Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Model X 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 Model X 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 Model X doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Telluride SX has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X 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.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Telluride’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Telluride has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Telluride and the Model X 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, 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, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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 Tesla Model X:

	Telluride	Model X
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	41	101
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	93 lbs.	157 lbs.

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

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 Model X has not been tested, yet.

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 2 years longer than Tesla covers the Model X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Model X ends after only 8 years.

There are over 5 times as many Kia dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

Reliability

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 29 points higher than the Model X.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Model X 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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 10 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Brakes and Stopping

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Model X:

	Telluride	Model X
70 to 0 MPH	162 feet	172 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

The Telluride has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

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

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Model X’s (38.8 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride X-Line/X-Pro has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model X (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 950 to 1050 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

Passenger Space

The Telluride has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Model X can only carry up to 7.

The Telluride has .3 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, 3.7 inches more rear legroom, 4.3 inches more rear shoulder room, 1 inch more third row headroom, 1.6 inches more third row legroom, 5 inches more third row hip room and 14.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Model X.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Telluride	Model X
Behind Third Seat	21 cubic feet	15 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	46 cubic feet	33.8 cubic feet

The Telluride’s available rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Telluride’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model X 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 Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

While the Model X w/22” wheels can only tow 3500, any Telluride can tow a minimum of 5000 pounds.

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Telluride to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The Telluride’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

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 Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Telluride has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Telluride’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Telluride has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Telluride’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Telluride to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Model X 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 Model X doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Telluride has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The Telluride SX Pro/SX Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Model X doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Telluride will cost $9925 to $11730 less than the Model X over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Telluride is less expensive to operate than the Model X because typical repairs cost much less on the Telluride than the Model X, including $537 less for a water pump, $27 less for front struts and $54 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 $55210 to $55990 less than for the Tesla Model X.

Recommendations

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 Model X isn’t in the top three.

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

The Kia Telluride outsold the Tesla Model X by over four to one during 2022.

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