Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Acura MDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Telluride and MDX 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 MDX’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.

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

Both the Telluride and MDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Telluride has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic.

Both the Telluride and the MDX 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, 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.

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

	Telluride	MDX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	27%	29%
Neck Stress	275 lbs.	304 lbs.
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	59 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	351/369 lbs.	392/458 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 Kia Telluride is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Telluride	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	41	107
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	93 lbs.	105 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	142
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	450	549

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

Warranty

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 MDX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the MDX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the MDX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Telluride’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the MDX’s camshafts. If the MDX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The MDX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 99 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 28th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Telluride is faster than the Acura MDX V6:

	Telluride	MDX
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.2 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride gets better mileage than the MDX:

			MPG
Telluride
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
MDX
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	17 city/21 hwy

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

Brakes and Stopping

The Telluride stops much shorter than the MDX:

	Telluride	MDX
70 to 0 MPH	162 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Telluride’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.7% to 44.3%) than the MDX’s (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the Telluride more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the MDX’s (38.8 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride has a greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Telluride SX 4x4 is quieter than the MDX Type S:

	Telluride	MDX
At idle	36 dB	36 dB
Full-Throttle	74 dB	76 dB
70 MPH Cruising	63 dB	68 dB

Passenger Space

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

The Telluride has 15.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (155 vs. 139.1).

The Telluride has 2.4 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room, .9 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.9 inches more third row headroom, 2.3 inches more third row legroom, 3.1 inches more third row hip room and .1 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Telluride	MDX
Behind Third Seat	21 cubic feet	18.1 cubic feet

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Telluride’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Payload and Towing

The Telluride’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Telluride has a much higher standard payload capacity than the MDX (1662 vs. 1173 lbs.).

The Telluride has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the MDX (1664 vs. 1173 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Telluride and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Telluride is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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

Economic Advantages

The Telluride will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Telluride will retain 54.84% to 55.57% of its original price after five years, while the MDX only retains 45.63% to 46.51%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $14260 to $15004 less than for the Acura MDX.

Recommendations

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.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The MDX isn’t in the top three.

The Telluride was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023 and 3 more times in the last 4 years. The MDX hasn’t been picked since 2001, and the MDX has only been chosen once.

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

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Telluride as the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The MDX has never been chosen.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Acura MDX by over two to one during 2022.