Compare the2022 BMW X7VS 2022 Kia Telluride

The X7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Telluride doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the middle seat shoulder belts of the BMW X7 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 Kia Telluride doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The BMW X7 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Telluride doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The X7 has standard Post-Crash Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Telluride doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the X7. But it costs extra on the Telluride.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X7’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Telluride doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the X7 and the Telluride 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 and available around view monitors.

The BMW X7 weighs 957 to 1748 pounds more than the Kia Telluride. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The X7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Telluride’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X7 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Telluride.

The battery on the X7 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the X7’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Telluride’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the X7 third among large premium suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Telluride isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 3 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The X7 xDrive40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 44 more horsepower (335 vs. 291) and 69 lbs.-ft. more torque (331 vs. 262) than the Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6. The X7 M50i’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 produces 232 more horsepower (523 vs. 291) and 291 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 262) than the Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6. The Alpina XB7’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 produces 321 more horsepower (612 vs. 291) and 328 lbs.-ft. more torque (590 vs. 262) than the Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the X7 xDrive40i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Kia Telluride:

Regenerative brakes improve the X7’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Telluride doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the X7’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Telluride doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The X7 has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Telluride (21.9 vs. 18.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The X7’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Telluride doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the X7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Telluride:

The X7’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Telluride are solid, not vented.

The X7 stops much shorter than the Telluride:

For better traction, the X7 has larger standard tires than the Telluride (F:275/40R22 & R:315/35R22 vs. 245/60R18). The Alpina XB7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Telluride (F:285/35R23 & R:325/30R23 vs. 245/60R18).

The X7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Telluride LX/EX’s standard 60 series tires. The Alpina XB7’s optional 285/35R23 front and 325/30R23 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Telluride S/SX’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X7 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Telluride LX/EX. The Alpina XB7’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Telluride S/SX.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X7 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Telluride doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The X7 Alpina has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Telluride doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the X7 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Telluride, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Alpina XB7 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Kia doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Telluride.

The X7 has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Telluride’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X7’s wheelbase is 8 inches longer than on the Telluride (122.2 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

The X7’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.4% to 50.6%) than the Telluride’s (55.7% to 44.3%). This gives the X7 more stable handling and braking.

The X7 xDrive40i handles at .86 G’s, while the Telluride SX 4x4 pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The X7 xDrive40i executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.4 seconds quicker than the Telluride SX 4x4 (26.3 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the X7 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Telluride (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the X7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the X7 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Telluride doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The X7 has 1 inch more front headroom and 1.9 inches more third row legroom than the Telluride.

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

Both the X7 and the Telluride have standard second row automatic folding seats. The X7’s third row seats also fold up or down at the press of a button. The Telluride doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

The X7’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Telluride’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The X7’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Telluride’s (5950 vs. 5000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Telluride is only 5000 pounds. The X7 offers up to a 7500 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the X7 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Telluride. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks BMW 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 11% lower rating, Kia is ranked 16th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Telluride SX, the X7 offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

If the windows are left open on the X7 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Telluride can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The X7’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Telluride’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the X7 has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Telluride doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The X7’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Telluride offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The X7 has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Kia doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Telluride.

The X7 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Telluride.

The X7 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Telluride.

The X7’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Telluride doesn’t offer an automated parking system.