Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Dodge Durango

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

Safety

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Both the Telluride and Durango 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 Durango’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 Durango doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Telluride SX has standard Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Durango doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

The Telluride’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Durango and is not available with SXT.

The Telluride SX has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Telluride and Durango 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.

The Telluride’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Durango doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Telluride and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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 Dodge Durango:

	Telluride	Durango
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	27%	34%
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches
Neck Stress	131 lbs.	156 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Durango:

	Telluride	Durango
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	109	119
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	25 cm	26 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	1.2/1.4 kN	5.3/2.5 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	6%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.38/.35	1.53/.59
Tibia forces R/L	1.4/1.3 kN	1.9/1.4 kN

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 Dodge Durango:

	Telluride	Durango
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	41	46
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	93 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	640 lbs.	714 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Telluride is 4.3% to 6.9% less likely to roll over than the Durango.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Telluride its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Durango is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

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 Durango’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Dodge covers the Durango. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Durango ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Telluride has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

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 16 points higher than the Durango.

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

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 Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 8th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Telluride is faster than the Dodge Durango V6:

	Telluride	Durango
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.2 MPH	86.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Telluride
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
Durango
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Telluride uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Durango with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Durango:

	Telluride	Durango
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	160 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Telluride has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Telluride flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Telluride is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango.

The Telluride SX 4x4 handles at .81 G’s, while the Durango GT pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Telluride SX 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Durango GT 4x4 (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Durango’s (38.8 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride X-Line/X-Pro has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Durango (8.4 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 900 pounds less than the Dodge Durango.

The Telluride is 3.9 inches shorter than the Durango, making the Telluride easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Kia Telluride amounts to more than styling. The Telluride has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .34 Cd. That is lower than the Durango (.36). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Telluride get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Telluride SX 4x4 is quieter than the Durango GT 4x4:

	Telluride	Durango
At idle	36 dB	38 dB
Full-Throttle	74 dB	76 dB
70 MPH Cruising	63 dB	67 dB

Passenger Space

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

The Telluride has 13.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Durango (155 vs. 141.4).

The Telluride has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 2.5 inches more rear hip room, 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room, .3 inches more third row headroom, 1.3 inches more third row hip room and 4.9 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Telluride	Durango
Behind Third Seat	21 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	46 cubic feet	43.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	87 cubic feet	85.1 cubic feet

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

	Telluride	Durango
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20.4”/49.8”/83.8”	20”/50”/83”
Max Width	54.4”	49”
Min Width	43.5”	42.5”
Height	34.5”	36”

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Telluride’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Payload

The Telluride has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Durango (1662 vs. 1400 lbs.).

The Telluride has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Durango (1664 vs. 1450 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Telluride SX Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Durango doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Telluride’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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 Durango’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Telluride’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Durango’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Telluride to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Durango doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 Durango doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Telluride S/EX/SX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. The Durango doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Telluride with a number “8” insurance rate while the Durango is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Telluride is less expensive to operate than the Durango because typical repairs cost less on the Telluride than the Durango, including $67 less for a starter and $148 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $1708 to $9689 less than for the Dodge Durango.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Telluride as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Dodge Durango isn't recommended.

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 Durango isn’t in the top three.

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

The Kia Telluride outsold the Dodge Durango by 80% during 2022.

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