Compare the2024 Nissan PathfinderVS 2024 Kia Telluride

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Pathfinder have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Telluride doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Nissan Pathfinder has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Telluride doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Pathfinder Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Telluride doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Kia Telluride:

	Pathfinder	Telluride
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	150	281
Leg Forces (l/r)	156/136 lbs.	164/998 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	312	378
Leg Forces (l/r)	236/309 lbs.	351/369 lbs.

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

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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Kia Telluride:

	Pathfinder	Telluride
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	244 lbs.	440 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	137
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	47 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	234	450
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	52 G’s
Hip Force	466 lbs.	640 lbs.

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

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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Telluride:

	Pathfinder	Telluride
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.18 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	65	70
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.46 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	5 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Pathfinder’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Telluride runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are over 38 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Pathfinder’s warranty.

Engine

The Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 4 more horsepower (295 vs. 291) and 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (270 vs. 262) than the Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine) is faster than the Kia Telluride:

	Pathfinder	Telluride
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.1 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.5 sec	3.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.4 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Pathfinder
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/25 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/23 hwy
Telluride
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Pathfinder’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Telluride doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Pathfinder has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Telluride doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Nissan Pathfinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Telluride.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Pathfinder	Telluride
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12 inches

The Pathfinder’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Telluride are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Pathfinder has larger tires than the Telluride (255/60R18 vs. 245/60R18).

The Pathfinder has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Telluride doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Passenger Space

The Pathfinder has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more third row hip room and 3.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Telluride.

Cargo Capacity

The Pathfinder has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Telluride doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Telluride is limited to 5000 pounds. The Pathfinder offers up to a 6000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

On a hot day the Pathfinder’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Telluride can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Pathfinder’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Telluride’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.