Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Lincoln Navigator

Both the Telluride and Navigator 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 Navigator’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.

Both the Telluride and Navigator 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.

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 Navigator uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Telluride and the Navigator 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, 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 side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Lincoln Navigator:

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 3.8% to 6.5% less likely to roll over than the Navigator.

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

There are over 13 percent more Kia dealers than there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Navigator 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 Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 10th.

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 Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 13th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 1 place higher in reliability than Lincoln.

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

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

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Navigator:

The Telluride has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Navigator doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Telluride SX 4x4 handles at .81 G’s, while the Navigator Black Label 4WD 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 1.1 seconds quicker than the Navigator Black Label 4WD (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Navigator’s (38.8 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1400 to 1550 pounds less than the Lincoln Navigator.

The Telluride is 1 foot, 1.1 inches shorter than the Navigator, making the Telluride easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Telluride is 7.5 inches shorter in height than the Navigator, making the Telluride much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

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 Navigator uses body-on-frame design instead.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Telluride SX 4x4 is quieter than the Navigator Black Label 4WD:

The Telluride has .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more third row headroom than the Navigator.

The front step up height for the Telluride is 1.5 inches lower than the Navigator (19.5” vs. 21”). The Telluride’s rear step up height is 3.7 inches lower than the Navigator’s (19.3” vs. 23”).

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

The Telluride’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Navigator’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Telluride has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Navigator doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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

When the Telluride SX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Navigator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Telluride will cost $2280 to $7415 less than the Navigator over a five-year period.

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 Navigator only retains 44.21% to 46.46%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Telluride is less expensive to operate than the Navigator because typical repairs cost less on the Telluride than the Navigator, including $11 less for front struts and $103 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $41308 to $53805 less than for the Lincoln Navigator.

Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Telluride as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Lincoln Navigator 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 Navigator isn’t in the top three in its category.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The Navigator 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 Navigator was last chosen as a North American vehicle of the year in 2018.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Lincoln Navigator by almost 8 to one during 2022.