Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Lexus LX

Both the Telluride and LX 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 LX’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.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Telluride uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The LX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Telluride and the LX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, 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.

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 LX has not been tested, yet.

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 LX’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 Lexus covers the LX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the LX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

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

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Telluride has a standard 800-amp battery. The LX’s 776-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The LX 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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

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

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

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

The Telluride stops much shorter than the LX:

The Telluride LX/X-Pro’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LX Premium/Luxury’s 65 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Telluride has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus LX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Telluride’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the LX (114.2 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Telluride is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the LX.

The Telluride SX 4x4 handles at .81 G’s, while the LX 600 F Sport pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the LX’s (38.8 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride has a greater minimum ground clearance than the LX Base/Premium (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Telluride X-Line/X-Pro’s minimum ground clearance is .1 inch higher than on the LX Luxury/Ultra Luxury/F Sport (8.4 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1500 pounds less than the Lexus LX.

The Telluride is 3.6 inches shorter than the LX, making the Telluride easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Telluride’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The LX uses body-on-frame design instead.

The design of the Kia Telluride amounts to more than styling. The Telluride has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .34 Cd. That is significantly lower than the LX (.376). 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 LX 600 F Sport:

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

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

The Telluride’s available rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The LX Ultra Luxury doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The Telluride is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The LX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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 LX isn’t in the top three.

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

The Kia Telluride outsold the Lexus LX by over 27 to one during 2022.