Compare the2024 Kia TellurideVS 2024 Nissan Armada

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Telluride and Armada 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 Armada’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.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Telluride’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Armada doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Telluride has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Armada Platinum offers Intelligent Back-Up Intervention.

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

Both the Telluride and the Armada have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Nissan Armada:

	Telluride	Armada
OVERALL STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	2 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	27%	43%
Neck Stress	275 lbs.	377 lbs.
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	164/998 lbs.	877/369 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	36%	38%
Neck Stress	131 lbs.	251 lbs.
Neck Compression	91 lbs.	153 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	351/369 lbs.	509/594 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 Kia Telluride is safer than the Nissan Armada:

	Telluride	Armada
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	16 inches
Hip Force	640 lbs.	684 lbs.

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, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 6.4% to 9.4% less likely to roll over than the Armada, which received a three-star rating.

The Kia Telluride has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Armada has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

Reliability

The Armada’s redline is at 60050 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Telluride has a 6500 RPM redline.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Telluride has a standard 800-amp battery. The Armada’s 780-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 24 points higher than the Armada.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is rated lower.

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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 7 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Telluride
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
Armada
	RWD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/19 hwy
	AWD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/18 hwy

The Telluride has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Armada. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Telluride higher (6 out of 10) than the Nissan Armada (3 to 5). This means the Telluride produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Armada every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Kia Telluride, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Armada.

Brakes and Stopping

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Armada:

	Telluride	Armada
70 to 0 MPH	162 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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 Armada SV’s standard 70 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Telluride SX 4x4 handles at .81 G’s, while the Armada Platinum 4x4 pulls only .74 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 Armada Platinum 4x4 (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Armada’s (38.8 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1550 to 1600 pounds less than the Nissan Armada.

The Telluride is 12 inches shorter than the Armada, 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 Armada doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

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 Armada (.37). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Telluride get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Telluride has .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more third row headroom and 3 inches more third row legroom than the Armada.

The front step up height for the Telluride is 2.8 inches lower than the Armada (19.5” vs. 22.3”). The Telluride’s rear step up height is 3.4 inches lower than the Armada’s (19.3” vs. 22.7”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Telluride	Armada
Behind Third Seat	21 cubic feet	16.5 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Telluride easier. The Telluride’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the Armada’s liftover is 33.7 inches.

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 Armada doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The Telluride SX Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Armada doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Telluride’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Armada’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Telluride’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Armada’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Telluride with a number “8” insurance rate while the Armada is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

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 57.67% to 58.24% of its original price after five years, while the Armada only retains 44.85% to 46.08%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Telluride is less expensive to operate than the Armada because typical repairs cost less on the Telluride than the Armada, including $86 less for a starter, $98 less for front struts and $141 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Telluride will be $19233 to $21803 less than for the Nissan Armada.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Telluride, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride first among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Armada isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Telluride was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 4 more times in the last 5 years. The Armada has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

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

The Kia Telluride outsold the Nissan Armada by over five to one during 2023.

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