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 18 points higher than the Palisade.

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 10th.

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Palisade FWD (20 city/26 hwy vs. 19 city/26 hwy).

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Palisade:

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

The Telluride SX 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Palisade Limited AWD (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Telluride SX 4x4 is quieter than the Palisade Limited AWD:

The Telluride has .2 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear hip room, .4 inches more rear shoulder room, .3 inches more third row headroom and .1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Palisade.

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

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

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Telluride. The Palisade doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Telluride’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Palisade’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Telluride has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Palisade SEL/Limited/Calligraphy.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Telluride is less expensive to operate than the Palisade because typical repairs cost less on the Telluride than the Palisade, including $5 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $255 to $2463 less than for the Hyundai Palisade.

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.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2020 issue and they ranked the Kia Telluride SX 4x4 first. They ranked the Hyundai Palisade Limited AWD fourth.

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

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