Compare the2023 Mazda CX-9 VS 2022 Kia Telluride

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-9 Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature has standard Rear Smart City Brake Support that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Telluride doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-9. But it costs extra on the Telluride.

Both the CX-9 and the Telluride have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-9 is safer than the Kia Telluride:

	CX-9	Telluride
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	212	281
Neck Injury Risk	26%	27%
Leg Forces (l/r)	107/424 lbs.	164/998 lbs.

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

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 Mazda CX-9 is safer than the Kia Telluride:

	CX-9	Telluride
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.4 inches	.5 inches
Hip Force	195 lbs.	440 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	249	450
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	52 G’s
Hip Force	553 lbs.	640 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda CX-9 is much safer than the Telluride:

	CX-9	Telluride
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	647 lbs.	1472 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	236	300
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.5 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	625 lbs.	647 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-9 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 93 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Telluride is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

The CX-9’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Telluride runs out after 100,000 miles.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda first in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 15th.

The CX-9’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 262) than the Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mazda CX-9 is faster than the Kia Telluride:

	CX-9	Telluride
Zero to 30 MPH	2.3 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.8 sec	7.1 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.4 sec	3.7 sec

On the EPA test cycle the CX-9 gets better fuel mileage than the Telluride 4x4 (20 city/26 hwy vs. 19 city/24 hwy).

The CX-9 stops shorter than the Telluride:

	CX-9	Telluride
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the CX-9 has larger tires than the Telluride (255/60R18 vs. 245/60R18).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-9’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Telluride (115.3 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

The CX-9 Signature handles at .85 G’s, while the Telluride SX 4x4 pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-9 Signature executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Telluride SX 4x4 (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the CX-9 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Telluride (8.8 vs. 8 inches), allowing the CX-9 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the CX-9 Signature is quieter than the Telluride SX 4x4:

	CX-9	Telluride
Full-Throttle	71 dB	75 dB
70 MPH Cruising	66 dB	67 dB

The front step up height for the CX-9 is 1.2 inches lower than the Telluride (18.3” vs. 19.5”). The CX-9’s rear step up height is .5 inches lower than the Telluride’s (18.8” vs. 19.3”).

The CX-9’s cargo area is larger than the Telluride’s in almost every dimension:

	CX-9	Telluride
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	21.5”/50.5”/84.9”	20.4”/49.8”/83.8”
Max Width	57.2”	54.4”
Min Width	40.2”	43.5”
Height	30.3”	34.5”

On a hot day the CX-9’s driver can lower all 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 CX-9’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.

The CX-9’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Telluride’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The CX-9’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Telluride’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-9 Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Telluride doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mazda CX-9 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Telluride S/EX/SX offers wireless charging.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the CX-9 is less expensive to operate than the Telluride because it costs $454 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the CX-9 than the Telluride, including $103 less for a muffler, $74 less for front brake pads, $113 less for a starter, $166 less for fuel injection, $9 less for a fuel pump and $482 less for a power steering pump.

The CX-9 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 4 of the last 15 years. The Telluride has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.