Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Nissan Pathfinder

Both the Telluride and Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder’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 the Pathfinder have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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.

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 Kia Telluride is safer than the Pathfinder:

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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Telluride its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pathfinder is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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 Pathfinder’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 Nissan covers the Pathfinder. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Pathfinder ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Telluride has a standard 800-amp battery. The Pathfinder’s 760-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 54 points higher than the Pathfinder.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Pathfinder 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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan 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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 60 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 6 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

The Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 7 more horsepower (291 vs. 284) and 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 259) than the Pathfinder’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Telluride is faster than the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine):

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

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Pathfinder:

The Telluride has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Pathfinder’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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

The Telluride SX 4x4 handles at .81 G’s, while the Pathfinder SL pulls only .80 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 Pathfinder Platinum (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder (8 vs. 7.1 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 .7 inch higher than on the Pathfinder Rock Creek (8.4 vs. 7.7 inches).

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 Pathfinder (.34 to .355). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Telluride get better fuel mileage.

The Telluride has 7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Pathfinder (155 vs. 148).

The Telluride has .6 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 6.9 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room, 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room, .3 inches more third row headroom and 3.4 inches more third row legroom than the Pathfinder.

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

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

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

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

The Telluride uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pathfinder uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Pathfinder’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Telluride’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Pathfinder SV/Rock Creek/SL/Platinum.

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

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 Pathfinder only retains 43.77% to 45.89%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $4309 to $8204 less than for the Nissan Pathfinder.

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

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

The Kia Telluride outsold the Nissan Pathfinder by 73% during 2022.